32 ~ Sunday, April 17,1988 - North Shore News

KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING

European rail travel can. be a pleasure

NORTH. AMERICANS
don’t spend much time on
trains in our own countries,
with the exception of the
crowded ‘commuter trains
between places like Boston
and New York. Our
distances, for the most part,
make air.travel-a much more
sensible way of crossing the’
country. ‘

In Europe, the cities ere so close .
together —
astronomical — that the average
European has an intimate know!-
edge of the railway system. ;

Enter the North American, clut-
ching a rail pass and’ about as
much knowledge. of the system as

_ your average bullfrog.

To complicate matters, he prob-:
ably speaks only English.

To be fair, it’s quite possible to
find someone who ‘speaks English:
but never in an emergency. .

Even in a large city like Nice 3
found” myself - dredging up. some
“faint’ memories of -high school
French and mumbling something
like, . ‘‘deuez_ billez _Monaco,, eh
returnez, merci?” o

‘The .fact that ~ we “eventually

reached Moriaco and even manag- «4

 -d'the “returnez’?-i is- nothing short
‘, Of-amazing.: ”

The most’ important : things ‘a
| first-time ‘traveller should know
« about European. train travel are.
these: a
“yourself plenty. of.

Don't get into a tizzy if,a ft

-train::leaves .without you: — there
will: be another along eventually,

By: getting to‘the station with*an”

hour to spare you'll save "yourself «

the « pleastire-of ‘chasing down a

teform, bags in Hand, Screaming,

“formation book ‘generally’
‘byn multi-lingual re ‘As!

wo | Bedrooms vie
Woodburning Fireplace
Fully Equipped Kitchen

. “Nébiripool/Sauna

6: Beating | Facilitios — a

and air fares so...

mudslide and may show up.
Normally, the trains run fairly
well on time.
Next you inquire about the plat-
form. Another. reason for giving

_ yourself lots:of time is the gigantic -

_ size of some of the stations — your

platform may be a 20-minute walk.
-” ‘get first choice of available seats.’
ask the Socation of the’

away.

Next
train “diagram’’. This is fairly
standard and will save you a lot of
problems iocating the proper car
on the train.

You probably ‘won't have a res-
ervation. In my experience, they

travel
wise
Barbara McCreadie

must be made 24 hours in advance,
and I rarely know my plans that
far in advance. It also means an
additional trip to the station and
I'm lazy about things like that.

By locating a suitable car from

the station you wish to alight ate:

Large cities can be véry confus-.
ing with several’ stations and you
can find yourself off the
miles from your planned, destina-
tion,

Train , travellers: “need, to use
common sense about ‘baggage.

Baggage cars may or may not be

available. Even if they are I don't.

trust them. With the huge voliime-
of passengers --. ~Plus a language
problem ~ your ‘bag is safer with
you, wot
There. are “overhead racks for
bags.. but they will not hold, your,
average steamer trunk. ~ :
jxou could lift it up. . :
mit (Excess baggage is a pain in the

the diagram ‘you can — position’ =:

yourself.on the platform so as to

Watch that you don't grab'a seat
with a smali white paper stuck in
the top corner — this isa reserva-

: tion — and by the time you get,

heaved out it’s too late to fin
another. |

Inquire about. the exact name of |

My brother tells me he frequently gets
compliments on his year-oid Bomber, while

:§skiing near Vancouver.

“The more | wear

; \the better it looks!” ne says.

- GARDENERS

Mark Cullen’, of Weall and Cullen
Jeeries, has asked us fo Gesign and
nulacture for them the wortd's best

‘7 : gardening pants. Il you, dear Gardenes-
7 Reader, have some ideas for these pants, |

please mail me_a drawing. The three best’

JACKET:.wo. t.hove: sors ot test.
years prices {eboul $950.90, depond-
tng on size). fhe .
THE BAD HEWS: tha cost of Ihe shows. °
ling and the leather tazps going Up ..

: Vancouver, B.C:

: rs
GOO0 HEWS ABOUT THe BOuBEA ideas earn free’ Cutten Gardener’, Pants. :

Alex Tiley

Overnight courier service to the North. Shore-=$3

_NEW ADDRESS:
«: Barbare Tilley.»
1537 West Broadw:

V6J.1

2 Ph. 732-4287
or SEA- HATS ..

_ 3536 W. Atst ‘venue
» = Vancouver, B.C..

266-1417

7084 Westminster Hy’
- Richmond; B.C. °

273-4826

“Town Centre Mall «
Tsawwassen, B.C.

SAS 0015.

a eC

and | majestic. flights of stairs

Travel: fight! 5: us
‘What do -you cat on, trains?
' Some’ trains have -a' marvellous

“(enpensive) meal service’ and ter:
fific vendors aboard. Or so I’m,

drain

told. Somehow | just don’t seem to
choose these miraculous machines.

After one or.
Journeys, ‘sans food and water, I
bought a string bag. I also bought
a Swiss knife and some plastic bot-
tle caps. On my way to the station
I stop at ‘any promising deli and.
stock up.’

Also avoid anything being sold
by platform vendors unless it’s a
can of beer. One salami sandwich |

bought in.Naples. left me flat.on..

my back for the next three. days:

“And it wasn’t even a tasty sand-

wich.
How safe are ‘Beropean, trains? .
They seem to slay on track in all .
but the-ravest occasion.

Sticking -one’s head out “of ae

window may be'as hazardous as.

jumping on or off a moving. train,

The washrooms may injure your
sensibilities —, always.carry tissue
and packaged . wash-up

See Stecping :
; P 7:

- or dessert 7 eteetS lacy and weaeiabes, breads, enters
and join Barbara and four North Shore News executives in a ‘Taste

“off in the NEWS boardroom, May 10‘at 4:00 p.m: The'‘Taste-

_ off will include refreshments, a tour.of. the NEWS: operation :
a chance to trade secrets with other fine ‘cooks! 0

pce MUST. BE eae vias i
BEFORE APRIL 28, 6 p.m. -_

4139 Lonsdale ‘Avenue

: uN North Vancouver; B.C

‘two: dismal ¢

1

towels...
Particularly: in’ southern Europe,
you may: have ‘to evict several pas-,