TRAVELLING.
London to Calais.—Persons who leave London by the evening coaches abridge their journey by not sleeping at Dover, and are equally in time for the packet-boats, the coaches always arriving before the packets sail, early the next morning either to Calais or Boulogne, whence safety coaches set out twice a day for Paris; by which, according to the quickness of the passage, the traveller pressed for time may go either that same evening or early the next morning, and will reach the French metropolis the day after.
Considerable saving will be experienced by booking throughout, and the best places secured in the coach. The coaches from the Golden Cross; 41, Regent Circus; and the Cross Keys, Wood-Street, are in connexion with the Messageries royales, rue Notre-Dame-des-Victoires, at Paris. Those from the spread Eagle office; Webbs hotel, 220, Piccadilly; and the Spread Eagle, and Cross Keys, Grace-church-street, are in connexion with the Messageries générales, Lafitte's company, Nos 9 and 24, rue du Bouloy, at Paris. Those from the White Bear Piccadilly, are in connexion with l'Aigle; the Eagle an opposition company, No 23, rue du Bouloy, Paris. The office at Calais is in rue St.-Michel, that at Boulogne is at the Hotel du Nord.
Steam packets go from the Tower stairs to Calais three or four times a week during the summer months, and once or twice during the greater part of the winter. The passage is generally performed within twelve hours. Carriages and heavy baggage must be sent by twelve o'clock on the day previous to starting. The passage from Dover to Calais, is performed in three hours or three hours and a half.
London to Havre.—The voyage is performed by companies, one French, one English. Havre is now greatly preferred to Dieppe.
Southampton has become a favourite place for embarkation, owing to the Railway, the London terminus of which is at nine Elms, near Vauxhall. Steam-Packets go four times a week, during the summer months. They call off Portsmouth, for passengers, and on their arrival at Havre meet the steam vessel which plies between that place and Rouen. Further particulars may be obtained either at No 25, Coventry street; at Portsmouth, or at Southampton. A sailing vessel also goes every week from Southampton to Hâvre; distance between the two ports, 139 miles.
Posting. There are three modes of travelling in France: in private carriages (voitures), a hired carriage (chaise de poste), and the public diligence. As all English carriages have poles, it will be advisable, if the company do not exceed three in number, to have their poles replaced by shafts, by which means one-third of the expense of posting will be saved; for, instead of four horses and two postilions, they will only pay for three horses and one postilion. If more than three persons travel in the same cabriolet or limonière, the postmaster will charge one franc per post extra for each person beyond that number.
The arrangements for posting are attended to with scrupulous exactness. There is no competition: and those who arrive first are uniformly first accommodated.
A book called the livre de poste is published every year by the French government containing every information for the traveller which he may consult at any post-house, as the postmaster is compelled to keep a copy.