Today we give you Europe On $32-a-Day...

Today we give you Europe On $32-a-Day (accommodations, land transportation and someone to greet your flight when it arrives overseas). The $32 package is one of several offerings by Hal Taussig, the ex-university professor whose activities we update occasionally in answer to requests for unusual travel ideas. On Taussig’s tours vacationers travel at their own leisure. Instead of being constantly on the go, they settle in chalets/cottages/apartments in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, France. (The French program--new this year--is set in villages in the South of France). Another new twist is the offer of shelter in a 14th-Century castle in rural Bavaria, complete with moat/drawbridge. (Day trips to Munich, Frankfurt, Augsburg, Stuttgart, Rothenberg, Wurzburg, the Black Forest).

Taussig’s Untours appeal to travelers wishing to avoid the hassle of packing/unpacking daily. Vacationers settle in for two/three weeks. The idea is to live like a local in a foreign country. Shop with the neighbors. Attend their festivals. Collect memories. With rail/bus passes vacationers are on the go during the day, returning home each evening. (An exception is France where a car is part of the package). Taussig’s travelers are met at the airport, delivered to their chalet/cottage/apartment for a briefing on the use of public transportation and given maps/booklets to assist with touring.

With the Untour, the idea is to shake off the jet lag for a day or two. (If visiting another country, a tote bag usually takes care of luggage problems). No fretting over early morning departures. No dawn-to-dusk rides on crowded tour buses. On the Untour travelers sightsee at their own pace.

Switzerland remains a favorite choice. Chalets in more than a score of Alpine villages. Dance to oompah bands. Snooze beneath eiderdowns. In France vacationers follow in the footsteps of Van Gogh/Gauguin to Arles, the Camargue and other destinations in Provence. Says Taussig: “We are in business to provide Americans with the opportunity to experience European life by living among the people--rather than peering through the window of a speeding tour bus.” Besides accommodations and rail/bus passes/rental cars, this company books flights from the U.S.

Untour, c/o Idyll, P.O. Box 405, Media, Pa. 19063 (215) 565-5242.

Apartment Rentals: A note from Gertrude Stens of Sunland: “How do we go about renting an apartment in Tel Aviv? My husband and I don’t want to stay in a hotel.” Contact Hometours International, 1170 Broadway, Suite 614, New York, N.Y. 10001. A rental on the beach in Tel Aviv (near the American Embassy) will cost you about $145 a day. Other apartments in Jerusalem. Besides Israel, Hometours books rentals in Portugal, Spain, England, France (particularly on the Riviera in Antibes, Grasse, Cannes, Nice). I’m fond of the Algarve (Portugal’s Riviera) where two can live comfortably in a rental for about $700 a week.

In London, Hometours lets apartments in a home in Belgravia belonging to a titled Britisher (about $120 a night). The same company represents HF Holidays’ Walking Tours of Britain. For a 50-page booklet listing these tours, send $2 for postage to Hometours at the address listed above or call (800) 367-4668. Hometours books other trips in Alpine regions of Austria, France, Switzerland, the Pyrenees.

Other Walks: For additional details on walking tours in England/Scotland/Ireland, request the 28-page booklet published by British Coastal Trails, 1001 B Ave., Suite 302, Coronado, Calif. 92118, (800) 473-1210. More than 30 tours, including a 200-mile walk across Northern England. (Treks average 6 to 7 miles a day). Others: The coasts of Devon and Cornwall, Yorkshire and the English Lake District, Ireland’s Kerry and Dingle Peninsulas, the Cotswolds, Exmoor and Dorset, Scotland, the Isles of Scilly, etc. Groups limited to 18 persons. Season: April through October, with accommodations in historic inns/hotels.

Language Classes: Language Study Abroad will place you in classes in Mexico, Spain, France, Italy. Five to 10 students per group. Programs for all levels. Native-born instructors. Classes are booked for a minimum of two weeks. Prices include tuition, room, meals for 14 days with a local family. Hotels/apartments also available. A two-week program starts at $596 in Mexico, $695 in Spain, $804 in France, $781 in Italy. Optional excursions to museums, other cultural attractions, sports events, movies.

