Holidaying in the 70s: Wish You Were Here S01E02 - Episode 2

In this episode we discover how the advent of the jumbo jet led to a boom in long haul travel and how British holidaymakers crossed the pond to visit the newly created mega tourist attraction in Florida, Disney World.

We tell the story of Freddy Laker, the British entrepreneur who offered cut-price air fares, enticing us with flights to America for just £59 but whose airline ultimately went bust.

We meet Tony Walker who recalls how his backpacking adventures in the 1970s led to the creation of the world's most famous brand of travel guides ‘Lonely Planet'.

The rise of interrailing in the 70s is also explored as is the growing popularity of ski holidays, along with the lure of ‘apres-ski'.

On board our retro plane, holidaymakers experience the early days of in-flight entertainment and discover a shortage of storage for their take-on luggage. Inside our authentic recreation of a 70s travel agent, they delve into the genuine holiday brochures also discover the deals offered by tour operators to far flung locations.

We revisit the challenges of long-haul coach travel in the 70s, with its lack of mod cons and - in stark contrast to today's smart phones - we remember how used to take holiday snaps, only seeing the results weeks' later once we'd developed the film back home.

Our experts also recall the joys of duty-free shopping in the 70s and how joining the European Economic Community meant Brits could enjoy more cut-price bargains than ever before.

Plus, we look into the growing popularity of cruises in the 70s, for those who fancied a more sedate travelling experience, and we reminisce about the souvenirs we used to bring back from our trips abroad.