In previous article my dad with his wife and granddaughter thoroughly prepared to their road trip through Europe by the best economy car. They selected the most profitable and efficacious system of car travel insurance. The American Express Travelers Cheques guarded their money during road journey. Their trip will promise to be saturated and cognitive. So...
At length the day of the immense trip beginning has come. And the whole of the family is soaring over beautiful landscapes on board of high-speed jet airplane. They spent some hours in comfortable armchairs and enjoyed of soft drinks and fresh meal. It seemed to them that there was no time at all, but their flight was practically over. The lights went up instructing them to "fasten belts" and all the family was approaching the coast of Europe and their destination, the Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, France. When the command post gave the order to land, my father had to admire the way the pilot handled the huge plane, how smoothly and gently he set the plane down.
The debarkation and formalities went on quickly and smoothly. It did not take more than ten minutes, and they were boarding in their car Volkswagen Mk III Polo 6N (which was reserved beforehand with the assist of economy car hire) that brought them to the Place des Invalides and the center of Paris, the City of Light. Just some hours after leaving their motherland, they were in a different country, listening to people speaking a different language. The first impressions literally dazzled them. And after hearty meal they departed to their reservations at the Hotel Floride.
So here they were in Paris, exciting Paris, a city that traces back its history to Ceasar's time, and which for many centuries has been the center of European culture and civilization. It was in Paris, where the French revolution began, which for the first time pronounced the equality of all men, regardless of birth, and which for the first time asked for the liberty of all men.
The city of Paris notwithstanding its age is curiously modern in its layout: wide avenues, parks, squares, circles, plazas, and the Seine-river, bisecting the "City of Light", as Paris is called. This is a charming and adorable city, at any time day and night, and in any season.
My papa was instructed with the experienced drivers, whom traveled in Paris by the wheel. They advised him to leave his car in the garage for his own safety, and use taxis, buses or the subway. The traffic in the city is very fast. There are no speed limits. The French apparently love to drive, to drive rapidly, regardless of any consequences and any regulations or rules.
It is completely impossible for the average tourist to see everything that is worth seeing in Paris, during the short period of vacation time. But, my dad has to enumerate all places, which attracted him for a long time. And with the assistance of the best economy car they had visited all the nooks. And strolling along the ancient stoned cobbled pavements among narrow medieval side-streets, they had a sensation that the time itself glided conversely.
The family spent four nice days in Paris and they could never forget its immense streets, monuments, squares and shops and restaurants. It seems to my father that, a small part of Paris remains in his soul.
But then, their itinerary passed to The French Riviera. And they directed their car through Menton, omitting Monaco.
In the memory of my dad the French Riviera always evoked the pictures as seen in pre-war Hollywood movies. Monte Carlo is a sparkling symbol of the butterfly life of duchesses, dukes and their mistresses of counts, princes and princesses. Generally speaking, the French Riviera extends from the Italian border to Toulon, dotted with beautiful resorts: Cannes, Nice, Beaulieu, Menton, Eden Roc, St. Raphael, St. Tropez and of course Monte Carlo with its palatial hotels clustered around the Casino.
They drove along the wonderful road via Nice to Cannes, their next destination. They stopped at Villa Palma Hotel, Blvd. de la Croisette 71, a very comfortable place with a beautiful view of the sea, and not at all expensive. An atmosphere of this place's life disposed to meditation about pleasant aspects of human destiny. But they didn't remain there for a long time and after brief survey of Cannes the whole family continued their journey to Nice through St. Tropez.
St. Tropez is very popular now. St. Tropez, once a pirate town, is a beautiful place. Pine-topped hills, and vine-covered plains slope gently down towards the Mediterranean. Yachts and fishing boats, boats of pleasure and boats of work are seen side by side everywhere.
Nice, with a population of about 260,000, is beautifully situated around a small bay and is one of the most attractive resorts of the French Riviera. It is much less expensive to live there than it is in Cannes, therefore it is very convenient to make excursions and sightseeing trips to places of interest from there. From Nice three roads lead to Monte Carlo, and it takes only half an hour by car to go to Cannes. Nice is an exciting place to live in. "Pensions" and hotels abound, very expensive and very modest, luxurious and simple. The only problem that they encountered is where to eat: there are more than 200 restaurants to choose from, of every classification, both with regard to their cuisine and to price range.
In Nice they decided to change the car. And they went to Europcar office at "NICE PROMENADE DES ANGLAIS 3 AVENUE GUSTAVE V 06000 NICE". Their new best economy car was Ford Ka vehicle.
Ford Ka is a city car from Ford Motor Company. The European market variant is created at Ford's Valencia plant in Southern Spain. The car was introduced on September 11, 1996 as a small and low-cost model, which was the best economy car to representatives of medium class. The Ka is based on the identical platform as the Fiesta, but with a thoroughly dissimilar design. When the Ka was first acquainted to the public it incited hybrid reactions due to its initial and striking "New Edge" oval design. The Ka has also evinced highly profitable for Ford, in spite of its low-selling price, largely due to the starvation of spending required in its development.
The journey to The French Riviera creates an ineffaceable impression on the whole family. But all good essences in human life will come to its conclusion obligatory. And they abandoned that wonderful land. Their further itinerary was directed to sunny Italy, through Rome, Venice, Florence and San Remo.
"Bon Giorno!" At the Italian border, smiling faces were all around. They are now in Italy, the tourist's delight of sand and sun. At the border one buys gasoline coupons at a price 30% lower than the regular gasoline price. If not used up, they are redeemable for cash on leaving the country.
And so they came at last to Venice, the "Queen City of the Adriatic." The city is built on an archipelago of small islets and was founded by those who fled the waves of Hun invaders. Venice is a city of splendor, which with time grew to become a political and cultural world power.
From the mainland the road leads across the lagoon over a long bridge. Then all of them, their Ford Ka included, boarded a vaporetto, one of the city operated little steamers, which ply Venice's canals and form its water-trolley service. They took a round trip ticket for the car and for themselves to Lido. They decided to stay at Lido, the nearby seaside resort, and took a room at the Hotel Venier Villa Marina. They had dinner there, rested overnight, and spent the next few days swimming and sightseeing.
Their hotel was very comfortable and clean, located near the beach, but in a very quiet section, service and food were excellent, and prices were moderate. Parking was free. They tried to take in everything worth seeing while in Venice: St. Mark's Basilica, Byzantine architecture, a conglomeration of rich marble, gold and mosaics - St. Mark's square in the heart of Venice, lined with modern shops and outdoor cafes, and pigeons everywhere, waiting to be fed and completely unafraid of man.
There is also a clock tower, showing not only the time of the day, but the respective positions of the sun and the moon... The Bridge of Sighs and the Rialto... The Palace of the Doges, built in the 14th century - the home of the ruling clique of Venice, when it was the Queen of the Adriatic... The Grand Canal, and all the historical palaces along its banks...
Unfortunately, my father and his family couldn't stay in Italian tourist paradise forever. And they continued their trip to "VIA DEI PRATI FISCALI 293-295 00141" in Rome, where they projected to change their best economy car...
Skilfully scheduled journey through the European roads by hired car is able to procure many amenities to travelers from dissimilar countries. Economy system of car rental encompasses different continents. Owing to this international service modern present tourist routs obtain unique style of maintenance, transmute contemporary road trips into genuine fairy tale.