World Travel News

A new high-sped train line will link France and Germany beginning in 2007, cutting travel time between Paris and Frankfurt to under four hours, officials said Monday.

There will be five trains a day between Paris and Frankfurt and four between Paris and Stuttgart on the new TGV line, which France’s state-owned rail company SNCF said is expected to be used by an estimated 1.5 million passengers a year.

Currently, the fastest train connection between Paris and Frankfurt via Saarbrücken and Mannheim takes 6 hours, while passengers to Stuttgart have to go via Strasbourg.

The TGV line will require a new bridge across the Rhine near Strasbourg.

More: iht.com

France, Spain and Turkey are at the top of Belgians’ holiday destination list, findings released Friday show.

The study of 2,000 persons, by Ipsos consumer research company for the Touring motor-assistance organisation, found that six out of 10 Belgians are planning a vacation abroad.

Not surprisingly, France again won top billing, followed by Spain and Turkey, La Derniere Heure newspaper reported. Germany and Italy also ranked among the top five.

More than half of Belgians (52 percent) have already booked their summer holidays, mainly through a travel agent. On the other hand, some 39 percent said they book their trips themselves.

Most Belgians prefer

company when they travel. Only 5 percent plan to hit the road alone, while 77 percent will vacation with their families and 13 percent with friends.

Some 44 percent of respondents said their holidays typically last a fortnight, while 7 percent said this is much as 28 nights or more. Some 5 percent have vacations of 16 to 19 nights, and 7 percent between 20 and 27 nights.

More: expatica.com

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.