For the vacationer looking for one of...

For the vacationer looking for one of those laid-back mountain hideaways, Coffee Tree Ranch in California’s Trinity Alps wilderness area (northwest of Redding) promises to lift the spirits. Streams to lull you to sleep, a trout pond on the property. The ranch is surrounded by maples, oaks, firs. Mark and Ruth Hartman describe their spread as “scenic, wild, unspoiled.” Seven family cabins, seven one-bedroom units. Several with fireplaces, others with wood-burning stoves. Home-cooked meals, a heated swimming pool, hayrides, gold panning. Family entertainment each evening, supervised activities for 3- to 12-year-olds. (Coffee Creek is a member of the Dude Ranchers Assn.) Rates, $395/$415 a week. Youngsters: $150. Riding is extra. The Hartmans provide airport, bus, Amtrak pickup in Redding.

Coffee Creek Ranch, HC2 Box 4940, Trinity Center, Calif. 96091. Telephone (916) 266-3343. Brochures available.

Eastern Europe

Hungary (featured in the March 26 Travel Section) is one of Eastern Europe’s hottest destinations for ’89. A note from Andras Bolgar suggests that readers contact the Hungarian Hotels Sales Office in Los Angeles (represents 90% of Hungary’s three- to five-star hotels, including Hyatt, Hilton, Inter-Continental). Confirmation offered for hotels in Budapest and elsewhere. This office assists with city packages, rental cars, hydrofoils, tours, visa application forms. Publishes an attractive brochure titled “Great Health Resorts of Hungary.”

See your travel agent or contact Hungarian Hotels Sales Office Inc., 6033 W. Century Blvd., Suite 670, Los Angeles 90045. Call (213) 649-5960.

Spain by Rail

Train travel in Spain is being given a boost with the issuance of the SpainRail pass. Good for unlimited travel on RENFE (the Spanish National Railway Network). Prices: $132 for eight days, $216 for 15 days, $252 for 22 days. Second-class fares: $95, eight days; $153, 15 days; $195, 22 days. Passes become valid the day you begin your rail journey.

SpainRail passes can be bought through your travel agent. Other details from Donna Brunstad Associates, 24 Sylvan Road South, Westport, Conn. 06880. Call toll-free (800) 992-3976. For general information on Spain, contact the National Tourist Office of Spain, 8383 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 960, Los Angeles 90211, (213) 658-7188. They’ll load you down with brochures, maps, timetables.

Letter From Britain

Pauline Cherry writes from Sussex: “For a long time a bone of contention with me has been the way unsuspecting tourists get cheated when traveling abroad. For years we have had foreign travelers stay at our cottage, and I have taken them around our beautiful countryside and shown them the enchanting villages of Sussex. Their illusions are shattered, though, when they make a trip to the large cities. Hotel bills are horrendous, tickets for shows reach prices that we would never pay as ticket touts ‘pace’ their victims. This is what prompted me to start my own business as a chauffeur/guide. Starting this month, visitors can hire me and my car for full-day excursions. My service will allow the tourist to get away from the rat race and enjoy the peace and beauty of our countryside. I can also deliver them to and from the train stations for their trips into the city.”

For chauffeur service and bed and breakfast accommodations, contact Mrs. Pauline Cherry, Sunnyside Cottages, Rodmell, Lewes, East Sussex BN7 3HA, England.

Campers/Motor Homes

You can avoid the high cost of hotels in Europe this summer with camper/motor home rentals. Autoglobe will rent you a motor home in Germany with space for four persons for $101 a day. In Britain the prices are $511 a week until July/August when rates are hiked to $658 (less if you sign up for three to five weeks). Autoglobe’s motor homes are fully equipped (kitchen, linens). Suggested tour routes are provided, along with a list of 3,000 camper sites throughout Europe.

Autoglobe, 5250 W. Century Blvd., Suite 437, Los Angeles 90045. Call toll-free (800) 858-1515 or (213) 670-6522. Your travel agent will assist.

New York B&B;

To B.J. of Santa Cruz: Contact Bed & Breakfast Network of New York. Represents nearly 150 properties in the Big Apple. Everything from modest East Village walk-ups to artist’s lofts in SoHo, penthouse suites in the high-rent district and a houseboat on the river. Rates vary. Singles start at about $50 a day. A double will cost you $70, up. Gets pricier if you take an apartment. Hosts are from all walks of life (artists, actors, businessmen/women). Write for information concerning neighborhoods, costs, pets.

Bed & Breakfast Network of New York, 134 West 32nd St., Suite 602, New York 10001. Telephone (212) 645-8134.

Week’s Best Bet

France has taken some bum raps over pricing, but here’s an offer that’s hard to beat. International Friendship Service has put together a four-week package that includes meals, lodging, excursions and three hours of French instruction (daily) for only $295 a week. You live with a French family in Paris or Cannes. Study in the morning, sightsee in the afternoon. The program is open to anyone 16 years or older. Figures out to about $42 a day.

International Friendship Service, 22994 El Toro Road, El Toro, Calif. 92630. Telephone (714) 458-8868.

Low Air Fares

Thomas Joyce, who operates AfterHours Travel, has branched out into the airline discount business. Calls his company Airseat. Sells round-trip tickets at big savings. Besides air reservations, Joyce will book you rental cars, hotels, charter flights. Here are some examples of round-trip fares from LAX: $560 to London; $630 to Paris, Munich, Frankfurt; $580 to Brussels; $640 to Zurich; $600 to Berlin; $580 to Amsterdam; $680 to Lisbon and Madrid; $700 to Milan; $710 to Rome, $740 to Copenhagen/Stockholm.

Call Joyce c/o Airseat at (213) 656-8443.

Camping Vermont

In New England, Vermont ranks No. 1 with legions of vacationers. Particularly during the summer/fall months. This summer nearly 100 private campgrounds will be welcoming visitors, along with 35 state-operated sites. For campers searching for uncrowded locations, here are several suggestions: In northern Vermont try Lake Carmi in Franklin, North Hero on Lake Champlain, Maidstone at Guildhall, Brighton in Island Pond and New Discovery at Groton. Space is usually available in central Vermont at Button Bay in Ferrisburg, Coolidge in Plymouth and Half Moon Pond in Hubbardton. In southern Vermont, try Ascutney in Windsor, Ft. Dummer in Brattleboro.

For a free copy of the “Vermont Guide to Primitive Camping,” write to the Department of Forest, Parks & Recreation, Waterbury, Vt. 05676. Other camping details from the Vermont Travel Division, 134 State St., Montpelier, Vt. 05602.

California Visitors

If you have friends, relatives visiting this summer, Marymount College in Palos Verdes is offering off-campus apartments (fully furnished) for $37 a night for one-bedroom units, $51 for a two-bedroom apartment. This is for the period of June 10 to Aug. 10. Other units with extras up to $76 a night. A grocery store is nearby. Tennis courts, swimming pool.

Contact Scott Dellis, Summer Housing Coordinator, Marymount College, Rancho Palos Verdes 90274-6299, or call (213) 377-5501.