The Grand Tour, that rite of passage for young European aristocrats, established France as an essential destination for cultural education. These early tourists, primarily British nobility, spent months or even years traveling through France to reach Italy, but France itself became increasingly important to their journeys.
Paris: The Sophisticated Stopover
Young gentlemen arrived in Paris to polish their French—the language of diplomacy and culture—and to acquire social graces at Versailles. They attended salons, visited the Louvre (then a royal palace), and learned dancing, fencing, and etiquette. The memoirs of these travelers, from John Evelyn to Thomas Jefferson, helped establish France's reputation for sophistication and culture.
The Infrastructure of Early Tourism
This aristocratic travel created the first tourism infrastructure:
- Coaching inns developed along major routes
- Professional guides emerged in cities like Paris and Lyon
- Money changers and letter of credit systems facilitated international travel
- Souvenir industries began producing portable art and luxury goods