It was a long journey, because air travel wasn't yet the most common mode of transport. So all transfers were by rail, sea, and bus. In 1950, members traveled in eight-berth compartments without berths, and soon after the train departed, they figured out how to arrange the space to create a semblance of comfort and get some sleep. It was much more like a train car housing a summer camp or a scout troop!
The first transfer in Club Med's history took place on June 4, 1950, from the Austerlitz train station in Paris. Five cars were attached to the regular train bound for Barcelona. The first 742 Club Med members were on their way to Alcudia for a 15-day vacation.
In 1954, for the newly opened village of Djerba, the transfer was made by plane. The Paris/Tunis flight was operated by Air France aboard a Breguet double-decker. In Tunis, a connecting flight with Tunisair was provided by a trusty old DC-3. This aircraft, also known as the Dakota, was widely used for troop transport during the Second World War, notably during the Allied landings in Normandy in June 1944. It also had the advantage of being able to land on any type of terrain. The flight connected Tunis to Djerba, where an improvised airstrip was available.
That same year, we went to Corfu in three days. The trip began at the Gare de Lyon on the Saturday evening Simplon Express, which arrived in Venice early the next morning. After a free day in the Venetian city, the guests boarded a boat in the evening bound for the island of Corfu via Brindisi.
Upon arrival in Corfu, they boarded the Club's caïques, which arrived triumphantly in the village on Tuesday!
A few years later, transfers became faster and more modern. The introduction of special Club Med trains, thanks to agreements with the SNCF (French National Railway Company), and the expansion of transport options allowed for better conditions for Club Med guests. For Cefalù in the late 1950s, the choice between a special train to Naples followed by a boat, or a train to Marseille followed by a special seaplane, considerably shortened the journey time.
