These days, we jump on a plane to go on a holiday without thinking twice about it.

Book something online, throw a few things into a bag, and as long as you have your passport and your wallet, you’re good to go.

Spain, Portugal, the Canaries… here we come.

It wasn’t always like that though. There was a time when going on a continental holiday was a big deal.

Getting a brochure from a travel agent was the first step. Flicking through it was exciting... so many choices with lovely swimming pools and sandy beaches to choose from.

Once you found the spot that suited your pocket, it was back up to the travel agent to sign up. That’s when the excitement really kicked in. We’re nearly off - but not quite yet. There were other matters to be attended to first.

Next thing was a trip to the bank to get some travellers’ cheques. For those of you who have no idea what they were, let me explain.

They came in book form and each cheque was made out in an amount of the local currency, so you took it to a bank at your holiday destination and cashed one in whenever you needed money. Sometimes, the hotel would even cash them.

There were other considerations too before you went on holiday abroad, like what kind of food will they have in Spain? Will we be able to eat any of it? And how will we make ourselves understood when we don’t speak the language? Maybe we should bring........

© Evening Echo