FROM BOULOGNE TO VIENNA.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20214, 17 April 1931, Page 4

FROM BOULOGNE TO VIENNA.

A MOTORIST'S NOTES. (SrECIALLT WRITTEN FOB THE paHSS.) [By COABTBR.] Every motorist who takes his car to the Continent is subject to the reproach that the Briton "ought to see England first" and the writer of these notes is in full sympathy with that contention. England and Scotland have a wonderful variety of scenery of a gardenlike perfection, unequalled, I think, anywhere else and a constant joy to behold. The roads are superb, eVen the lanes, throughout thousands of miles, being bituminised from hedge to hedge. The language is one's own, too, and one enjoys a constant glow of satisfaction in the thought that this is the Fatherland. But one may have the wanderlust or may have to go to Europe for purposes of study or business, and it is not, perhaps, generally known in the Dominion what an easy matter it is now to make all the necessary arrangements and to cross frontier after frontier. Many Formalities. The ai*rangemen'tß concern questions of Customs formalities, licensing, shipment and route, and to comply with them all, unassisted, would be a very formidable task. Indeed one would have to pass examination in- driving for each country concerned/ Now, happily, the Automobile Association or the Jtoyal Automobile Club can fulfil its members' requirements in all particulars and can issue documents and make arrangements which enable the tour to be undertaken with almost no delay, in comfort ai}d in ease. The papers required are:—A tryptique, which is a Customs permit for the | temporary importation of a car into one country only, or a carnet, which is an international Customs permit for the temporary importation of a car into the most important touring (jountries of Europe.' The fee for either is £l. Neither is required for a solo motorcycle, which can travel over France and Belgium without deposit of duty on a Customs ticket. There is no fee. Bofore issuing a carnet or tryptique the Automobile Association requires to be indemnified against one duty only, that of the country of all those to be visited, wherein the highest tariff is in,-opera-tion. In the case of Austria this is 80 per cent ad valorem. Curious Rules. ' Curious rules hold, however. ' I, for instance, bought a used Alvis at a very low figure, but the duty in most European countries is assessed not on the market-value of the car, but on its weight in kilogrammes, so that I had to deposit a Bum nearly three times as: great as X had actually paid for the car. One must deposit £SO in cash but can arrange a banker's indemnity for the balance, or, for a small premium, arrange the matter , through the Motor Union Insurance Company. In the event of one's failing to take the car Out of Europe, this amount will be claimed by the country in which , the car is left. Should the car be stolen or become a total wreck through flre or accident, the Customs duty is liable to forfeiture —unless the salvage is taken to England! It is easy to see how hopeless it would be to sell a ear profitably under these circumstances on the Continent. Indeed, in many European countries, the matter does not end with the loss of the 1 ' guarantied duty.;' Such a sale is illegal and liable to a heavy fine. '

Driving lasts. The international travelling pass is a general license for car and .driver, available in most European countries for twelve months' from the date of issue. It avoids the re-registering ,of the oar and the obtaining of a driving "license in each country, thus saving much time,: trouble, and expense.. An .Automobile Association examiner inspects the , car and puts one' through a fairly severe driving test; in my case, through vejy dense city traffic. The .car m»ia't have two independent brakes, each operating powerfully; there must be good-vision ahead, a'hd no undue amount of noise or Jfemoko is Remitted. No ono under 18 is given a pats. With the pass one is given a large white oval plate, bearing the letters G. 8., to be fixed at the rear of the ear, and two fcmall metal plates to -be screwed on to the dashboard,' on one of which is engraved the partieu-' lars of the car, and on the other the driver's name and address. His photograph must also be gummed inside the pass. The-prices are:-—Pass 7s, 7s for each examination, G.B. plate 2s 6d, other plates 2s 6d. Passports are all obtained by the 'Automobile Association for the motorist, fee 2s <sd. Regarding shipment across the Channel, the charges were, until lately, exorbitant, due, to the alleged fact that a 'car exhausted the. space available for' SO fare-paying passengers, and as there were. no car-ferries it cost £7 7s to talft over a small cflr) with the wheelbase sot exceeding 10ft 6in.

' Crossing the Channel. ' In the season, there aro now special cargo boatp taking the same size of car for £3 &8. , One trouble is that the car-owner who arrives-first at the quay to embark his 'car' is mystified at the. other side to find that he will be tho last off. To avoid an early arrival is not safe in-the busy season, for you may easily be left altogether. You inform the Automobile Association a , few days ' sihead when you desire to cross. They send you a note telling you when to be alongside, the boat. To Bftve time the Automobile Association agent at each port sends over *ll documents in the personal charge of the captain, «whd gives them, to the Automobile Association agent on the' other 'side. This accelerates Customs clearancS, for the agents get the documents of all the cars simultaneously. Details' of' taxes payable by motorists, and the motoring laws in the various European' States are published > in booklet form and supplied by the' Automobile Association. They include very full lists of hotels < and garages guaranteed as good by the Automobile Association. The exactcost of double and single rooms and of each qieal is stated, i The car accommodation of the hotel garage is invariably stated. ' With regard to every country the Automobile Association states that on the Continent the cheaper ' rooms are invariably booked up first ; and, in any * case, one will always be shown into the more expensive. advise communicating ahead by telephone or 'telegram, specifying the type of accommodation required. It is the custom, for I tourists in Europe always, .'to request i to see the rooms offered at the' office of the hotel, and to obtain a quotation before engaging tKem. ' No embarrassment is caused by . this practice'. The .Automobile Association further ad* vises that most Continental hotels add 10 per ; cent. - for "service" to the visitors' bill; that, this is considered sufficient, and that further tips are not expected;-unless.some member of the hotel staff has' rendered a special service. ( l 1 ' Names of Petrols.

