Rail Europe is currently offering up to 50% off regular priced one-way full-fare tickets, on all routes of the high-speed Thalys trains, connecting cities in France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. Thalys tickets can be booked on Rail Europe now through September 17, 2008 for travel through September 30, 2008.

Rail Europe’s one-way Summer Special fares* from Paris to Brussels start at $109** US/$CAD (1 st) and $70** US/CAD (2 nd). Paris to Amsterdam Summer Special fares start at $146** US/CAD (1 st) and $90** US/CAD (2 nd).

During a recent visit to Rail Europe’s Head Quarters in White Plains, New York, Jean Michel Dancoisne, CEO of Thalys International stated that, “80% of travelers choose the train over air, for travel between Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam.” These cities rank among the top cities visited by American travelers to Europe. Dancoisne emphasized the trains’ punctuality rate of 92% and went on to say that Thalys, with its Premier Class services, such as lounge access, on-board meals, plush reclining seats, and wifi internet access, throughout the entire journey, is a popular choice for North American travelers. The opening of the new European High Speed Lines in 2009, ensures that Thalys sales will continue to rise. Rail Europe reports sales of Thalys train tickets YTD have increased by 6% from 2007 . This increase in sales, at a time when the dollar continues to fall against the Euro, can be attributed to the fact that, more travelers are realizing the advantage of planning ahead, buying here in North America & saving considerably over purchasing their pass or tickets locally in Euro.

Rail Europe, the largest distributor of European rail products in North America, encourages you to make train travel a part of your clients European travel experience. The company celebrates over 75 years as a leader in European travel and believes that the spirit of train travel is about enjoying the simple pleasures, respecting the environment and connecting with people, places and cultures.

For more information or to book any of Rail Europe’s wide range of economical railpasses and point-to-point tickets on trains throughout Europe and the U.K., consult a travel agent or log on to Rail Europe’s web site, Rail Europe.

Tickets and passes on the premium high-speed Spanish train, Alta Velocidad Española (AVE train), can be booked, in North America through Rail Europe. In addition to the original high-speed line between Madrid and Seville, the new lines connect Madrid to Barcelona and other destinations. The AVE train travels at speeds of 300 km/hour (186 mph) and covers the distance of 550 km (342 miles) between Madrid and Barcelona in less than 3 hours (travel time was previously 4 hours). “It’s like traveling by train from New York City to Montreal in 3 hours” says Rail Europe’s President & CEO Frédéric Langlois. A total of 17 trains will operate daily to take passengers between Madrid and Barcelona. The high-speed AVE will influence a shift from air traffic to rail on the Madrid-Barcelona route, as Eurostar has done on the London-Paris and London-Brussels routes and France’s TGV has done on the Paris-Lyon route.

The new high-speed lines, have also reduced travel times between Madrid and Valladolid; the journey, which previously took 2h 30mins, now takes only 55 minutes. And what was a 4 hour journey from Madrid to Málaga, now takes only 2h 30mins. In addition to these shorter journey times, European t rain travel also offers the time-saving benefit of bringing the travelers right into the city center, eliminating the need for airport/city transfers.

Rail Europe offers special web-only fares on www.raileurope.com, which save travelers up to 10% over bookings made over the phone. Prices on the Eurail Spain Pass start at $216* USD/CAD. Madrid –Barcelona AVE train tickets start at $157* USD/CAD while passholder fares for this route start at $16. Rail Europe also offers city cards, which make exploring destination cities easy and affordable. The Madrid, Barcelona or Seville cards offer access to public transportation around the city and entrance to museums and attractions.

For more information or to book any of Rail Europe’s wide range of economical rail passes and point-to-point tickets on trains throughout Europe and the U.K., consult a travel agent or log on to Rail Europe’s web site, www.raileurope.com.