MOTORING IN EUROPE.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18900, 15 January 1927, Page 18

MOTORING IN EUROPE.

TOURING MADE EASY. An interesting motor tour, embracing most of the European countries,' was the main feature of a recent holiday trip taken by Mr G. H. Scales, manag- - ing director of the shipping company in New Zealand which bears his name, and Mrs Scales. . Mr Scales told a representative of the "A.N.A.," Sydney, that the Automobile' Association in Great Britain had taken all the drudgery from a motor tour such as he had made. The 'Association had a membership of moro than 250,000, and for a small fee would undertake the entire supervision of arrangements with Customs officers "in the various countries to be visited. The procedure from the point of view of the tourist was simple. Disembarking from the Cunard liner in the early morning, tho passenger obtained his motor-car uncrated on the quay, and was permitted to drive it away. Arrangementswerc made by the Automobile Association to allow of the procuring of a license, registration of the car, and the addition of special tourist number-plates, before noon on thes ame day. Instead of the' tourist paying a guarantee on entering each new country, tho Customs dues were arranged by the Association, and the "carnet" system of vouchers was used. The carnet, a small book containing Customs vouchers for each country visited, was produced and signed at every border —a matter of a few minutes, and all the remaining arrangements were in the hands of Automobile Association officials. On returning to Britain the traveller presented his carnet, properly filled in at each stopping place, and had his money refunded. Ten pounds was retained by the Association, a sum which covered subscription, registration, and license fees, and cost of tourist number-plates for the car.