Twixt France and Spain Part 26

For the ordinary traveller a "Continental Bradshaw" is as useful a railway guide as any, especially if his knowledge of French is limited, but the time tables published by Chaix and Cie. are also most excellent in every way. Of these the best and most expensive is the "Livret-Chaix Continental," price 2 frs, containing all continental railways and a complete index. A cheaper time table is the "Indicateur des Chemins de Fer," published by the same firm, price 1/2 fr., which gives the French railways only, with map and index. Besides these, all the princ.i.p.al lines have time tables of their own, price 30 cents.

It is advisable, when people are travelling as a party, that they should have their luggage all weighed together, presenting the whole of the tickets at the same time; this not only frequently saves expense, but, as the number of persons is marked by the luggage clerk on their baggage receipt, it is a guarantee that each has bought a ticket, which saves trouble if one should happen to be lost.

When people are stopping the night _en route_ at a place, and do not wish to take their registered luggage to the hotel, only to have to bring it back for re-registration next day, they have simply to leave it in the station, and when starting again on the morrow to tell the porter--when they give him the baggage ticket--that it was left overnight (for which the charge is 1d. per package), whereupon he will register it without further trouble.

If a ticket is taken for the wrong station (by mistake) and the luggage is accordingly registered wrongly too, the pa.s.senger must represent the same to the station-master and ask him to allow a change to be made; if there is not time to do this the luggage clerk may take the responsibility--if the urgency of the case is made _argentiferously_ clear--but the plan is not recommended. _It is important to know_ that if a traveller misses his train he _must present_ his _ticket_ at the ticket office to be _restamped_ in order to make it again available--otherwise it is liable to be forfeited.

Travellers will also save themselves much trouble by settling which hotel they intend to go to, before arriving at their destination; and it must be fully understood that for the carrying of small parcels taken into the carriage, the aid of porters can _never_ be counted on. See Chapter XI.

Luggage not exceeding 30 kilogrammes (_i.e._ 66 lbs. Eng.) is carried free; 1d. being charged for the registration thereof.

_Routes from London to Paris._

_Route_ 1.--_Via_ Dover, Calais, Montreuil, Abbeville, Amiens, Claremont, and Creil: the quickest route.

_Route_ 2.--_Via_ Folkestone, Boulogne, Montreuil, &c. as above.

_Route_ 3.--_Via_ Newhaven, Dieppe, Rouen, Gaillon, Mantes, and Poissy: the least expensive route.

_From Liverpool to Bordeaux._

_Route_ 4.--Per Pacific Steam Navigation Co.'s steamers, fortnightly, sailing on Wednesdays; average pa.s.sage 2-1/2 days.

_From London to Bordeaux._

_Route_. 5.--Per General Steam Navigation Co.'s steamers, average pa.s.sage 3 to 4 days.

_Route_ 6.--_Via_ Weymouth, Cherbourg, Caen, Alencon, Le Mans, Tours and Angouleme. _From Paris to Bordeaux._

_Route_ 7.--_Via_ Orleans, Blois, St. Pierre les Corps (for Tours), Poitiers, Angouleme, and Libourne.

_From Paris to Bagneres de Bigorre._

_Route_ 8.--_Via_ Orleans, Nexon, Perigueux, Les Eyzies, Libos, Agen, Lectoure, Auch, Mirande, and Tarbes: the most direct route from Paris to the Pyrenees.

_From Paris to Toulouse._

_Route_ 9.--_Via_ Issoudun, Argenton, Limoges, Nexon, Brives, Rocamadour, a.s.sier, Figeac, Villefranche, and Tessonieres: the quickest and best route for the Pyrenees Orientales, and resorts of Vernet, Amelie, &c.

_From Bordeaux to Arcachon_.

_Route_ 10.--_Via_ Gazinet, Facture, Lamothe, and La Teste.

_From Bordeaux to Bagneres de Bigorre_.

_Route_ 11.--_Via_ Morcenx, Arjuzaux, Arengosse, Mont de Marsan, Aire, Vic-Bigorre, Tarbes, Salles, Adour, and Montgaillard: a longer route from Paris, by a few miles only, than Route 8.

_From Bordeaux to Biarritz_.

_Route_ 12.--_Via_ Ychoux, Morcenx, Dax, Saint Geours, and Bayonne.

_From Bordeaux to Pau_.

_Route 13_.--_Via_ Ychoux, Morcenx, Dax, Puyoo, Orthez, Lacq, and Lescar.

_From Pau to Eaux Bonnes and Eux Chaudes_. _Route_ 14.--By carriage _via_ Gan, Louvie-Juzon, and Laruns.

_Route_ 15.--By rail _via_ Gan and Laruns, [Footnote: This railway was to be opened this year (1883).] and carriage from Laruns.

_From Pau to Lourdes_.

_Route_ 16.--_Via_ Coarraze-Nay, Montaut-Betharram, and St.

Pe.

_From Pau to Oloron_.

_Route_ 17.--_Via_ Gan and Belair.

_From Lourdes to Argeles_.

_Route_ 18.--_Via_ Soum, Lugagnan, and Boo-Silhen.

_From Lourdes to Pierrefitte_.

_Route_ 19.--_Via_ Soum, Lugagnan, Boo-Silhen and Argeles.

_From Lourdes to Cauterets, Luz, St. Sauveur, Bareges, and Gavarnie_.

_Route_ 20.--By Route 19 to Pierrefitte, thence by diligence or private carriage to Cauterets.

_Route_ 21.--By Route 19 to Pierrefitte, thence by diligence or private carriage to Luz.

_Route_ 22.--By Route 19 to Pierrefitte, thence by similar conveyances to St. Sauveur.

_Route_ 23.--By Route 21 to Luz and continuation to Bareges.

_Route_ 24.--By Route 22 to St. Sauveur and continuation to Gavarnie.

_From Bagneres de Bigorre to Bareges_.

_Route_ 25.--By carriage _via_ Ste. Marie, Gripp, Tramesagues, and the Col de Tourmalet. This route is only open in midsummer.

_From Bagneres de Bigorre to Bagneres de Luchon_.