Hankering after a holiday? These retro photographs of stars’ vacations from years gone by are sure to provide some wanderlust. We’ve rounded up the luxurious holiday destinations loved by the rich and famous through the decades – from iconic movie stars to royals, supermodels, singers and more.
Click through the gallery to discover the go-to escapes of the glitterati...
Stretching for miles along the Pacific and Highway One, the beach city west of Los Angeles has achieved legendary status, thanks to the Hollywood stars who have made its elegant seafront properties in the area their home. Clara Bow, a star of the silent film era, is pictured here in 1927. Even more popular today than it was then, Malibu's known for its legendary surfing waves, whale-watching spots and wide sandy beaches.
Cary Grant and Randolph Scott may have been movie stars but they knew how to enjoy the simple things in life – such as a game of beach ball on the Santa Monica seafront. Since the 1930s, when this picture was taken, the Californian city has retained all its laid-back appeal. It typically draws in more than seven million visitors each year and is known for its picturesque seafront, Santa Monica Pier and the lively Third Street Promenade, packed with shops, market stalls and street performers.
Following a trip to London and Paris, singer and actress Lena Horne’s face is a picture of pure joy as she returns home to New York, circa 1947. Sailing on board the SS America, one of the most luxurious cruise liners in America at the time, would be enough to put a smile on anyone’s face. The cruise ship was the first of its kind to be decorated by an all-woman team, led by Anne Urquhart and Dorothy Marckwald, who eschewed the Art Deco style typical of similar vessels in favour of a simple, modern style which was popular with travellers.
Running between the medieval cities of Zadar and Dubrovnik, Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast is now one of Europe’s most sought-after summer destinations. It was also the bolthole of choice for King Edward VIII in August 1936, when he whisked his partner Wallis Simpson away for a romantic break. Four months after this photo was taken, Edward abdicated the British throne in order to marry the American double-divorcee. They were later created the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
Actress Shelley Winters more than lives up to her name in this snowy photograph. Pictured at the Sun Valley in Idaho along with her pet dog in 1949, the star took on the resort's powdery slopes and indulged in luxury mountain life. The Idaho ski destination includes Dollar Mountain, allegedly home to the world's first ever chairlift, plus bigger Bald Mountain for plenty of thrilling steeper ski runs. And the reason Sun Valley got its name? It receives sunshine for around 80% of the year.
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Actor Errol Flynn got a lesson in attaching a leader to a fishing line from his son during a holiday at Lake Mead, near Las Vegas, in 1951. Just 30 miles (48km) southeast of Sin City, it's one of the largest man-made lakes in the western hemisphere with more than 750 miles (1,207km) of shoreline, as well as being America's first National Recreation Area. Offering a range of wholesome outdoor activities including jet skiing, swimming, hiking and fishing, it's certainly a far cry from the famous Strip.
Singer Frank Sinatra landed in London in search of a good time with fellow star Dean Martin and their friend restaurateur Mike Romanoff in the 1950s. We don’t know exactly what they got up to but we can imagine the trio strolling along the South Bank before a spot of shopping on Bond Street, perhaps topping off their evening with a West End show.
When he wasn't delivering killer one-liners, the comic Bob Hope liked to kick back by playing golf. So in 1952, when he wanted to hang out with his friend Bing Crosby, they signed up for a charity match at the Sunningdale Golf Club in Berkshire, which remains a quintessential English golf club today. Also quintessentially English is the county in which it resides. Located around 50 miles west of London, Berkshire is home to royal residence Windsor Castle. And Highclere Castle, better known to many as the setting for TV drama Downton Abbey, is also nearby.
Balmoral has been the Scottish home of the British royal family since it was bought for Queen Victoria by Prince Albert in 1852. The late Queen Elizabeth II spent every summer there and it was known to be her happy place. Here she is in the grounds with her young family and King Feisal of Iraq in 1952. Despite the coronavirus pandemic, the Queen kept to tradition in the summer of 2020 and visited Balmoral Castle in early August – in line with government guidelines, of course. Located on Royal Deeside in Aberdeenshire, the magnificent estate is set amid a stunning landscape of mountains, lochs and glens.
The actor looked a little reluctant to check his weight on a large set of scales at the famous health resort of Montecatini, near Florence, in 1954. The spa town is famous for its thermal waters and, in particular, the Art Nouveau Terme di Montecatini spa complex. As its popularity blossomed at the start of the 20th century, hotels, restaurants, theatres, nightclubs and casinos appeared and the celebrities weren’t far behind.
In this image from October 1953, heavyweights of American cinema Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart can be seen arriving at New York’s LaGuardia airport for a vacation visit to the Big Apple. The veteran actors married in 1945 and starred in several movies together, including To Have and Have Not, The Big Sleep and Key Largo. LaGuardia has been operating commercial flights since 1939.
