PLANNING TO TRAVEL in Europe this summer? It can be prohibitively expensive. You could, of course, opt for a 'seven countries in 10 days' coach tour, and plead for an extra week's holiday at the end to recover. But there is a great way to do it, and at your own pace, especially if you have a small family. It's called Open Jaw, and could leave you mouth agape, for linked with a special car 'leasing' deal and modern hostel accommodation, the savings can be remarkable. With Open Jaw, you fly to one destination in Europe, and fly back from another, on the same ticket. For example, fly to Paris, pick up your vehicle, which has already been booked, on arrival at either of the two international airports, and head off to another major city, say Nice. Or do the trip by train. Here, if you have an Open Jaw ticket with Emirates Airline, you can drop off the car at no extra charge, and fly back to Hong Kong via Dubai. The air ticket costs the same as a return fare to Paris. Depending on how long your holiday is - and if you have 17 days or more, there's an excellent deal available with Renault, which can be fixed up through Jebsen Motors in Hong Kong - a trip to Nice could be quite an adventure. You could head south to Spain, into northern Portugal and on to Lisbon, back into Spain, over to Madrid and then Barcelona, cross the border back in to France, then drive to Monaco and the Riviera before applying the hand-brake for the last time in Nice. What? You want to do more? If you have plenty of time to spare, then go on to Rome, and fly back to the SAR from the Italian capital. A number of airlines have Open Jaw tickets for Paris and Rome as well as a host of other destinations in Europe. Check their route maps. Call your agent. Take your pick. You may want a more relaxed, shorter journey. So fly into Amsterdam, drive through Belgium, visiting the medieval area of Bruges, and then on to Paris. Journey's end. Fly back to Hong Kong from Paris. If you opt for a long vacation, you'll have to pay a fee if you take a 'leased' or hire car and drop it off in another European country, but just imagine adding Venice, Florence and Rome to your itinerary. This is where the Open Jaw tickets are real winners, and you can cut your accommodation and food bills dramatically throughout the journey by making a short trip on the MTR to Shekkipmei as your very first step. Take exit 'A' and head for the Hong Kong Youth Hostels Association (HKYHA) office nearby, to sign up as a member. There are more than 4,200 youth hostels worldwide, under the umbrella of the International Youth Hostel Federation (IYHF), and they are open to all ages, offering great savings. A one-year membership of the HKYHA, which only costs $110, enables you stay in any of them. The HKYHA can even make advance bookings for you at many. And accommodation can cost less than $100 per night per person. Check out the Open Jaw options by shopping around the travel agents. But remember, you must decide on your final destination when you book the air ticket. If you get a return leg ticket from Nice, for example, you can't decide en route to go further and fly out from Rome instead. If you are prepared to fly to Europe indirectly, you could use, for example, Emirates or Gulf Air, which fly to Europe via the United Arab Emirates; Thai International (via Bangkok); Singapore Airlines (via Changi International Airport); Swissair, (via Zurich). These airlines have extensive networks in Europe which offer Open Jaw tickets. Check out airline code-share agreements, too. British Airways also has a very good network, but a leading travel agent says it is cheaper to land at Heathrow and fly straight out to what would have been your final destination, and work your way back to London for your return leg to Hong Kong. Stopping over in London first carries a fairly hefty surcharge, he warns. There is a lot of competition in Hong Kong, with more than 1,000 registered travel agents looking for business. It can be a cut-throat market, and the consumer is the winner as margins are small. Some agents, for example, are known to only make around $20 profit on short-haul return tickets. Open Jaw tickets that overlap the high season in Europe have been quoted at between $6,000 and $6,500. An Emirates Airline ticket in this bracket is open for one year, however, and a Thai Airlines ticket for six months. But Thomas Cook says the low season for Thai International doesn't expire until June 30 and for Emirates, early July. If you are going in the low season and returning in the low season, tickets can be much cheaper. So again, make a round of calls to the travel agents. There are lots of car hire options. Alamo, whose headquarters are in the US, is a good option. With Alamo, you sign a contract before you leave Hong Kong and pay by credit card in the local currency when you finish your trip. With Hertz and Avis, you pay in Hong Kong dollars before you leave SAR, but agents say if you take ill and can't make the trip, then there's no refund. These car hire deals are fine and work out cheaper the longer you hire the vehicle. But if you are going on holiday for more than 17 days, then consider the Renault Eurodrive 'leasing' option, which is by far the best deal. You sign a contract to 'buy' a brand