1938 Royal Blue Coach Map Ad – Romantic West England Travel Ephemera

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Item ID: 297241270407
eBay Seller ID: britishfareasttraders
eBay Store Link: View this item
Category: Collectables:Paper & Ephemera:Ephemera:1901-1950
Condition: In decent condition. Please check our images.

1938 Royal Blue Coach Map Ad – Romantic West England Travel Ephemera

Original 1938 vintage advert featuring a Royal Blue Express Coach Services route map–an evocative relic of interwar British travel design.

Measurements: approx. 4 1/8 x 5 1/8 inches
Dates: n/a
Condition: In decent condition, please see images. 
Internal notes: QC passed

Imagine unfolding a travel guide in 1938, your finger tracing the coach routes that weave across England’s romantic West–from the rolling hills of Salisbury to the cliffs of Cornwall. This original advert for Royal Blue Express Coach Services, printed in the Overseas Daily Mail, captures the excitement of interwar exploration, when the coach was not merely transport but an invitation to discover the beauty of Britain. The graphic map is both practical and poetic, dotted with holiday havens such as Torquay, Sidmouth, Bath, St Ives, and Penzance–each promising sandy shores, fresh sea air, and elegant escape.

Measuring approx. 4 1/8 x 5 1/8 inches, this historic piece showcases the proud connectivity of Royal Blue’s renowned motor coach network. It was designed for the British domestic tourist boom of the 1930s, when more citizens than ever were exploring the countryside and coast. The inclusion of every key resort in the West Country makes it a valuable regional reference as well as a fine example of interwar travel advertising design. This map-form advert represents an era when tourism was still a novelty for many, and public transport was part of the holiday romance.

Items like this hold an emotional connection to the rhythm of British holiday history–a time when families packed sandwiches, dressed in their Sunday best, and boarded coaches bound for the sea. For collectors of vintage transport memorabilia, regional maps, or British ephemera, this piece offers both historical depth and authentic visual nostalgia. It belongs in collections that celebrate the elegance of pre-war travel, and the freedom and adventure promised by these grand old coaches.