The Sun.
London, England, 1869-08-07 00:00:00

COOK'S EXCURSIONS.

The excursion season will soon be at its height; and
the Daily 1V ems, in view of it, publishes an article on the
excursions organised by Mr. Cook. Mr. Thomas Cook
(it says) is the Napoleon of excursionists. Last year more
than two hundred thousand people travelled by means of
Cook's tickets ; this year the number will approach, if it
' does not exceed, three handred thousand ; and from the
time of the commencement of the system until now, be-
, tween three and four millions of tourists have availed
themselves of the facilities offered by it, without one of
them ever getting so much as a bruise. There are
' one or two misapprehensions as to these exclusions which
ought to be removed. One of them that it is necessary to
travel in a body ; that the conductor of each trip purveys
for those joining in it,• that castles, cities, galleries,
palaces, mountains, lakes, antiquities, are visited in
droves, and in droves only, by Mr. Cook's patrons, is
altogether an inaccurate idea. Not five per cent. of the
continental travellers taking these tickets travel in a
party ; and not one out of the number need do so at all.
From time to time, what is called an excursion is made
when Mr. Cook himself, or his representative, travels
with as many as choose to avail themselves of his guidance;
bat this is regarded rather in the light of an exceptional
advantage than as one of the conditions of the system of
tours. The great conductor himself, however, is popular,
and during the quarter of a century he has been
organising, travelling, and contracting, has made
troops of friends, who prefer so to time their
annual holiday as to secure his company. A
traveller going part way with Mr. Cook in these parties
can leave him at any time, use his hotel coupons and his
railway tickets, and rejoin him when the said traveller
pleases. The phrase " hotel coupons" calls for a word of
explanation. Mr. Cook has, on behalf of his clients, not
only those travelling in a body but all his hundreds of
thousands, contracted with certain hotels on the Conti-
nent to board and lodge every one who elects to carry his
coupons—there is, of course, no compulsion on those
taking his travelling tickets—at a uniform rate of ten
francs a day. This arrangement extends over the lead-
ing places in Holland, Belgium, Germany, France,
Switzerland, and Italy ; and a packet of coupons like a
cheque-book having been purchased in London, the
tourist has simply to tear off a "Bed," a " Breakfast," or
a "Dinner" cheque, with a smiling medallion portrait of
Mr. Cook at its head, when he wants either the one or
the other. The associated system, however, is very
popular indeed, and people of high rank take advantage
of it. On Monday, the 16th of August, there
is a Swiss and Rhine party leaving England, and on
the 11th September a month's tour to Switzerland and
Italy will start. There will be a choice of
routes by the Splugen, St. Gothard, or Simplon ; and
Milan, Verona, Venice, Florence, Rome, Naples,
Pompeii, Sorrento, Civita-Vecchia, Leghorn, Pisa, Lucca,
Turin, and Genoa will be visited. The fares will be
thirty-six guineas for the month travelling first class by
railway and steamer, or thirty-two guineas second-class
(including all hotel charges in each case). The
opening of the Suez Canal will be the occasion
of another associated tour, starting on the 3rd of
November, the fares from - London to Alexandria
and back, being £35 first-class and £2B second-class.
Passing to the general system under which travelling at
home or abroad' may be pursued, without loss of individual
independence and with certain advantages which are
clearly defined, we strongly advise (says the Daily News)
all who meditate a holiday to expend twopence in the
purchase of Cook's Excursionist. This is a periodical
published twice a month during the tourist-season, and is a
really remarkable compendium of information. It consists
of twenty-four closely-printed pages of the size of the Pall
Mall Gazette, and gives an idea of the comprehensiveness
and completeness of Mr. Cook's system which is
scarcely attainable in any other way. Therefore the
ordinary continental traveller would do well to study the
Excursonist. The circular tours in Switzerland, of which
there are eight, each comprising a different route ; the
tours over the Alps, and to time Italian Lakes ; the tom-s
in Holland and Belgium, via Rotterdam, of which there
are fifteen, and via Antwerp, of which there are eleven,
enable the tourist to travel by any train, in almost any
direction, and save him over the ordinary fares a
sum ranging from ten to twenty, twenty-five, and
hi a few cases even thirty per cent. Instead of
booking and rebookirg at the various stations abroad, lie
purchases in Fleet-street a little book of coupons. The
guard on each line, instead of asking for a ticket, tears ell
oneof these quite in the regular way of business, and the
traveller makes one payment for the whole of his travel-
ling expenses before leaving town. If lie _choose to buy a
book of hotel-coupons for the number of days lie is away,
be has but to leave a defined margin for amusements and
wine, to calculate the cost of his jaunt to a nicety. It is
impossible to imagine a system which is more complete, or
more delicately adjusted to the ordinary tourist's wants.
It saves money,temper, and time, and prevents a thousand
inconveniences and delays.

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