CHAR-A-BANCS TOURS IN NORTH WALES.
Page 15
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
The Reason for the Popularity of the Motor Coach.
ASTRETCH of country so rich in its scenery, its accessibility and health-giving attributes ae North Wales, must always appeal to the holiday maker as an ideal centre to recoverfrom the tedium and restraining cares of the work-a-day world. Visitors to the Prin.cipality, wherever they go, always want to see more, and there are so many charming beauty spots far removed from the beaten railroad track that from time immemorial there have always been road services conveying visitors to the less accessible resorts.
Not many years ago it was the horsedrawn carriage or wagorniette—costly from the point of view of time and tiring . to the passenger—now it is the motor char-a-banes, which in a day enables the the tourist to see what hitherto could not he seen in a week. Quite apart from these considerations, sigehtseers who now travel in luxuriously upholstered coaches, with the comfort of an easy chair, are not subjected to irritating delays consequent, upon the steepness of gradients that have to be ascended or to anxieties in the descent oi steep and dangerous hrils, and they generally have the loenefit of the experience of an intelligent chauffeur who slows up when passing points of interest, to.telb his company all about the country through Which they are passing.
In. North Wales there are so many eoncelled beauties that in the wealth of scenery they would he lost were it not for the brief and intelligently expressed " pointers" from the driver-guides. Drivers frtim outside towns, of coulee, cannot be extected to have the local knowledge that is so often of interest to the visitor, and resident drivers very frequently are often so inured to the sights they daily pass as to think them unworthy of comment. Passengers from Llandudno to the interior, however, are fortunate in having driver-guides who cannot be classified in either eategoeig.
Char-ai-banegs touring in North. Wales is expected to surpass all records this year, for not only are there excellent local services,, but tours are being arranged lasting over several days from the great industrial and commercial centres. Almost every town now has its
fleets of vehicles. The discouragement Of railway travelling during the war, the inconvenience caused by the restricted services and' the 50 per cent, increase on railway fares,have all contribeted to boom the road coach. Over the Whits= holidays one noticed in one of the Welsh seaside towns chars-a-bancs from a halfdozen counties, and on refurningto Liverpool the evidences of an invasion were quite as .great, notwithstanding the fact that ininally Blackpool is the popular holiday town for Lancashire mitt hands: It may be truly said That the chan,abanes season is now in full swing. At Oldham., for instance, there are about 20 conapaines running services, and one Company hare have a saloon de luxe said to be the raet word in road pasgenger cars, being driven, heated, and lighted throughout by electricity. And not only this, luncheon can he served in the saloon en route. A Wigan company is at ale present time arranging a five-day tour round Wales, taking in Llandudno, Portmacloc, Aberystwith, and Bala, One
of the delights of such a trip ie the road which runs right round the sea coast from Queensferry in Flint to Bangor, an high up overlooking Menai Straits to Carnarvon.
The Bucks Swift Fleet Motors, Ltd. of Salford, have inaugurated an eightday tour of North Wales, with meals and accommodation at an inclusive charge of eight guineas. Some of their coaches have excellent seating arrangements, and the seats instead of being in rows nnd facing a forgearel direction are eonstrueted after the style of railway compartment accommodation, rows of passengers facing one ancither. •
As we have many times pointed out, companies that Cater for long tours would do well to give special etaisideration to the conveyance of luggage. In this respect distance CUTS should he essentially different from what one might call the " loeal ". car. Local paSsengere on day trips have no lnggage worth speaking of to take with them; an the other band,
those on tours up. to eight days or even snore de require some provision to be made, especially if there are 20 or so in the party. Bucks Swift Fleet tours run from Monday to Monday, starting from Manchester. Arrangements are being made so that passengers frem towns like Stockport, Oldham, Ashton, Bi:ackburri, shall not have to go to Manchester to join the tour ; the ...idea of the company being to have chars-asbancs to hring them and their luggage from the branch agencies and take them to the motor passenger station. There they would join the Welsh coach, and on the return journey would be conveyed back to the town from w.hieh they came. Tours are now being arranged throughout England, Wales, and. Scotland by a Manchester firm. Dates have been fixed up unfit well into September. In each case there is a railway journey to and from London, thenee by motor to destination. Their schedule comprises nine tours, described as the finest and most comprehensive yet organized, and the charges reade cover all expenses, including hotel accommodation. They comprise :— North and South Devon— 9 days, Inclusive charge, £18 15s, 6d.
Devon and Isle of Wight-10 days. Road mileage 550. Charge' £19 15s. 6d. Devon and Cornwalle--16.daye. Road mileage 800. Charge' 40 6s. 6d.
North Devon and South Wales-9 days. Road mileage 500. Charge, -£18 15s. 6d.
North Devon and South Waleg (another route-9 days. Road Mileage 500. Charge,. £15 15s. 6d. North Wales-10 days. Road mileage 450. Charge, £19 16s. 6d. North Wales and Wye Valley-15 days. Road mileage 750. Charge, £29 5s. 6d.
Lake District and Yorkshire Dales-16 days. Road mileage 8CO. Charge, 231 7s. 6d.
English and Scotch Lakes-19 clays.
Road. mileage 1,000. Charge, 48 14e. 6d.
There are a number of alternative or sub routes, arranging for the railway journey to be made to more convenient railway centres than London' for picking up thegmeter coach. Liverpool (Airing the holidays was the converging point for trips from all parts ofLancashire, and them was a continual stream of traffic towards the landing stage, where the ferry steamers were heavily loaded with chars,a-banes bound for Cheshire and North Wales.
Char-a-bancs proprietors of North Wales arranged Some excellent tours over the holidays,for the full day or half day. There are some beautiful fleets at Llandudno, the principal two. being known as the "Royal Red" and the " Royal Blue," Llandudno is, perhaps, the Capital of the North Wales char-a-banes services, which number about 30 vehieles, and in a further article we shall deal with the activities of the concerns running these vehicles.