Evening star., 1925-06-14
Advice to Tourists
BY WILLIAM RUFUS SCOTT
LONDON. June

LONDON. June /
~ y board ship, particularly if
you are travelling student
third class, have some clothes
~ you do not mind giving
rough usage. lounging on
deck, climbing stairs and rubbing
against equipment.
Arriving on this side, second-class
railroad ticket will be suitable for
the ride TO Paris or London, and many
will go third class; but inquiry should
be made as TO when the third-cIass
train leaves, else you may travel all
night on a hard seat as some Ameri-
cans did recently The first and sec
ond class boat trains leave soon after
the ships arrival
Having provided yourself with
French or English currency on ship
board, or before leaving the United
States, you will be prepared TO paw
porters, taxicabs and dining car
charges. Have some small change
for this. The porters will give You
your first taste of the hold-up atti-
tude toward Americans. Five francs
for two pieces of hand baggage is
ample. That is a quarter.
On European dining cars it is Gus
tomary to issue tickets for seats. If
you are hungry ask for the first Sit
ting, premiere" ticket on French
trains. If the train is crowded there
may be three sittings, and, as each
requires more than an hour, and
nothing will hurry the service, the
last sitting may be at $50 pm. for
dinner. If the meal happens to be
breakfast, and you are not hungry,
you may have to pay the full price
for the meal. or go without until you
reach your destination.
:; X
Reach Paris or London in the day
time, and as long before dark as
possible, so there will be time to
hunt hotel. 1t is mistake to fol-
low the crowd, for then you will jam
up few hotels, and the cost of a
room will rise while you stand at the
desk. One wise method is to leave
your suit cases in the taxicab and go
inside to see if there is a room and
at what price. Don't let porters take
them out. 1t is much easier to walk
out of a hotel without your luggage
than if it has all been brought In
and then you find prices are too high
Tell the hotel man what price room
you want-10 francs. Is. 20, etc If
you ask him what his rates are he
gives you the price he thinks you
will stand. Don't hesitate to walk out
and tell the taXicab man to go else
where. A little searching will save
money. especially if you go in outly.
ing districts.
If you arrive at night you may
, have to take what you can get and
of hn yaY-inn I,,t LA
morning get out and find a reasonable
place. You will be in your room very
little, and you can spend your money
better than in giving it to hotels
which are gouging Americans.
In using taxicabs, watch the
| meter. They are not hard to read.
In Paris they show SO many francs.
so many centimes. Three francs
seventy-five centimes means about
20 cents, allowing cents to the franc
! To get out and ask the chauffeur
what you owe may result in higher
charge. In Paris (more often than
| in London) the chauffeur will expect
tip of 10 per cent or slightly higher.
That would raise the foregoing fare
| to francs 25 centimes. or, to make
| it easy, Az francs. If baggage Is
carried outside, about half a franc
each piece. And for night service
another franc added to the bill. Ar
irving at a hotel the first time, if
YOU register, let the hotel porter set
| tie your bill with the chauffeur and
thereby prevent yourself being held
up.
| If at a smafi hotel, ask if the rate
| includes service and what service.
| Breakfast lin France) will be extra,
and so will baths. In England, break
| fast and bath usually are included in
! the smaller hotels tariffs. If you are
| to stay longer than 15 days in France.
an identification card costing about
$3.50 will be required. The hotel will
assist in getting it.
xx
The tourist who comes to France
| first and England or Germany last
will get an awful jolt. Prices in the
last two countries are at par with
New York, and all reports indicate
Germany is even higher, while Paris
prices are about a third of New
York's, except in the big hotels
where they are arranged to fleece
Americans. Coming to England first
| and then going to France Is to reverse
the experience and have the pleasur.
able sensation Of diminishing prio,s.