Hints to Lady Travellers

The first travel guidebook for women, written in 1889 with useful tips to lady travellers - still applies!

“Of becoming her own unescorted and independent person, a lady taveller”

So begins the guidebook from another era, The Victorian England, the year, 1889. But the writers useful tips still applies:

First of all: Remember, NEVER travel without a ‘SMALL FLASK OF BRANDY’, ‘STRONG SMELLING SALTS’ and an ‘EAU DE TOILETTE.’!!

So true!

-The Eau de Toilette will save you from any smelly unpleasant moments, may it be a marketplace, a train cabin, or a bathroom.

-Grey and dark colors are recommended for travelling since dirt and dust are less visible. “Grey is the best colour, or heather mixture tweed, which does not show dust or mud stains, and yet cannot lose its colour under a hot sun.’

-For sports –like biking -wear as few petticoats as possible!!

-Appearences should however not be compromised with. There is no reason, human or divine, why a woman should not be as tastefully and becomingly dressed while on her journeys as at her own fireside.

(One can only imagine what Mrs. Lilian Campbell Davidson would say of the use of shorts and flip flops today.

And so,the HINTS TO LADY TRAVELLERS continues: (take notes my friends)

-“As fellow passengers, perhaps, young babies are about as trying as any.” try to avoid them when possible.

-Use an egg yolk to restore your hair after a swim in the sea.

-Don’t forget travel insurance, and label all luggage assiduously!!

-Be careful of simple tricks when you exchange money so the trader won’t make a considerable profit out of your ignorance.

-Always agree on the price before you take a taxi! But as the writer Campbell Davidson adds ‘The demand usually made by a cabman for ‘something for himself’ is one which has no legal foundation, and cannot possibly be claimed. Still when one considers the wretched life of a cab driver one is not inclined to grudge a small sop to Cerberus.’

-The subject TEA takes up a whole chapter. As.. The Cup of Tea, being one of the few pleasant and innocent indulgences which are open to the use of womankind, and for example then, the shortage of fresh good milk on travels could become a big problem! Condensed milk is simply “detestable” in tea or coffee. Some of her delightful advise are unfortunately out of date: Such as the ivory glove-stretcher and the clever portable bath-cum-suitcase.

And we can only nurture our nostalgice dreams by reading about this long gone time when such items were needed for...

All in all it can be said for all women who fear travelling on her own:

'well prepared, well organised and well packed, no women, Campbell Davidson argues, need fear the ‘totally unnecessary dread’ of travel!

So to all you ladies out there. Don’t think twice about heading out for an adventure on your own! As the lady traveler Mrs Lilian Campbell Davidson describes how the travels will enlighten you forever:

'Persons who have been much abroad, and seen different men and manners, insensibly lose a great deal of the stiff unpleasantness of behaviour, and are ready at last to exchange the ordinary civilities of every-day life with those into whose society they are thrown.'