Tomorrow in Europe comes first month of the massive summer holidays, and on the old continent has begun a big tourist boom. From Wednesday through Sunday only from the Brussels airport flew a record number of passengers - 175 thousand, however, this season tourists threatens many troubles associated with the global energy crisis: an unprecedented traffic jams, the rapid increase in prices both for petrol, airline tickets, hotel rooms, etc. . Crisis hits, and for our fellow countrymen who wish to rest in the West. Machines with the Russian numbers at popular European resorts now there are less and less. More profitable to rent a car on the spot.
Endless traffic jams paralyzed the highway around Brussels, and the messages of the French society of motorists Bizon fute («quirky buffalo") urge all travelers to the south keep from Paris, if they do not want to spend precious hours in traffic jams, reserved for the beach.

On the rest do not save

«quirky bison" recommends detours on local highways: slow and steady wins - race. However, the sleeper nothing could stop it. Yes, petrol costs about 1.5 euros per liter. Yes, the airlines charge surcharges for fuel risen in price - an average of 32 euros per passenger on the European and Mediterranean routes. Yes, increased food prices and purchasing power fell.
But if on anything, and save, it was not on vacation. For Europeans, it is sacred and no longer a privilege of the wealthy minority. According to the insurance company Europ Assistance, which is the eighth consecutive year, conducts surveys in Belgium, France, Britain, Germany, Austria, Spain and Italy, each family set aside for the current summer holiday in an average 2,228 euros. Seven out of ten Europeans spend summer vacation in July and August. Although at this time in the resorts of the highest prices for hotels. Also, seven out of ten people in Western Europe do not leave it outside, and half and do rest in their country. But those who live in small countries implies more abroad. Only 13% of Belgians are in Belgium.
In general, demand is growing for a formula "all inclusive" in places of mass recreation, especially in Turkey. After all, it is more convenient to pay once and nothing else to think about nothing. It is significant that only a third used traditional services agencies, and others organize the holiday themselves. Almost half (47%) are looking for, find and pay for all services via the Internet. Interestingly, in Belgium this year sharply increased interest in travel to the U.S., the benefit of dollar has already fallen to 65 cents. But the Dutch, known savings and thrift, as a rule, avoid the "star" hotels. Dutch numbers - in most white-wagons "caravans" that crawl these days on European highways, to provoke those who love to ride. They rest on the principle of "all its carried with me, stop where I want and will never overpay».
See also in the way the Russian room - now generally event. On a visit to Brussels correspondent visited many times on the machines of friends in Moscow and St. Petersburg. One of them even managed to overtake a week to Europe, including Sweden and Italy, and then in Rostock (Germany) dive for the ferry to St. Petersburg. He rejoiced in the speed and distance by placing in the travel magazine "tick" of the cities that had to stop, sometimes for an hour or two. From Moscow to Brussels - 29 hours of pure driving, not counting stops and the border (fortunately, only one: the Belarusian-Polish). But gasoline now takes an average of 220 euros. Not accidentally fans caravanning from our country are increasingly renting cars on meste.Vprochem, the domestic tourist industry is set in the generally optimistic. As stated by "NO" press secretary of the Russian Union of Travel Industry Irina Tyurina, the high cost of permits, surcharges for fuel and other troubles in the mood vacationers gathered in Europe, is not strongly influenced by: "Domestically, because the same thing, so far, no problems with demand on tour we do not ».
guests from Russia to Western Europe, often meet the most cordial reception, which sometimes leads to a rather ridiculous stories. Correspondent of "NI" in Poland, told a very instructive story. One of the students of the Faculty of Russian Philology at Warsaw University, together with his girlfriend went hitchhiking in EU countries. Took with them only a few canned goods and 100 euros for two. Started with Germany. Young people came to the first vending farmhouse and by informing the owners that, they say, they are poor and very hungry, asked the can opener for canned food. In this case, as it were, between work reported that they had come from Russia or Belarus. Compassionate hosts invited a couple at the table and generously fed. So psevdorossiyane got right up in Spain. And cheap, and cognitively.

Poles choose bikes

In Poland, the holiday season, as well as in western Europe, begins July 1. Domestically, the bulk of tourists take a small private guest houses and family hotels. Price dispersion in them is substantial, but the insistence can find quite a decent and inexpensive hotel about 30 zlotys a day (about $ 14), where in the price includes two meals. Since the country more and more supporters cycling, and gasoline prices bite, almost all the resorts - sea and mountain - there are bicycle paths and rentals.
But lately, all more Poles prefer to vacation in exotic countries. How to tell "NO" in the Polish Chamber of Tourism, the growing number going on holiday abroad is approximately 3.5% per year and remains unchanged since Poland's accession to the EU. This year, the cost of permits has increased by about 15% - 20%. It is primarily concerned with hanging out in Asia and Africa, and the number of people wishing to rest in distant lands in recent years has increased several times.

Ride for Germany can not all

autobahns in Germany these days paralyzed traffic jams. A thick stream of tourists, as its own, and transit, and ran to the warm seas and exotic destinations.
Germans alive adopt Dutch fashion - on the road more and more common "home on wheels . Many of them belong to elderly people who are not first five years in a row stop at the same parking lots near scenic reservoirs. In such places, usually within a nation, entire towns with its temporary city hall, police, municipal and household services, entertainment centers.
Our own countrymen, who decided on their cars to travel in Germany, we should remember the following: here there are more bands with a hard transport limitations. Thus, in the center of Berlin and Cologne, the most populous areas of Hanover, for example, are now missing only cars with special stamp green. This means that the machine has an improved internal combustion engine that is subject to the environmental standard of Euro 4 and Euro-5. These vehicles include, for example, the latest models of Audi, BMW and Mercedes. Vehicles with its obsolete here, "Euro-3 and Euro-2" is correspondingly yellow and red cards. In the protected areas of the mountain in Germany at a transport just will not start.
By the way, starting in Germany on his car, one must carefully listen to the radio. It is here, often in English, every 15 minutes, announces the deployment tubes and that the estimated time that would have to kill to overcome them.
But the most unpleasant - is, of course, the growth gasoline prices, a liter of which, as in other Western European countries, is now worth 1.5 euros. The Germans are outraged by this time. A migrant from our country louder accused of price "lawlessness" of domestic suppliers.
«All these gazoneftemonopolisty influence on my life ever - a conversation with a reporter at a gas station," NOR "programmer Maxim Schacht, who moved to Dortmund from the Saratov region. - Every day I blow off work own transport. For my "audit" is 78 kilometers there and 78 back. Just three years ago, compensation from the firm's quite enough. Now from his pocket need to add fuel to 200 euros per month. If, however, thanks to Russia the cost of a liter of gasoline will grow to 50 cents a liter, I will be more profitable to sell your house and start renting housing. Or change jobs ».

Car is more expensive aircraft

plane and car - the main means of transport of European holidaymakers. By car, drive profitable family or company. Especially if the ultimate goal of the route is located at a distance of no more than a thousand kilometers. A lone traveler is even no need to think: a trip by car is much more expensive than an aircraft or high-speed train.
Judge. Directions from Brussels 1300 kilometers to the beaches of the Costa Brava in Spain, the average cost of 180 euros one way, if you count only the cost of gasoline and tolls. A plane ticket budget airline Ryanair back and forth (on a similar route) can be bought for 100 and even for 50 euros. It turns out that this summer, millions of Europeans will be painful to think about how and what to go into her vacation.

Alexander Mineev, Brussels, Victor Shanko, Warsaw, Sergei ZOLOVKIN, Berlin, Alexei Andreev ;
Photo: AP. ALBERTO PELLASCHIAR