new Renault vehicle of your choice. Renault registers it in your name, and it is delivered to you at the airport, but there is a buy-back clause. This in effect means you only take the vehicle for a pre-arranged number of days, so you don't really have to go through with a purchase. Mike Rushworth, general manager of Jebsen Motors, a Renault dealer, says the secret of Eurodrive's success is that the buy-back policy allows tax exemption, because it is only open to non-residents of the European Community. Hardly anyone goes through with a purchase. Rushworth says that of around 300,000 leases, Renault had only sold around five cars. So why is Renault prepared to send a new car to the airport, take it back as a used car, and lease it at extremely low rates? Complex French tax laws allow the manufacturer to re-sell and still make a lucrative profit. So both parties win. The car must be leased for at least 17 days and not more than 185. You must sign up at least four weeks in advance, and you get to choose your model, which comes straight from the factory. You get unlimited mileage, the vehicle is under full factory warranty, there is roadside assistance in case of any mechanical problems 24 hours a day throughout the European countries in which you are allowed to drive by Renault, and you get fully comprehensive insurance. Pick up or drop off your car in the UK, Holland, Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal or Italy. Pick up and drop off in France at no charge. A Renault Clio 1.4 16V, for example - suitable for long drives, 'leased' for 21 days, would cost around $5,300 for that period (around $250 a day). Compare that with the big hire firms. They may appear a little cheaper, but will you get a brand new car of your choice? Highly unlikely. Fully comprehensive insurance? Not at the rates they quote in their brochures. Twenty-four hour emergency assistance? Renault will even equip the car with a special seat for baby if you need it. If you do intend to drive through Europe, though, it might be wise to hire a model that burns diesel fuel, which can be a lot cheaper than petrol. Of course, you don't have to use an Open Jaw ticket to take advantage of the youth hostels. And you don't even need a hire car. William Fong, general manager of the HKYHA, says his office has direct lines to International Youth Hostel Federation (IYHF) booking offices worldwide, and can book major hostels abroad for members up to six months in advance. Two of the Paris hostels fall into this category. Hostels are no longer just dormitory accommodation where you get a bunk bed, but can't get to sleep because of the snorers. Many now have private rooms for couples or a small family. Some have their own cafeterias, and most have cooking facilities and laundries, more savings guaranteed. And you don't have to be a teenager. There is no age limit. A pensioner can sleep in a youth hostel if he has paid the $110 membership fee. Fong's office sells books with details of all the IYHF hostels in Europe - including Central European countries. Yes, even Hungary and the Czech Republic. There is also a book covering Asia, the Americas and Africa. They list the facilities and telephone and fax numbers of all the hostels. Members can book ahead as they travel. Fong says the Asia guide is particularly popular with Hong Kong Chinese because it lists all the youth hostels in Japan. But if you want to pay more for your accommodation, you could check out the private 'gites' in France, many historic homes and farmhouses in the countryside which have been renovated as guest houses or self-contained family units. And if you are planning to do your thing with an Open Jaw ticket in Spain, and have plenty of money in your pocket, then try Paradores, a group that specialises in accommodation in castles, stately homes, converted monasteries and even historic buildings that were once hospitals. Of course, there is another way to get around Europe, using your Open Jaw ticket without having to get behind the wheel at all - by rail. Check out the Eurail passes available. They can take you all over Europe at big savings. Travel overnight and sleep on the train, if your budget is really tight. Travelling to Europe in May, or after August, the air tickets can be a lot cheaper, hostels and roads aren't so busy, and you escape the crowds at the most popular tourist spots. But whatever month you choose, Open Jaw promises an unforgettable trip. For more information about Renault Eurodrive, check out their Web site: www.eurodrive.renault.com or contact Leo Chiu at Jebsen's in Hong Kong, tel 2926 2205, fax 2882 1973. For information on Paradores accommodation, car hire and Eurail tickets contact Travel Advisers in Tsim Tsa Tsui East, phone 2312 7138, or your local agent. Hertz International Reservations can be contacted at 2525 2838. The HKYHA is at Room 225-227, Block 19, Shekkipmei estate, Shamshuipo, Kowloon. Phone 2788 1638 or fax 2788 3105. If you want to check out airline connections in Europe, look up their Web sites by doing a Yahoo! search, or ask your agent about the Open Jaw options available from Hong Kong. There are also Web sites for gites in France, and Paradores in Spain. Paradores: www.parador.es Gites: www.gitesdirect Graphic: trainGFA
