With prices on the rise, this will...

With prices on the rise, this will be a year to cut corners. Hal Taussig figures he has the answers. The ex-university professor from Pennsylvania (profiled here last year) places travelers in chalets, cottages and apartments (complete with kitchens) in Switzerland, Austria, Germany, London, Wales, Scotland.

After recovering from jet lag, travelers set off on day-trips by rail or car, returning at nightfall to their home base. Or there’s the option of doing overnight trips without having to repack your luggage. Just stuff a few items into a flight or tote bag, leave the rest of the gear in your chalet or apartment. It’s the do-it-yourself approach to travel. Relax. That’s Taussig’s formula.

Taussig’s tours are planned for the traveler wishing to escape the hassle of the guided tour. None of that business of bags outside the door at 6 a.m. followed by another early morning the next day. On Taussig’s “Untours,” travelers sightsee at a relaxed pace and are back at their home away from home at the end of the day.

They’re met at the airport and delivered to their chalet, cottage, apartment. Afterward they attend orientations where Taussig and his staff answer questions, provide sightseeing tips. Vacationers are taught to use public transportation and are given maps and newsletters describing day-trips. In Switzerland they get rail passes that are good for three weeks of unlimited travel by train, bus, lake steamer.

Switzerland remains a favorite. Chalets available in more than a score of Alpine villages: Hergiswil, Sarnen, Sachseln, Giswil, Lungern, Goldern, Meiringen, Reuti, Wasswerwend and Hohfluh, all in the German-speaking areas of Switzerland. Others are found in French-speaking cantons. The Untour traveler sleeps beneath eiderdowns, takes in festivals. Dancing, oompah bands.

In Germany, others travel along the Rhine to castles and vineyards. A dozen apartments are up for grabs in Austria’s Salzach River Valley near Salzburg.

Whether the traveler chooses Switzerland or another country, Taussig’s prices are attractive. As little as $23 per person a day (double occupancy) on the Continent. Or for a family of seven you can get by for $10 per person ($2 under charges a year ago). The rock-bottom price for Taussig’s “classic package” in Switzerland is $50 less in ’89 than in ’88.

In addition to accommodations, Taussig wraps up a package that includes the round-trip flight from the United States, the rail pass, car rentals. This year for the first time he is invading Eastern Europe, choosing Hungary as his headquarters. On his Glasnost tour, travelers begin their trip in Vienna and travel by train or boat (along the Danube) to Budapest.

Taussig’s tours average three weeks. Again, the pace is up to the individual. Get out and go or laze around your chalet.

Taussig says: “Our travelers don’t want to be guided about in groups. They want to be independent. On the other hand, they don’t want to be cast adrift. As a result, we meet them on arrival, make certain they’re comfortable, and we’re available whenever they have a question.” Taussig makes this promise: Untour guests will vacation in quiet villages uncorrupted by tourism.

Contact Taussig’s Untour staff c/o Idyll, P.O. Box 405, Media, Pa. 19063, or telephone (215) 565-5242.

Scenic Train Tour

Everyone seems to get nostalgic over trains. Particularly when the train rolls through scenic countryside. And it’s nearly impossible to find more scenic countryside than revealed by picture windows aboard Amtrak’s superliner between Denver and Salt Lake City. Follows rivers, crosses the Continental Divide, winds through canyons. You fly to Denver for three nights, then board the train for the 571-mile journey to Salt Lake City for two nights at the Little America Hotel. Sightseeing both in Denver (including Rocky Mountain National Park) and Salt Lake City, followed by a performance by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Rate: $579 per person. Includes flights, the rail journey, cocktail parties, breakfasts, baggage handling.

Contact Jeff Boyd, Los Coyotes Travel, 8350 Los Coyotes Drive, Buena Park 90621. Call (714) 670-1184 or toll-free (800) 346-4317.

Europe by Camper

Touring Europe by camper between now and March 31 can save you money. Rates as low as $260 a week (plus VAT). The $260 model sleeps four persons. Full cooking facilities. Campers accommodating six travelers rent for $305 a week. (This is also a good time to take advantage of off-season air fares.)

APEX Leisure Hire of Great Britain is represented in the United States by Professional Representatives, 1000 E. Broadway, Glendale 91205. Telephone toll-free (800) 223-7422 (California), (800) 421-8905 (outside California) and (800) 782-7802 (Midwest).

Working Vacations

Volunteers are needed by The Foundation for Field Research to assist archeologists, marine biologists, zoologists at destinations around the world. Next summer’s choices include scuba diving in the Bahamas, digging in Ireland, checking out a Roman burial ground in Germany, helping to save endangered sea turtles in Mexico. No experience necessary. A free copy of the Foundation’s 36-page Explorer News describes these and other properties. Write to The Foundation for Field Research, 787 S. Grade Road, Box 2010, Alpine, Calif. 92001.

A Small Hotel

Elaine Hawkins of La Mirada wants a small hotel in Germany “with plenty of peace and atmosphere.” Our recommendation: Berghotel Latscheneck in Mittenwald (town that’s famous for violin makers). Hard to fault this little hotel. Looks down on the village. Stunning mountain views, comfortable rooms, fine meals, good service. A mother-son operation. Guests hike in the mountains in summer, ski in winter. Rates: about $60 U.S. single, $125 double, including breakfast and dinner.

Berghotel Latscheneck, Kaffeefeld 1, 8102 Mittenwald, West Germany. Other details from the German National Tourist Office, 444 S. Flower St., Suite 2230, Los Angeles 90071. Telephone (213) 688-7332.

Hideaways in France

Hundreds of cottages are up for grabs in France. A New York City agency promises “the warmth and charm of traditional French life away from the big cities.” Cottages are scattered in rural areas, picturesque villages. Available for one-week minimum (two weeks in July and August). Rates: $210/$550 U.S. per week. Another choice is the cafe-couette (the French version of the B&B;). Offered in private homes in nearly all regions of France (including Paris). High standards promised. You’ll pay between $25 and $50 per person a night.

Contact The French Experience, 171 Madison Ave., Suite 1505, New York 10016. Call (212) 683-2445.

Road Atlas

Rand McNally’s latest road atlas (its 65th annual edition) has been revised to include 18,116 changes. Covers the United States, Canada, Mexico. Pinpoints hundreds of towns. Details on parks, rest areas, attractions. Since the 1988 edition, hundreds of miles of roads have been added. For a copy of the ’89 edition, check with your book store. A valuable companion on the road.

For the Record

In last Sunday’s Travel Tips column the address of Fred Pearson’s Take-A-Guide office in the United States was given as 65 East 79th St., New York 10021. The correct address is 63 East 79th St., New York 10021. Pearson conducts both helicopter and auto tours in Britain (others on the Continent). His address in England: Take-A-Guide, 11 Uxbridge St., London W8, England. Readers may call the New York office toll-free: (800) 223-6450.