Then and Now: booking a trip

Every Thursday we look at how one part of everyday life has changed.

Then. Not so long ago, planning a holiday meant a trip of its own: to a travel agent's office, with glossy brochures on the wall. You picked a package, the agent made a few phone calls, and a week later an envelope arrived with paper tickets inside. You guarded those tickets with your life. Lose them, and you had a problem.

Once you arrived, you found your way with a paper map, a guidebook and a lot of asking strangers. Photos waited on a roll of film until you got home, and you didn't know which ones turned out until you picked them up from the shop.

Now. Most trips are booked on a phone, often in a few minutes. Boarding passes live in an app. Maps talk to you. You can see the hotel room, read a hundred reviews and swap money in seconds.

What we gained: choice, lower prices on many routes, and a lot less worry about losing tickets.

What we lost: maybe a little surprise. When you know everything before you go, it's harder to stumble onto something nobody told you about.

Our suggestion: plan the big things, and leave one day empty. More ideas in how to plan a slow-travel month.