22 FEBRUARY 1935, Page 39

EASTER HOLIDAY TOURS

PHIS travel feature has been inaugurated J. for the benefit of those readers who are in the habit of applying to " The Spectator's" Travel Bureau for information and advice when preparing for their holidays abroad. We - hope to publish the feature once a month. . If, however, the information you desire is not to be found in these pages, you are asked to write to The Travel Manager, "The Spectator," 99 Gower Street, London,

W.C. 1, as hitherto.

Spring Holidays

Eight weeks to Easter. It comes late this year, and the promise of milder weather will send many holiday-makers further afield in search of relaxation. Have you decided how you will spend the vacation ? Cruising or the Continent is the main alternative for those who do not wish to stay in Britain. If a cruise is the choice, one has the Mediterranean or the Atlantic Isles as the happy hunting ground of numerous cruising steamers, and at the end of these notes a selection of vessels bound for those places during March and April is provided.

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The problem of a Continental holiday is not ,so easily solved, since the choice of.. destination and the means of getting there are almost unlimited. Many people are deterred from taking their cars abroad by their ignorance of foreign languages and the prospect of losing themselves. For this class the Autocheque system of Continental travel has simplified matters considerably. By placing himself ,in the hands of Autocheques, Ltd., the motorist who does not know his way about the Continent can relieve himself of any anxiety before he starts. His car will be transported across the Channel without fuss, and once on the other side he can move off with a detailed itinerary of the whole , ground he has decided to visit. No difficulty with hotels, for these have already been chosen for hire; arrange- ments made for the exchange of Auto- cheque coupons for hotel bills. In advance he knows how much each of these bills will cost, apart, of course, from luxury expenditure. At the end of the time the car is brought back home, and his party find that the expense they reckoned on before starting--of £1 per day or up- wards—has not been exceeded. Auto- cheque facilities are also available for those who prefer to lire a car from the company instead of taking their own.

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The Pullman motor coach tour provides another kind of motoring holiday. Con- tinental charabancs have been notoriously bad for years and in many cases are still no better. Those who have travelled in them in the past arc apt to be suspicious of them for all time, especially if they have covered much distance on badly- kept roads and cobbled highways. Roads are now happily much improved, and it is possible today, to "See Europe from an Armchair" in perfect comfort, provided the proper coach service is found. Euro- pean Motorways, Ltd.—a British organ- ization—possess a fleet of de here Pullman motor coaches which are unrivalled any- where abroad, and practically the whole • Of Europe can be visited by their tours. The , " Riviera Motorway,' a 15-days' journey to the Riviera and the Route des Alpes, via Normandy, Burgundy, Roman France and Paris, is perhaps the most popular. A seat on this coach costs 33 guineas for the return journey, but this includes some days' stay at Nice or Monte Carlo, first-class rail and boat from London to the French coast, first-class hotels and meals throughout, gratuities and service of courier. • Next departures fake place on April 6th and April 20th. The "Central, European Motorway" begins ' its Brat

TOURS and CRUISES

tour of the season on April 15th. This will occupy 25 days and traverse Belgium, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Elm- gary, Bavaria, Rhine Valley and Luxem- bourg. The fare is 59 guineas. The time can be reduced to 22 days by Imperial Airways connexion at Brussels. A longer and more expensive tour is the "Grand Spanish Motorway "—a 27-days' visit to the South of Spain. The inclusive cost is 83 guineas ; departures on March 16th and April 12th.