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xiv Expenses. BELGIUM.
Much worn coins are sometimes refused. English and French bank-
notes and English gold are received at all the principal towns,
hotels, and railway-stations at their full value (1/.= 20 fr.). English
circular notes are recommended for the transport of large sums, in
preference to banknotes or gold, as they always realize a favourable
exchange, and as, if lost, their value is recoverable. American trav-
ellers may find the cheques issued by the American Express Co. con-
venient also. Money should not be changed except at the shops of
the larger and more respectable money-changers; the small dealers,
railway officials, and hotel-keepers seldom give the due rate of ex-
change. In the Flemish districts the reckoning in the Dutch manner
(5 cents = 10 centimes) is still prevalent to a considerable extent.
Expsnsrs. Hotel-expenses need not exceed 10-15 fr. per day;
the fees payable at picture-galleries, museums, and churches amount
to 3-4 fr. per day, and travelling expenses to 8-10 fr. ; so that most
travellers should be prepared for a daily expenditure of at least
25-30 fr. each. On the other hand the ‘voyageur en garcon’, the
artist, the student, and the pedestrian may easily reduce their ex-
penditure to half that sum without much diminution of comfort.
Tl. Passports. Custom House.
Passports, though not required in Belgium, are frequently
useful in proving the traveller's identity, and in obtaining delivery
of registered letters. They may be obtained direct from the Foreign
Office (fee 2s.) or through any of the ordinary tourist-agents. In
the United States application for passports should be made to the
Passport Bureau, State Department, Washington, D, C.
Custom Hovusx formalities are generally very lenient. The tray-
eller should always, if possible, superintend the examination of
his luggage in person. In crossing a frontier even the smaller articles
of luggage usually kept in the railway-carriage have to be submitted
to inspection. The traveller is usually allowed a small supply of
tobacco or cigars for personal use duty free, but he should declare
it to the custom-house officers.
IV. Hotels.
Palatial hotels on the grand scale exist in Belgium only at
Brussels and Ostend; but first class hotels in the ordinary sense
of the term are to be found at most of the larger towns. The aye-
Tage charges are as follows: bedroom 4-6 fr. (double-bed usually
much cheaper for two pers. than two single beds), coffee and
rolls 11/5-2 fr., dinner 4-8 fr. The table @héte dinner at Brussels,
Antwerp, Ghent, Ostend, and Spa is usually served about 6 p.m., at
all other towns about 12.30 or 1 p.m. Pale ale and stout (41/,-2 fr.
per bottle, half-bottle 3/4-41/, fr.) or mineral water (1-11/o fr. per |
