A friend who has just returned from the Riviera tells
me that all the towns and villages along the coast are lamenting the continued absence of visitors. Hotels in Monte Carlo, Nice, Cannes and lesser places which a few years ago were enjoying winter and summer seasons have latterly been less than half-full, in spite of the fact that they have reduced their charges to British people. The expensiveness of the franc and its low purchasing power are, of course, the principal deterrent, but the Frenel]' railways, and especially the wagons-lits services, must bear their share of responsibility. It is not very com- fortable to travel all night from Paris to Nice without 4 sleeping-car ; but the supplement for a sleeper is more than three guineas second class and nearly four pounds first class. In travelling from London to Edinburgh you have only to pay £1 extra for a sleeper first class and 7s. third class. Again, if you go from Nice to Paris second class instead of by the Blue Train, encouraged by an excellent dinner you had over-night (reduced to 20 francs) you wake up in the morning expectant of breakfast. But no—the restaurant car has been taken off—next stop Paris-8 a.m. This is tourisme.
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