Around the mid 18th century there began to be more talk from high-society women intellectuals, or “ blue-stockings”, about woman’s right to her own interests and voice.
Outside of the standard tour, the only other viable options for women to travel were either by eloping with a lover in another country or arranging employment as a governess with a traveling family. Women without wealth or means of marrying into it had very limited options for travel. Women rarely traveled alone, so any experience on the Grand Tour was to accompany a husband or relative. These instances were not common as men typically embarked on the Grand Tour around the age of 17 before marriage. Even though the Grand Tour was designed for gentlemen, female spouses or family members of Grand Tourists would accompany them. The typical traveler on the Grand Tour was a gentleman of the wealthy and elite class. Most travel was between major cities within Western Europe such as Paris and Rome, and hardly any to Eastern Europe. The Grand Tour was mainly a British cultural phenomenon and focused mostly on the art and culture of Italy. The Grand Tour was a voyage for education and pleasure for wealthy young men that mainly occurred between the years 15.