The coastal city of San Remo in northwestern Italy isn’t quite the mecca for beautiful people that it was when film star Ava Gardner visited in 1954, but it still has plenty of style. Remnants of its glamorous past remain like the faded elegance of the Belle Époque villas and hotels that date from its heyday.
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The Austrian-born American actress Hedy Lamarr took her fifth husband, W. Howard Lee, to relax on Venice Lido in 1955. A seven-mile (11km) island between the main part of the Venetian lagoon and the Adriatic, it's home to about 20,000 residents and, most famously, the annual Venice Film Festival. A short boat ride from St. Mark's Square, it has a slightly more relaxed atmosphere than Venice proper.
Glamorous film star Dorothy Dandridge was snapped at the chic resort of Antibes in 1955, when she visited for the nearby Cannes Film Festival. Wearing a striking geometric bathing suit for a dip in the pool, she certainly brings a touch of Hollywood to the French Riviera. Tucked between the popular resorts of Nice and Cannes, Antibes typically draws in the visitors with its yacht-studded harbour, luxurious mansions and Mediterranean climate – the town receives a whopping 300 days of sunshine a year.
Actor Tony Curtis and his wife, actress Janet Leigh, headed to one of the world’s most charming cities in 1955. The couple posed outside Trinità dei Monti on the famous Spanish Steps in Rome. It's just one picture-perfect ancient wonder in a city abundant in historical sites including the Colosseum, Roman Forum, St. Peter's Square, the Vatican and Sistine Chapel.
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Marilyn and her second husband, baseball player Joe DiMaggio, are seen here in San Francisco in the mid-1950s. You can even make out the hilly northern California city's characteristic fog in the background. Despite the mist, San Fran is also known for its pops of colour: the Golden Gate Bridge, brightly-painted cable cars and pastel Victorian houses.
Cannes, home to the famous film festival held each May, is never short of stars. But Brigitte Bardot showed them all how to be a true screen goddess as she ran barefoot along the beach in 1956. Beyond the glitz and glamour of the film festival, the southern French destination has plenty in the way of natural beauty: think white sandy beaches, jagged cliffs and the dainty Lerins Islands.
Marlon Brando might be one of the greatest actors of the 20th century but when it comes to the ancient world, Athens' Acropolis has just as much star status, and the Hollywood legend paid a visit to the landmark in 1958. It serves as a gateway, or propylaea, to the hilltop citadel – the hub around which Athens revolves. Dating back more than 2,000 years, it was at the heart of Ancient Greece and the modern city is still dominated by its presence and that of many other ancient landmarks.
Switzerland is just the place to sledge like a princess. As well as being home to around 150 officially-recognised toboggan runs, there are plenty of roads in mountain villages which are used by sledgers too. The longest toboggan run in the country is in Churwalden, situated in the Arosa-Lenzerheide ski resort, with an epic 31 curves winding down into the valley. Princess Grace of Monaco, Prince Rainier and their children went sledging here during a winter holiday in 1960.
Even film stars need a break from the glitz and glamour. Elizabeth Taylor visited Burano Island in the north of the Venetian Lagoon with her second husband Eddie Fisher in 1960. Around a 40-minute boat ride from the city centre, the island is more laid-back than others here and is famous for its brightly-coloured fishermen’s houses, casual restaurants and historic lace-making industry.
Legendary jazz singer and musician Nat King Cole picked beautiful Nice for his family vacation in 1960. Stepping off the plane holding his son, Kelly, and joined by wife Maria Ellington, daughter Carol and other relatives, the family looks set for a 5-star break. Nice today is the jewel in the crown of the French Riviera, typically attracting sun-seeking travellers from all over the globe.
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Actors Rock Hudson and Gina Lollobrigida took a stroll in Santa Margherita Ligure, near Genoa in Italy in 1960. This seaside resort hasn't lost its old-fashioned charm, with a picture-perfect promenade lined with restaurants and hotels. Towering over the town is the 17th-century Villa Durazzo, which originally served as the summer residence for the Marquis Durazzo and his family. Today it's home to important artworks and historic artefacts, and its surrounding park is part of the circuit of Great Italian Gardens, which recognises the most stunning green spaces in the country.
The comic actor and his family are seen here enjoying a spot of fishing in Killarney in 1960. Chaplin often holidayed in Ireland and his family made the Butler Arms Hotel, in the nearby village of Waterville in the southwest of the country, their second home. The family-run Victorian hotel overlooking the Atlantic Ocean is still welcoming visitors today and fishing endures as a major attraction in the region.
At the beginning of the 1960s, Motown girl group The Supremes were on the brink of stardom. Pictured here in Paris in front of the Eiffel Tower, the fresh-faced trio sport matching bouffant bob hairstyles – made popular by Jackie Kennedy – along with the latest fashions. As well as taking pictures at the landmark tower, during later visits the group were snapped at Bois de Boulogne park and were even filmed lip-syncing to Where Did Our Love Go while strutting down the Champs-Elysees.
