Did Ancient Roman citizens ever go on vacations?

Oh yes, but only the rich Roman citizens could afford vacations. The upper class had country houses, a.k.a. Roman villas. These were pleasure houses, sited in the cool hills within easy reach of Rome, or on picturesque sites overlooking the Bay of Naples. read more

The Roman Empire was the first civilization to enjoy such a period and put the infrastructure in place to allow for vacations to happen. The work of the army and navy in securing borders and transport against banditry, along with the ever expanding borders of the empire, gave citizens freedom to travel without ever technically leaving Rome’s jurisdiction. read more

If you live in Rome in ancient times, a trip to lovely Campania takes two days--not too long but also not really something you can do for a week at the beach. If you live in, say, Autun, a Marseilles holiday will take sixteen days round trip. read more