Postcards and travel have gone hand in hand for over a hundred years. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, travel—especially international travel—was only possible for a privileged few. With the rise in popularity of picture postcards in the early 1900s, it also became common to send greetings from both domestic and international travel destinations to family and friends back home. Often, received cards were arranged in postcard albums and viewed together with guests on the living room sofa.

The first picture postcard in France was printed for the 1889 World’s Fair. The card featured the newly completed Eiffel Tower. The exhibition, which was open for six months, attracted over 32 million visitors. The picture postcard, previously unknown to the general public, was a huge success. Cards were sold at postal stands located on the tower’s platforms. Visitors could mark the spot on the card’s image where they were standing to write their message: Greetings from the Eiffel Tower, I’m here right now!

Have you ever received a postcard from abroad? How do you share your free time and travel experiences with your friends? What kinds of tools are used to send greetings from abroad today?