Once upon a time, in the UK and Europe, villages used to be about three or four miles apart. That meant a villager could walk to the next village in about an hour, see to business or a friendly visit, and walk home again, all in half a day. Market towns tended to be about nine to twelve miles apart. Someone on foot could reach the nearest market town from their village in about an hour and a half, making it possible to set out before dawn to sell produce, and still get home before dark. Or, if shopping was the goal, the round trip could still be done in three hours.

A person with a horse and cart wouldn’t get there any faster, but would take a bit longer.

For the rich, carriages and riding horseback or in horselitters might shorten travel times, but the state of the roads meant that thirty miles a day was an excellent speed, and only possible in flat country. Goods and people were commonly transported by river or sea if they had to go any further than a few miles, but most people didn’t travel more than ten miles from their home in their lifetimes.

The stage coach was introduced to Britain in the 17th Century. Over time, better road technology, a larger road network and better carriages brought about a huge reduction in travel times. By 1750, it was possible to travel from London to York in three to four days. By the 1820s, the same trip would take a little over a day. Ordinary people still didn’t travel all that much, unless they were wealthy or it was part of their job, or they were seeking work. It was expensive, uncomfortable, and time consuming. Until the next technological development.

Then came the railways

The growth of the railway network, after the first successful passenger line in 1826, was remarkable. And all of a sudden, third class rail carriage put a once-in-a-lifetime trip at the seaside into the reach of even working-class people, while those with slightly more means might even take an annual holiday. Take a look at the growth of the network in just twelve years, between 1840 and 1852.

And here’s what it did to travel times, even with slow mid-19th century steam trains.

Cars and planes

With the coming of the automobile, the focus turned back to roads, with travel times shrinking again, and still more with airplanes. Here in the 21st century, it’s hard to put ourselves into the footsteps of our ancestors, for whom a trip to the shops meant a three hour walk.