European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 30, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Travel tip Europe not impossible for tourists in wheelchairs from wire reports / although she s been in a wheelchair since she was 2 years old american Annie Mackin is an intrepid traveler who s logged four trips to Europe since 1975, during her five weeks there last summer the 40-year-old woman decided to write a Guidebook for other disabled travellers. It s called wheelchair through bpm free Many hotels that Are accessible to the disabled Are top of the Fine Mackin explained so she wrote Herook Quot with a budget in  she sought accessible lodging for two people priced from about $90 to $110 a night. And although she travelled with an attendant Mackin found Many places accessible to wheelchair bound travellers who have Good upper body strength. Some tips from her Book include the following a take the narrowest wheelchair you can find a travel with jell cell batteries that won t tip Over and spilt. A remind airline personnel to pack the wheelchair carefully. A try to Fly i nto h eath Row i Stern Ati on a Airport in London or Schipholt International Airport in Amsterdam Netherlands. Those two airports offer accessible mass transit to their respective City centers so travellers won t have to pay the High Price of a taxicab. European travel Mackin added Quot can be difficult can be challenging but it s not impossible. You miss a lot if you stay  wheelchair through Europe i s Ava i i a a e for $12.95. Send a Check or Money order to graphic language press . Box 270, Cardiff by the sea Calif. 92007. Terence Neilan editor of the new York times question and answer travel column is often asked for advice from wheelchair bound travellers. His tips show that with a Little research travel in Europe is not insurmountable for disabled people. As an example lie was recently asked How a tourist in a wheelchair could travel on the underground subway from Heathrow to Waterloo station in Central London with the absolute minimum of. Stair climbing. Neilan explained that although there is a amps Effie Bathon a wheelchair bound tourist videotapes Flowers at the world famous Keu Henhoff Cardens in the Netherlands. An elevator at Heathrow s underground station the journey to Waterloo would be very difficult for anyone using a wheelchair. That s because the trip would involve changing trains from the Piccadilly line to the Northern line or bake Loo line Waterloo is on both. In either Case the changeover would involve stairs and escalators at stations where there Are no elevators. A he offered an alternative Way of reaching Waterloo from Heathrow by Public transportation travel to Euston station on the double Decker a2 Airbus which is described by the London transport service As Quot the Only wheelchair accessible bus service from Heathrow to Cenua  at Euston a wheelchair bound traveler a j it could Transfer to a single Decker bus service called station link which is also wheelchair accessible and operates on a clockwise circular route that connects All of London s railway stations. At Euston the station link bus Stop is next to the a2 bus Stop. The journey from Euston to Waterloo would take about an hour stopping on the Way at St. Pancras King s Cross Liverpool Street Fenchurch Street and London Bridge stations. However the whole trip from Heathrow to Waterloo could take 2vz hours or More depending on traffic. So Neilan said a faster Way would be to travel from Heathrow to Victoria on the a1 Airbus and take a 20-minute taxi trip from Victoria to Waterloo costing about $7.50. Both Waterloo and Victoria Are on the station link route of course but if travellers pick the bus up at Victoria they have to wait until it has gone pretty Well full Circle before it gets to Waterloo again a journey of nearly two hours the one Way fare from Heathrow on the a1 and a2 buses is about $7.50, and $4.50 for children Ages 5 to 15. Round trip prices Are about $12 and $7,50. The station link bus fare is about $1.50 for adults and 75 cents for children. Starting at 6 10 ., airbases on both routes leave Heathrow every 20 to 50 minutes in the mornings and afternoons and every 30 to 45 minutes in the evenings Zyvith extra buses at Peak times. The last bus from the Airport leaves at 930 . <10 10 . In summer. The first bus leaves London at 6  And the last at 8 . 8 40 . In summer. The a2 runs from Heathrow to Russell Square by Way of Bay Swater Road and Mary Leone Street the companion Al service takes Cromwell Road and _ knights Ridge to Victoria station and Victoria bus station the station link bus runs hourly every Day from Euston Between 9 35  And 7 35 . Neilan added that London transport publishes a free Book called Access to the. Underground a step by step guide foe disabled travellers to  stations. It is available at any ticket office London transport also has a unit for disabled passengers at its Headquarters at 55 Broadway London sw1h 0bd, England. The Telephone number is 071 -918-3312, to Call from outside the United kingdom dial your International Access code followed by the country code 44 and drop the first 0. For information on All London transport services including the Airbus and station link Call 071-222-1234. Free brochures describing the two services and in the Case of the Airbus including a visitor s map of London Are available at London transport trave information centers in various parts of London. Among Therri Are Liverpool Street station Oxford circus and Piccadilly underground stations and King s Cress and Euston stations new books inspire guide tourists in Europe by the associated press travel books about Europe inspire you guide you and Call up memories Long after your trips end. A few of the. Choice titles available this summer Are the following 1 a Britain by Brit rail and Europe by eur ail Globe Pequot press $12.95 and $14.95 by George and Laverne Ferguson Are for overseas travellers. Carrying rail passes. The Europe title covers the 17 countries that participate. In the  system the British title looks at some of the places to see with the Brit rail pass not part of the european system in England Scotland and Wales. Both books provide highlights of attractions suggested Day Tours distance and travel times a information about connections including sea and air selected departure schedules and details about c b books different grades of passes. A a new or revised in the lonely planet series Are titles about Ireland Switzerland and Turkey prices Range from $12.95 to $27,95. These guides densely packed with information about local sights accommodations transportation and maps Are variously subtitled travel Sunivan kit or on a shoestring. A if you re older and presumably Wiser you probably know the travel Industry has targeted you for special Perks. Many Are described in unbelievably Good deals in great adventures that you absolutely can 2 cot unless your re Over .50 contemporary $7,95. Author Joan Rattner Heilman has completely updated this sixth edition. British airports will Institute a 1 a i departure tax starting in fall from wire reports travellers leaving airports in Britain will pay a departure tax starting in october. For flights within Britain and the european Union the tax will be about $7,50. On round trip flights to and from the1 same Airport within Britain the lax will be levied Only once. For passengers to All other destinations including the United states the tax will be about $15. Passengers who just change planes in Britain Are exempted from the tax. Airlines and tour operators in Britain have strongly criticised the tax As unfair to the air travel Iii mistry since it does not apply to trains boats or a a looming threat to airlines a the Channel Tunnel. They Are lobbying Lor the tax to be levied More broadly across All methods of travel. Luxury in the air May be on the Way out r roundabout As More airlines consider eliminating first class on International flights and replacing it with an upgraded business class at a lower fare. Continental airlines led the Way in 1992 when it began replacing All of its first class on International flights with business first service a Della spokesman maintains that reports of the end of first class Are premature but concedes that the luxury service is one of the amenities the airline is re evaluating. 1wa is taking its evaluation a step further conducting a Pilot project tins summer on its los angles to  and new York to to Aviv Israel flights by offering a two class service Only a its Comfort class coach and an up business c lass.  june 30, vj94 stripes Magazine 25