Evening star., 1927-04-24
TOURIST SEASON
OPENS IN EUROPE
Travellers Assured Every
Country viii Be Found
on Normal Basis.

By Radio to The Star,
PARIS, April 23.--The 1927 tourist
season, now beginning, will be the first
Of it's kind since 1918.
Europe, after II years of more or
less general unrest and uncertainty,
is again back on a normal basis
The traveller this year will find
every important country in Europe
in a condition of peace and tranquil
lty. with stable currency and stable
prices. In a general way the prices,
on a gold basis, are somewhat higher
than in 1913, corresponding to the
worldwide decline in the purchasing
power Of gold.
Material comforts, however. have
progressed in even greater proportion.
The tourist rush Of recent years has
developed the hotel and travel busi'
ness enormously.
L. S. Tourists Many in Number.
The number Of Americans touring
in Europe has increased to an almost
incredible degree. More than 100000
tourists are expected this year from
the United States alone. whereas
so 900 was a very large number
before the war.
In former days only the idle irch
and a few artists and students travel
EQ regularly Dii LIE GOiAlAitliIs ANO"
the tourists are recruited from all
classes. Small shopkeepers. farmers.
clerks and even mechanics and labor
ers are on the passenger lists of the
big transatla ntic liners. A very con-
siderable proportion are on their sec
ond or third trip since the war.
Travel bureaus declare also that
more tourists are "travel-wise" than
was the case a few years ago. They
come with a definite idea of what they
want to see and do, and do not readily
fall victims to the wiles of guides and
other pests who used to batten on the
purses of the unwary stranger in
strange lands.
The fact appears to be that those
who have not visited Europe before
and learned the ropes at first hand,
have learned from friends just how
to go about things. They unblushingly
call for second or third class tickets,
and put UP at obscure hotels where
they get sufficient comfort and service
for so cents a day instead of the New
York prices that are charged in the
big caraYanserieS.
More Enjoyment, Fewer Thrills.
It is predicted that the tourists of
1927 because of Europe's new.found
EIduAi1lSs Will anu EIC1tCk CAAJOy
though perhaps not so many thrills
as those of recent years.
The anti-foreign demonstration of
last year in Paris will not be repeated.
They were considerably exaggerated
at the time, and yet it is undeniable
that the French public was in a state
of irritability on account OF the in
stability of the currency. 1t is to be
wondered at that the clashes between
the local population and the foreign
ers were not more serious, particularly
taking into consideration that Paris
was on one or two occasions within
an ace of a coup d'etat."
Conditions in Italy, Belgium and
Germany also have vastly improved
since year ago. In all countries Wis
itors are now received with open
arms. Even remote Spain, which or
dinarily is off the main line Of tour
lists, begins the season with an un-
precedented influx Of foreign visitors,
who are discovering that the coun-
try's reputation for backwardness is
undeserved. Modern hotels are every
where, and the train service between
the principal cities is all that can be
expected.
Fast Trains Need In Spain.
What is chiefly lacking in Spain is |
fast trains for second and third-class |
passengers. Quite generally the only |
fast trains are "de luxe"-solid Pull |
man trains which are out of reach Of |
the modest purse.
Cycling and f1ivvering are being In |
dulged in by more and more tourists |
OF modest resources. A party Of four, |
according to actual experience, can |
frequently travel cheaper by motor |
than by rail. even including the loss |
on resale Of the car.
This is largely because motor par.
ties can conveniently stop at night in |
small towns not easily accessible by |
train, where prices are far lower than
in the big cities, where the express
trains stop.
Copyright. 1927