PRELIMINARY INFORMATION.

1. Arrival in Paris.

Railway Stations, see p. 29. — On arrival the traveller should
hand his small baggage to a porter (facteur). follow him to the
exit, where an octroi official demands the nature of its contents,
and call a cab voiture de place). The cab then takes
its place in the first row, which is reserved for engaged vehicles.
After receiving the driver's number (numero), the traveller, if he
has any registered luggage, tells him to wait for it (lrestez pour
attendre les bagages'). Hand-bags and rugs should not he left un-
guarded in the cab, at any rate not without making the driver notice
the number of articles, as thefts are not infrequent. — If the tra-
veller prefers to secure his registered luggage before calling a cab
he will avoid the slight expense entailed by waiting, but if visiting
Paris for the first time he will do well to engage one at once (by the
hour; see below). Then, in the event of not finding accommodation
at the hotel he has chosen, he can at once proceed to another, incur-
ring little or no increase of fare by so doing.

The Salle des Bagages (Douane) is opened 10-15 min. after the
arrival of the train. The custom-house examination is generally
lenient. After it is over the porter conveys the
luggage to the cab, receiving 50 c. or more, according to the weight
and number of the packages. The octroi official has again to be
assured that the contents include nothing eatable. As a rule, the
through-passenger from England will not be able to leave the station
until 20-25 min. after his arrival. If preferred, however, he may tell
the porter to carry his hand-baggage direct to one of the hotels near
the railway-stations and return afterwards for his trunk.

The fare (course) from the railway-station to the town is l 1/2 fr.
for a two-seated cab (at night 2 1/4 fr.); large articles of luggage, one
piece 25 c, two pieces 50 c, three and more pieces 75c; pourboire
25 c. (comp. Appx., p. 41). If the cab has to wait more than 1/4 hr.
(which will probably be the case more often than not) the time-tariff
comes into force: 2 and 2 1/2 fr. Per hour by day, 2 1/2 and 2 3/4fr. by
night. The tariff is printed on the 'numero'.

At the railway-stations, in addition to the ordinary cabs, Luggage
Cabs (Voitures speciales avec galerie pour bagages) and Railway