For a brochure providing additional information, write to Richard Simmons, director, Language Study Abroad, 1301 N. Maryland Ave., Glendale, Calif. 91207, (818) 242-5263.

Dining in Madrid: Bob Jacobsen of Anaheim asks for “the name of the restaurant in Madrid where Ernest Hemingway used to dine.” Papa was seen in a number of cafes/restaurants during his days in Madrid. One of his favorites: Restaurant Botin. A bit touristy, but marvelous atmosphere. Occupies a four-story, 300-year-old building in the old section of the city. Reminiscent of an ancient inn. Vaulted ceilings. A log fire. Amber lamps. Leaded glass windows. The menu features suckling pig, roasted lamb and other delights. Another plus: A bar that pours good drinks. Being in Madrid’s old section, Botin attracts romantics (young and old). One of those places where lovers hold hands, sip wine and are mesmerized in an atmosphere that draws smartly-dressed Spaniards along with foreigners. A reminder: In Spain the dinner hour doesn’t begin until 10 or 11 p.m.

Restaurant Botin, Casa Fundada en 1725, Calle de Cuchilleros, 17.

Potpourri For a cost-saving lineup of hotels, restaurants, attractions in Williamsburg, Va., through March, call (804) 220-7645. . . . Copies of the illustrated 16-page booklet, “Very Special Hotels in Sweden” is available from your travel agent. . . . Details on trips “especially for women” from Rainbow Adventures, Inc., 1308 Sherman Ave., Evanston, Ill. 60201 or Woodswomen, 25 W. Diamond Lake Road, Minneapolis, Minn. 55419-1926. . . . For information on the Napa Valley wine train, write Train, 1275 McKinstry St., Napa 94559 or contact your travel agent.

Reader Recommendations

California--Ken Baldry, Manhattan Beach: “The Plow & the Stars Country Inn, 1800 27th St., Arcata 95521. We had a fireplace in our bedroom. Antique furnishings. Fabulous breakfasts. Wine and cheese in the late afternoon; brandy, cookies, brownies in the evening. A perfect base of operations for side trips to Ferndale, Avenue of the Giants Redwood Park, Eel and Trinity River recreational areas. Rates: $75/$95.”

California--Mr. and Mrs. Leo Smith, Tuolumne: “The Village Inn Bed & Breakfast, 407 El Camino Real, Arroyo Grande 93420. Cannot praise it too highly. Warmth and hospitality second to none. Coming from England as we do (vacationing with our daughter here in Tuolumne), we had not encountered bed and breakfast hotels in the U.S. After the mostly-impersonal atmosphere of larger establishments, The Village Inn B&B; was a joy. Rates: $95/$165.”

Colorado--Linda Peterson, La Crescenta: “The Tree House, 6650 Simms St., Arvada 80004. In the midst of 10 acres of forest. Fireplaces in most rooms. Rates: $59/$89.”

Montana--Virginia Daymont, Pasadena: “Mountain Timbers Lodge, P.O. Box 94, West Glacier 59936. This is a magnificent lodge built with logs. Trails for cross-country skiing. Rates: $60/$85 with a full breakfast.”

Florida--Barbara Jones, Newport Beach: “One of the best of the small guest houses in Key West is Whispers at 409 William St. A full breakfast prepared by owner Marilyn Tipton. Light years away from reality. Rates from $85.”

France--Norma Townsend, Altadena: “A delightful B&B; in Paris operated by Francoise Bourdier, 10 Rue des Marronniers, 75016 Paris. Rates: $30 per person gave four of us two rooms with a shared bath.”

Oregon--Victor and Roberta Bremson, West Los Angeles: “River Banks Inn, 8401 Riverbanks Road, Grants Pass 97527. The inn is located right above the Rogue River. Great breakfasts. Rooms with fireplaces, Jacuzzi tubs, VCRs. Rates: $95/$150.”

We regret that only a select few recommendations can be used. They must be brief (typewritten or printed). Only one recommendation per reader, please. Note: Recommendations will not be used unless prices and addresses are included.