There’s something excruciatingly romantic about the golden age of travel. It was the early nineteenth century, and the world was finally opening up — a time that must have been packed with excitement, exploration and more promise than you could shake a passport at. And it’s all the more enticing while we’re all confined to our own homes.

So why do we think it was so much more special a century ago? Perhaps it was that new modes of transport were taking off; from the jet plane to the airship. Perhaps it was that huge swathes of the world still remained unexplored. Or perhaps it was the travel posters — bright, bold works of art created to show exotic locales in their best, most tantalising light.

We’re great fans of these retro, vintage-style travel posters as home decorations. Be they hung as memories of destinations visited, or inspiration to fuel your wanderlust list, your home doesn’t contain enough of them — so here are a handful to get your collection started…

Stretching from Cassis to the Italian border, the glamorous, decadent sun trap of the South of France has been home to the rich and famous for decades. And we can see why. With rolling green hills, sparkling blue waters and some of the best-dressed socialites this side of Paris, it’s a sophisticate’s paradise.

These travel posters paint the picture perfectly. From this balmy, bountiful representation of Nice to this many-flagged, many-yachted depiction of Cap d’Antibes, the feel of discreet luxury seeps off the paper. But our favourite has to be this sun-drenched La Côte d’Azur par Avion option; a reminder of how exciting the advent of widespread international air travel really was.

As Taki Theodoracopulos, the last playboy, writes in his Gentleman’s Journal column, “Such was the rarity of ski resorts back then, that people believed nobody could be unhappy on the slopes.” Take even a cursory look at these splendid retro posters, and it’s easy to understand why.

This first captures Gstaad‘s Palace Hotel, an internationally renowned retreat that sits at the junction of three picturesque valleys. Emblematic of the Art Deco period, this St Moritz-set example features both innovative design and an exotic location. Or, if you want reminding of a resort with a nightlife as good as the powder, check out this bright depiction of Verbier.

Ski and beach resorts are all well and good, but the real thrill of the golden age of travel came when you touched down or docked in a foreign city. Hubs of culture, from cuisine to architecture, these capitals and cities are best seen through excited eyes — something captured in the charming simplicity of these travel posters.

Who wouldn’t want to head to Rome, to watch the sun set from the Ponte Sant’Angelo across the magnificent Tiber, after seeing this poster? Or take a Bentley R Type Continental on a sweep through Paris past the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe? Or, if you’re going a little further afield, tearnacross the Brooklyn Bridge towards the glittering metropolis of Manhattan?

And, while we’re on the subject of further afield, why not venture out of cities altogether and really explore the world. With planes taking off around the globe, far-flung corners were suddenly accessible — and nowhere did these paradises look more exotic, exciting and within reach than on a poster.

Take Cuba, for example, where bar El Floridita has been serving daiquiris for over 200 years. Or Egypt, home of the iconic Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx — and a key stopping point for nineteenth century air travel pioneers, Imperial Airways. Or even South Africa’s Table Mountain, a topographical testament to these posters’ promise that travel truly does broaden the mind.

Love the travel but hate the jet lag? Here’s our foolproof guide to getting the jump on timezones…

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