- A few general hints culled fTom various sources, may be worth ,noting. When buying motor ,spirit ask "~for esseiice not in Prance, tot > ■ \ ,<

petrdle is the French for paraffin—bentin in Germany'and * Austria,' snd'benzina in Italy. Pumps ocour every few miles on the main roads, the spirit is sold in units' of five litres; a gallon oquals about 4}' litres, so that a spare tin containing two .gallons cannot with-, out considerable wastage, bo filled' frptn a pump. Motor spirit abroad is indiftfiltered and one experienced motorist states that lie haa neyer yet completed, a European tour without, having' carburettor trouble atr least once. ' Garages repair-chops' are' plentiful on the Continent,, feiid it seemaHa be agreed 'that the' foreign is contentions, hard-working, arid^astonishingly skilful, if he, .has to taekle an English , machine witji. f tures unfamilitf to,, him. .Charges, too, are said to' be -much below whatj io<mj<tomary in England. Of course ' ono should carry the carananufactur#r book of instructions and diagrams. }Tw£ causes tend'.to.make typo troubles more common abroad , than, in England, One is the prodigality 'with, witdch large■nails are shed from '.peasants * sabots or from climbers', boots. Thp Mher is the-' .expansion of the air'' chamber,, due <to .faster travelling, unconsciously'induced by very Jong stretches of perfectly straight roads and to' there -be)ng,*c<>w-,' par^tively,'little traffic on'them. Tjrreß sometimes become too hot' .to touch, The heat may melt the solution under, a patch, or .the expansion mky„ open up. at-small cut-in tliecover, let-, 1 ting the tube into it.\ , , > As regards mountain-driving—and one has .it * ot dayp .together in Central ] Europe-^—everyone -Knows -thai: one' should climb on whatever gear the Engine will take, with the 'ignition'': fully advanced and the throttle' only partly open.,lt is' gas, not a low gear that hoqts fttl engine. 'Also, when' crossing a • pass, almost equally graded on both' sides, one should descend. asbna. employed on the accent.' Brakes shoud nev-er be required .except to Bteady thenar'at a corner.' Lastly, do not "cut"-a half pin bencl, but keep out and give the Melt-wheels a chance. 1 -■XTo be Continued.) • v -j * > * I AERIAL RECOKD. ' FRENCH PILOT'S ' SUCCESS.' | 'b '■■■]> :J;fh; The Oil- Company hjks t received ,advice that «M. Lalouett«i .and M. de Permangle, of 'Paris,' haVe suci oeeded in breaking' the long-distance record for light 2-seater aeroplane?, by, flying from Istreß (South' of France) to Villa-cisneros, (on the west coast of Africa), a distance- qf; *i!6o(k kilo-; metres, which is approximately 162& miles. The, non-stop ■'flight took ;:Bii hours. - . - . / Lalouette is' a veteran' yof airy who* has risen to "fame, onty;recently.He piloted Prince ,Carol back. td'Rumania for his coronation.' " Some l 'time later he flew, to Persia.' Last November he set *—out" ;i'yorii France,? aifd made a., remarkable 'flight to Indo-China t using, Mbbiloii, •' t ■ The previous record was 1 held by Captain Hansworth. a Swiia Winki, and Mile, Naumaun, who', flew Dobling in Germany to a distance' of 1806$ kilometres, ob October 16th, • 1928, .

THE WEST COAST. PARADISE FOR MOTOR*^ ~r " V ~ :..V'/ "jt A LANTERN LECTURE. - Taking HokitW «as * hfifdQqpggp&j? Mr W. Kennedy explained isti. in the. CjantarTmrtfV. Association's yogis' meapa by ■ comprehensive fayx' qfr-tftp of -the WGsfr-Coiufy? ad dress with g-QOfefem tern slides. ,-iV .-> , / .- - *

«t Swiag@U' ;! Pass, ■crossed the rapw«iy <«s'TOwl ,gpdjufmi , thrwßh ? ford, throvsji Artli^K'at^Si^KiwQ«S' *. 'Park,showed wuuiy ; . The ,w,aia •; rtfwi. Glacier* waa views of imkjaM • from, the ' background, ari4 w'-Vw'' ? Been ! The lecture W*B'Civefl.4!V'lW7,l»f I funds fyr this ■ : Association's' camping • ,<;**' « '"-p - *«, t* ® - ■ . ■ . h