Throughout the eighteenth century thousands of young British men and women embarked on extensive journeys to continental Europe – an activity known as the Grand Tour. 'Travel, Pleasure and Politics: The European Grand Tour 1670-1825' explores who these people were, where they went, and the reasons for their expeditions. For some, the Tour was the final stage of formal education; to others an opportunity for sexual adventures and pleasure-seeking. The course discusses the practical challenges of eighteenth-century travel, the political, religious, and cultural contexts of the Tour, as well as the key places to visit and the reasons for their popularity. It also considers what the Tourists brought back with them: from physical artefacts for public and private collections, to new ways of seeing and understanding the world. 'Travel, Pleasure and Politics' introduces students to the actual writings of the Tourists, showing how they experienced international travel and shaped the modern tourist industry.