The stylish wife of then-American president John F. Kennedy, Jackie Kennedy, along with her daughter Caroline, took a vacation in Italy in August 1962, at the home of her sister Princess Lee Radziwill. Conca dei Marini is more under the radar than its better-known neighbours Positano and Amalfi, but still all about beautiful beaches, dazzling emerald waters and romantic sunsets.
This lavish Alpine resort, with its replenishing spas and incomparable views over Lake Lucerne, has always been a favourite among Hollywood’s elite. The likes of Charlie Chaplin, Sophia Loren and Audrey Hepburn have all spent time here over the years; Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Roman Holiday star Hepburn even married her first husband, fellow actor Mel Ferrer, at Burgenstock Chapel in 1954. Here, the pair can be seen taking a stroll along one of the resort’s forest paths in March 1961.
And here are The Fab Four – very much far from hometown Liverpool. John, Paul, George and Ringo took some time out from being the most famous band on Earth to splash about in Miami in 1964. The city became a popular tourist destination after the Second World War, when its year-round good weather and stunning beaches began to draw in the crowds, while golf clubs, hotels and skyscrapers sprung up along its shores.
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It's no wonder that Peter Sellers and Britt Ekland look so relaxed in this snap, taken in 1965 in the village of Sant'Angelo, Ischia – a volcanic island in the Gulf of Naples, Italy. The commune, built directly into the steep cliffs, has wowed generations of visitors with its hotch-potch of colourful houses stretching out towards the ocean. Sant'Angelo is on the calmer, car-free south coast, making it an ideal spot for a tranquil getaway.
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Actor Kirk Douglas took a dip with his wife and children on the coast of Monaco during a cruise on a yacht in 1967. And the tiny independent city-state on France’s Mediterranean coastline is still known for the high life. Think upscale casinos, a yacht-lined harbour and the best that money can buy. Among its highlights are the Monte Carlo Casino, an opulent marble-and-gold building constructed in the Belle Epoque style, and the dramatic Le Rocher, the only remaining part of the city's old medieval town, situated on a rocky headland.
These celebrities were devotees of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi back in the day, visiting his ashram in Rishikesh, high in the Himalayas, in 1968. The city in India’s northern state of Uttarakhand is considered holy and has been a special place for mediation and yoga devotees. Today it’s still the self-styled ‘Yoga Capital of the World’. The northern part of the town, with its panoramic position overlooking the Ganges River, is the place to go for the spiritually inclined today.
Steve McQueen preferred to holiday in high-octane style, looking the epitome of cool at the famous Le Mans trials in 1970. The 24 Hours of Le Mans, typically held annually in June, is one of the world's oldest endurance car races. And when the pros aren’t hurtling around the streets, the city – roughly a two-hour drive from Paris – has simulator rides, amateur go-karting and a motor museum so visitors can get a taste of the race-day magic.
Irish actor Richard Harris got buried at the beach while on holiday in Mallorca in 1971. You can just see his head peeking out of the sand in the foreground of this vintage snap. The ever-popular Balearic island in the Mediterranean has long been top of the list for family breaks thanks to its stunning beaches, azure waters, and blend of bustling resorts and more peaceful hilltop villages.
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Mick Jagger looks every inch the rock star outside the Hotel Byblos in Saint-Tropez, where he honeymooned with his new wife Bianca Jagger in 1971. The previously sleepy fishing town began to gain popularity in the early 20th century when writers and fashion designers, including Coco Chanel, graced its shores. And when Brigitte Bardot went there to film And God Created Woman in the 1950s, she really put it on the map.
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You may have never heard of Mustique, a private island in the Caribbean archipelago nation of St Vincent and the Grenadines. In fact, the isle was practically unknown until Princess Margaret visited in 1976, along with Roddy Llewellyn, the man with whom she was having an affair. At just three miles (5km) long and one mile (1.6km) wide, it's famed for its privacy, so it's no wonder Queen Elizabeth II's younger sister picked it as a vacation spot. The royal spent her time in her luxurious villa, Les Jolies Eaux, where she allegedly threw wild cocktail parties.
Looking toasty in a fluffy coat and turtle-neck jumper, The Sound of Music and Bridgerton star Julie Andrews clearly fancied a white Christmas in 1972. In this image, she’s papped walking through the snowy streets of Gstaad on Boxing Day that year with her husband Blake Edwards. Gstaad is renowned for its opulent hotels, plush chalets, fine restaurants and proximity to top-class ski slopes, so is no stranger to celebs in the winter.
Supermodel Twiggy and her then-fiance, actor Michael Witney, wandered the streets of Munich, Bavaria’s capital, in 1976. The city is one of the most affluent in the world and is home to centuries-old buildings and many museums. It’s particularly well-known for its annual Oktoberfest celebration and beer halls, including the Hofbräuhaus, which dates back to 1589.