In the Nase rodina, the newsletter of the Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International, there is a photocopy of a poster advertising passage on the "Hamburska Linie" with no date as to when it was printed. Costs were listed as: Hamburg to New York Steerage.....$28 2nd berth....$72 1st berth......$120 New York to Hamburg Steerage.....$30 2nd berth.....$60 1st berth.......$100 I guess it was longer from New York to Hamburg in steerage than it was from Hamburg to New York.......but it was longer in 2nd berth and 1st berth from Hamburg to New York and shorter from New York to Hamburg. ????!!!!???? Another article in this newslatter has: "....they could only afford passage in the "steerage" section. This area was not even good enough for cargo, let alone passengers. The lack of food, water, privacy,a nd santation led to illness, as did the voyage itself. Travel time on these steamships varied from 15 to 60 days depending on whether it was a direct or indirect route, and the weather conditions....." Also in this same issue as the poster is a translation of an article (5 pages) originally printed in 1883 in Czech advising anyone who was considering immigrating to America as to what to do and expect. Some parts: "...Before you decide to emigrate to America.....consider well everything involved in this action. A person can easily leave, but it is not so easy to return....." ".....complaints....about the port of Baltimore (and with good reason)....accosted by various swindlers....so erratic...many...end up in the wrong place...." "...main thing to keep in mind is to take a ship to New York....."Castle Garden" where the immmigrant is protected from swindlers, hunger, rain, and cold, and where he can confidently exchange money and buy railroad tickets and get free escort to the railway station......" "....necessary to make reservations 2, 3, or even 4 weeks ahead...." "...officials do not allow passage to emigrants who cannot pay full fare in advance..." "....do not allow yourself to be transported......on English ships......it isn't possible to talk to anyone......changing ships is difficult...food isn't fit for animals...ships are overloaded...." If you would like a copy of this article you can request a copy of the Nase Rodina newsletter of September 1995, Vo. 7, No. 3, which is available for $3.00 plus $1.50 for postage......order from the CGSI, P.O. Box 16225, St. Paul, MN 55116-0225. This organization has a very well written newsletter and annual dues are only $15. Also along the same lines you may want to read "For Bread with Butter" by Ewa Morawska. This book concerns the East Central Europeans who immigrated to Johnstown, PA, but the statistics could be applied to any town with a large immigrant population. There is a long discussion on why our ancestors immigrated which may surprise many genealogists and also an account of the staggering amount of money "sent home" will leave most genealogists amazed. You should be able to get this thru interlibrary loan. Also "Out of This Furnace" by Thomas Bell is a novel based on his own Slovak family's immigration to Pittsburgh, PA. Interesting reading which is not the "textbook" picture you get in school. This book is used by University of Pittsburgh in some of its sociology classes. It should also be available thru interlibrary loan. Hopes this helps answer the question a little, Joanne