hundreds of passenger carrying freighters crossing the Atlantic nowadays. Tourist class passage on these starts at about $475. At that rate, accommodations can be on the grim side, and you'll find yourself packed into a dormitory type cabin with a flock of other people, some of whom snore, and some of whom love garlic. For better quarters your bill goes up to $1,000 or so. Actually, with the new thrift class rates, it isn't more expensive to fly the Atlantic. The initial cost might be an extra twenty or twenty-five dollars, but you'll spend that without any difficulty at all on tips, drinks, deck chairs and such aboard the ship. But for that matter you can beat even this thrift rate by flying with Icelandic Airlines the only airline in the business that doesn't belong to the International Air Transport Association and consequently doesn't subscribe to their regulations which result in all other airlines charging the same prices for their services. Transportation within France you'll find as good as anywhere in the world. Her roads are excellent and well supplied with service stations, garages and other motorist needs. Bus services are fine and France's trains are some of the best anywhere. In case you didn't know it, it's France that holds the speed record for trains— 205 miles per hour achieved with an electric locomotive pulling three cars. Compared to American prices, train rates are low, although not as low as other European ones. Berths however, are high and if you're watching your budget the best deal is to travel during the day and to stop at a hotel comes evening. § THE FRENCH. There are two ways of melting the French. If you're a tourist, dashing through the country, you'll probably wind up hating this people. The only ones you'll meet are hotel and restaurant employees, shop keepers and taxi cab drivers and these, of course, make their living by milking the tourist. You'll be no exception. Everywhere you go you'll meet the outstretched hand, no country is more tip hungry than France. And everywhere you go you'll probably feel you're being gypped and part of the time you'll be right. And even though you are a gregarious type person, interested in people and the way of life of others, you'll
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