Summer Special: 50% Discount on One-Way Thalys Tickets for Travel Between France-Belgium-Netherlands-Germany

WHITE PLAINS, NY -- 04/15/2005 -- One-way full-fare tickets on most routes on the high-speed Thalys train connecting Paris-Brussels-Amsterdam-Cologne are now on sale at 50% off the normal price for summertime travel from Rail Europe. Tickets must be booked before August 15 and travel must take place between June 14-August 31, 2005.

This special offer is for 1st or 2nd class full-fare tickets between most cities Thalys serves. The normal price of a one-way full-fare ticket between Paris and Brussels is $140 US/$184 CAD (1st class) or $90 US/$118 CAD (2nd), compared to the promotional fare of $70 US/$92 CAD (1st) or $45 US/$59 CAD (2nd). Between Paris and Amsterdam the normal fare of full-fare ticket is $190 US/$249 CAD; with the promotion, the price drops to $95 US/$125 CAD. These specially priced tickets are non-exchangeable and non-refundable.

Thalys carries 20% more North Americans in 2004 over 2003

The number of North Americans buying tickets on Thalys in 2004 increased 20% compared to 2003, reports Rail Europe. Last year 5.95 million passengers rode the sleek red train. Thalys 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 rail tickets and passes.

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 or www.raileurope.ca (in Canada).

Photos of Thalys -- High-resolution photos of the Thalys train may be downloaded by the press at www.raileurope.com/presspix

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A.J. Lazarus Associates, Inc.

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Rail Europe

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