30% Discount on 1st Class One-Way Thalys Tickets for Summer Travel Between France-Belgium-Netherlands-Germany

First-class one-way tickets on the high-speed Thalys train connecting Paris-Brussels-Amsterdam-Cologne are now on sale at 30% off the full fare price for summertime travel from Rail Europe. Tickets must be booked before August 15 and travel must take place between June 14-August 31.

This special offer is for 1st class tickets between any pair of cities on all Thalys international routes. The normal 1st class price of a one-way ticket between Paris and Brussels is $137 US/$188 CAD, compared to the summer promotion fare of $96 US/$132 CAD. Between Paris and Amsterdam the usual 1st class fare of a one-way ticket is $184 US/$253 CAD; with the promotion, the price is $129 US/$177 CAD. These specially priced tickets are non-exchangeable and non-refundable.

Thalys carries 34% more North Americans in first quarter

The number of North Americans buying tickets on Thalys is up 34% for the first quarter of 2004 compared to the same period last year, reports Rail Europe. The sleek red Thalys train has given the airlines so much competition since it began operation in 1996 that almost all flights between Paris and Brussels were discontinued, and the airlines instead book their passengers on the train. Thalys takes just 1 hour 25 minutes to go from downtown Paris to Brussels, much of the journey made at 186 mph. Up to 27 trains travel between Paris and Brussels in each direction daily, making the service convenient as well as fast.

Rail Europe is the leading North American distributor of rail travel throughout Europe, with the most comprehensive selection of affordable railpasses and tickets.

For more information or to book, contact a travel agent or Rail Europe at 1-888-382-7245 in the U.S. or 1-800-361-7245 in Canada, or log onto www.raileurope.com