OK money's tight, gas is expensive in Europe and you want to reduce your carbon footprint.

Rather than use one of the budget airlines, hop on the train.

The people at Rail Europe are offering a lot of sweet deals for Summer 2009 US travelers.

Amongst the carrots they are dangling in from of us is a Going, Going, Gone Thalys Special

Here are the details as offered on Rail Europe site:

"Thalys trains link Paris to Brussels, Amsterdam, Antwerp and Cologne. When you book Thalys travel with Rail Europe between May 27-August 15, 2009* you’ll receive up to 50% off your first or second-class Regular tickets on most Thalys routes traveling direct to as many as 17 cities with over 50 Thalys round trips a day, taking you from Paris to Brussels in less than ninety minutes. *Valid for travel between June 10-August 29, 2009. All pricing noted is per person, one way. Space is subject to availablity. Not valid on Group Bookings. Not valid on domestic routes in Belgium."

If you are a Jacques Brel fan you might want to visit Oostende, one of the cities served or Cologne if Kraftwerk was once a fav...

Not to be chauvinistic, let me put my beret on and sing the praise of another great Rail Europe offer, the Anywhere Anytime France deals.

Here's how it works (in Rail Europe's own words):

How do you save with Anywhere Anytime France™?

• Just one flat fee; no hidden costs, no complex processes and no high currency exchange rates and no shipping fees.
  
• The first trip costs $159.00.
  Each e-ticket bought within the first Anywhere Anytime France™ purchase is $50 per trip.
  Additional trips, after the initial Anywhere Anytime France™ purchase, will cost $70 per trip.
  

See how you can save.

• One-way flexible tickets typically cost over $200.
  For example you would pay:
  Paris – Avignon: $241
  Avignon – Nice: $133
  Nice – Paris: $275 Total price $649

• But, with the Anywhere Anytime France™ you would pay:
  $159 Paris – Avignon: included
  Avignon – Nice: $50
  Nice – Paris: $50 Total Price $259

That’s a savings of $390

End of quote...

City options are endless as the French Rail Network Map above (from Rail Europe site) proves...

Is the ferry from Marseille to Corsica included?

For full disclosure, you might have noticed the 'Rail Europe' ads running on this side but it had no influence on this piece.

I just like the idea of traveling, polluting less and saving some green in our Consumed to Thrifty times.

We will be on the lookout for more train deals around the globe in the coming weeks.

Bon voyage!

All aboard for Green Day # 79

Previously: This Summer, Make your Moving Experience a Green One