The history of mankind is connected with travelling. We were moving from place to place from the very beginning of our civilisation. This has not changed. Only the means of transport are changing. Thousands years ago we could only travel on foot. Later humans domesticated the animals which lived near them, for example horses, elephants or camels, and which they could ride on. Some inventions helped the humans in travelling. The most important is the wheel. It allowed us to construct carts and later bikes, motorbikes, trains and automobiles. The people also travelled on water using ships. In the 18th century the air travel was invented (balloon). In the 20th century many new means of transport were invented: aeroplanes, helicopter. At the beginning people could fly only short distances like several meters. But later the distances became longer and longer. Before 1910 a man flew from France to England. After the First World War an aeroplane flew from the USA to Europe. Travelling by air is very important nowadays. It is the fastest way of getting from place to place. We can easily travel to a different country, even to a different continent. However it cost much. Aeroplanes are also a very safe mean of transport - not as many people think. The crashes are spectacular but they do not happen very often. For example more people die in car accidents than in planes each year. But if somebody does not want to fly he or she can sail on a ship. However, this is expensive and takes much time. But it is a very niece time. On board of a ship you can enjoy yourself in many ways. You can go to restaurant, disco, and bar or take a sunbath. The most common way of getting from place to place is by car or by bus. Many people use cars or buses everyday when they go to work or school. Cars are more expensive than buses but they have some advantages. They are comfortable, fast and you can go wherever you want to. They give you a sense of independence. There are also bikes. The people use them to travel on short distances and for recreation. If somebody does not have any means of transport nor money, he or she can hitchhike. It is possible to travel the whole country in cars of other people. Many young people enjoy this form of travelling. It is exciting and funny but sometimes may be dangerous. The most modern, since 1961, mean of transport is a spaceship. However, they are not used to carry people like planes - maybe in the future.
In the 20th century the world became smaller than it was earlier. Before it took days or week to go from one continent to another. Nowadays we may do it in few hours travelling by plane. But it does not mean that everybody have to choose the fastest way of travelling. There are planes but there are also bikes. You are free to choose.
