European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 9, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Stripes photo Beverly Bundy tourists at Versailles head for their group All the some people prefer the group that there Are no transportation problems to worry about and less Chance of missing major but if after a night on the youve had just about All the togetherness youll Ever let the tour guide know your plans and head off on your tour guides usually Post a sign in the hotel lobby listing scheduled meals and departure turn things said Ive seen people be miserable because they think they have to be led if you dont like do your own that approach Means the traveler gets group rates for transportation and but has flexibility to plan an individual nobody should be Taitano look at the Price they have paid to get there and and then do their own you cant go but the official sightseeing program can be helpful for firs time during free tour goers can return to places they want to explore they try to Point out the Lietz it at least introduces you to the City and you can go itt officials also advise not to expect too much from a weekend there is no they to see everything in a major european City in two those who complain about Low Cost weekend Weis tend to be civilians who can afford More longer Tours or their own travel the complaints we get Are not from but from civilians the ones who can afford he lets face you Only what you pay Weis also urges tour goers to be on their Good if one wild Crew of americans trashes a the company will think twice before sending another clean vehicle for travellers at that he weve had incidents where our soldiers have totally demolished a he this has happened at hotels in a hotel in they went with fire hydrants against each if this tour companies will increase the costs of their Tours to cover possible he military bus Tours May not be the highest class Way to but itt officials say they give a lot for the several should enjoy not expect too much from a Short weekend and plan return trips at a later Date to see anything they even if it is you go Back to the states and whats a couple of Taitano its just a state of you should just go with tour through the by Linda White travel editor my bus tour to Holland Cost that just for transportation and accommodation no entry no no i could have driven for about half the and saved time moral of the Story figure Cost before you that Chapie tour May not be so cheap after take a look at the right i had to pay an extra for a single no that either on a tour or for individual itt collected a booking total for one night spent on the bus buy your own breakfast next morning and for one night at a dutch Bedan breakfast if i had gasoline would have Cost me no More than the same room with the same breakfast would have Cost me 22 guilders about that totals up to or less than the bus i could have spent that amount on a second nights room no trying to sleep on a cramped bus and to cover the tickets to the which on this trip totalled guilders about and still have had about left for drink and figure the Cost for a family of and the drive yourself Dollar savings is considerably now think of the time i took the tour from about a five hour drive to but i had to Board a pickup bus to Mannheim that the opposite direction from Holland where dozens of tour buses sort out their loads and then head for their i left Darmstadt at Friday night the bus was on time and Mannheim at if i had been and had left after work i could have been in Amsterdam about the time i was leaving Darmstadt on the the sleeping would have been better in a hotel or guest breakfast would have been included in the room the Roadside breakfast on the bus Cost 11 guilders another bus Tours Are popular and this particular tour was As Well run As possible within the limitations of bus most of the people on Board were this was the on overnight in Holland at Tulip after a 6 we stopped outside Amsterdam at a wooden shoe five buses were ahead of us there was the Short demonstration of shoe making and the mad Rush to buy then we drove into the guide pointed out sights on the route As we headed into the Center it was hard to see from the Back of the when she and directly ahead of us we took a look at the but there was no time to go even for a peek at Rembrandt night we did visit the Anne Frank House about from we headed to the Middle of town where the bus dropped us off by the canal we had three hours free time most people took the hour Long canal boat ride about then had lunch and did a bit of heres a if you want to strike out on your ask the guide where the meeting Point will be after the free just in front of the Anne Frank rent a canal this is a pedal boat for two to four which allows you to explore the canals Cost is 15 guilders about per hour for two and guilders about per hour for you get a Booklet in English with routes and notes of interest about what you see along the when you return your take a Streetcar to the pickup Point and rejoin your dont worry about getting lost its easy to ask directions because plenty of people in Amsterdam speak the bus collected us in Early afternoon and we headed for our overnight first stopping at a farm for another Short this time and More we were to spend the night in a upon we were once again decanted from the for two we explored the Harbor and souvenir Elbow Elbow with hundreds of other Vole dam is a picturesque where both men and women still dress in traditional the clothing can be bought in the shops it is so it is not for the cozy cafes and restaurants sit on the and the White building look for the two chimneys at the end of the Harbor is an eel when the bus returned at 5 most of us were having sinking More than ready to meet the dutch families who were providing it took an hour to make the Parcelin out groups and the bus would be Back again an hour later to pick us up for dinner you could take part in the group dinner if you liked about drinks not i elected to take pot Luck on my own in town my Home was about a 20 minute walk my family had Given me a map of the Village and a key to the at the streets were the shops the cafes i took a Short stroll after but was so exhausted that i was Home before dark and soon fast up again at the crack of Dawn the bus was due at Back on head for the Tulip Keuken Hof is the Mecca of Flower lovers entry about i finished my stroll and picture taking in an hour and spent the next hour Over Coffee in the Flowers and bulbs Are for Sale but the bus makes a Stop at a Roadside stand As and in the Luggage compartment there is a bucket of water to keep the purchases the bus joins All the others at the miniature Village at the Hague entry about if you Are dont go the sidewalks Are the crowds move slowly and Many of the paths Are barred to keep traffic moving one smack in the i suddenly Felt the quickest Way out was to go Back the Way i or to trample across the i ducked under a Barrier and headed for the we were allowed time for lunch either at the cafeteria or one of the fish Sandwich stands the min Village is located at a Highway and there Are no restaurants in evidence in the one More time on the off to Delft for a Quick look at How that famous Blue pottery is made and one last Chance to spend All your then Back to Mannheim around 10 up to Darmstadt by 11 the Pillow and so did the Hal bottle of wine to encourage sleep on the Way to but next ill figure the costs and be sure in getting a May stripes Magazine