Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-05
EUROPEAN TRAVEL
EXPENSES LOWER
Account Kept on 5000 Mile
Trip by Five American
Girls Show Rate.
BY the Associated Press

BY the Associated Press.
European travel, through standard
lied facilities and uniform international
regulations, has been brought within
the realm of vacation costs common in
the United States.
Five American girls kept a detailed
account of their 6,000-n1ile tour Of eight
European countries TO show that their
average daily expense a person was a
little less than IS.
I'VE took our car to Europe with us
with no more thouble than the tourist
experiences in checking his trunk" Bar
bara Hastings Of Washington, leader OF
the trip, says. I'VE Travelled more than
5000 miles on European soil in 81 days,
found none Of the red tape we had eX-
pected, and had little dificulty getting
from place to place, although we were
not acquainted with the languages Of
the countries through which We drove. "
Average Touring Cost.
The average cost Of motor touring in
the United States Is estimated by the
American Automobile Association at
$3.50 a day. Because the flow Of motor
lists abroad has increased so rapidly
within the last few years, the automo-
bile association estimates that more
CIldIlr S0U,OUU,OOU Will DC OpcIlI Al GuKO-
pean countries this year by at least
1000 American motor touring parties
who will take their own cars with them.
While attributipg the increased mo-
tor travel in Europe largely to the SIM
plicity surrounding the shipment Of
automobiles today and the ease in meet
ing custom requirements, the Amer
lean Automobile Association says that
many Americans are extending their
business connections abroad by using
their own motor cars. ~.
Automobiles now can be shipped 10
Europe without any special packing.
They are merely drained Of their gas
and oil and swung over the side OF the
steamship on which the tourist travels,
to be placed In the hold. They are de-
livered to their owners with as great
facility IS trunks are turned over to
their proper owners.
Start From London.
Miss Hastings and her friends started
their motor tour from London, circling
England, Scotland and Wales. While
they were on English soil they felt more
at ease because they could speak the
language.
I'VE didn't mind driving on the left
hand side of the road and felt queerly
when we had to shift back to the right
side after reaching France" she says.
In crossing the border between France
and Belgium, q French ofncial in blue
uniform stopped us. We asked him If
he spoke English, and he nodded his
head in the negative. We explained
that we didn't know much French, but
off our engine, stamped a card and
passed us without further conversation
I'VE found crossing the other bound
aries from Belgium to Germany, Ger
many to Switzerland, Switzerland to
Italy and back into France equally as
easy. We crossed seven borders on our
continental journey and found only one
official who could speak English.
Variance In Costs.
Gasoline averaged from so to SIS
cents for five literS, which is a little
more than gallon, on the continent
In England, gas was about "a cents
o gallon. but the English gallon is
everywhere along the streets and even
out in the country.
Driving conditions in Europe are Diff
ferent than those In the United States.
In England, virtually all roads. are
paved and kept in fine condition. In
Belgium, they are paved with cobble-
stones, but are surprisingly smooth.
The road we followed up the Rhine in
Germany was perfect.
I'm Bavaria and Wurtemburg, we
found good gravel roads. Switzerland
is noted for good roads, italian high
ways, we found, are apt to be rough
and dusty. In France the main high
ways leading to Paris are fine wide
roads filled with cars speeding along at
so miles an hour or more"