Rail Online fulfils agents’ ‘wish list’, adding Eurostar, TGV & Thalys
Rail Online has added Eurostar and European high-speed rail services TGV and Thalys to its platform.
As part of a wide-ranging agreement with France’s national state-owned railway company SNCF, Rail Online now offers live inventory – priced in Australian dollars – for all point-to-point services on:
- Eurostar – one of the most popular European rail services for Australian travellers, with high speed trains operating from London to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam (via Lille and the Channel Tunnel).
- TGV – one of world’s premier high-speed rail operators with a network that covers all of France, along with trans-European services to Switzerland (TGV Lyria), Germany (TGV inOui) and Spain (TGV inOui).
- Thalys – a French-Belgian joint venture offering high-speed services from Paris to Brussels, Amsterdam and German cities in the Rhein-Ruhr such as Cologne, Düsseldorf and Dortmund.
Rail Online general manager Australia and New Zealand Kirsty Blows said that by adding the new services Rail Online has fulfilled Australia travel agents’ “wish list”.
“Since our launch earlier this year, travel agents have repeatedly identified Eurostar and French high-speed services as the missing link in our global inventory,” Blows said.
“When combined with our European rail passes, UK point-to-point tickets and comprehensive North American inventory, we now offer unrivalled choice. And with all prices displayed in Australian dollars and agents free to self-manage itinerary changes or refunds, we also offer unprecedented flexibility and convenience.”
Blows said the addition of Eurostar is perfectly timed, with Australian traffic to Europe set to increase significantly in 2023 as air capacity is restored.
“Eurostar is a key element of many Australians trip to Europe, and we are seeing enormous demand for the service, not just London-Paris but also the London-Rotterdam-Amsterdam route, which now operates four times a day,” Blows said.
Blows claimed that Australian travellers’ and European governments’ focus on sustainable travel is also driving growth of high-speed rail networks across the Continent.
“The environmental benefits of rail travel are clear, with a single Eurostar journey emitting up to 93 per cent less CO2 than a plane trip,” Blows said.
“That’s why in April this year – as part of its efforts to reduce carbon emissions by 40 per cent by 2030 – France banned domestic flights on routes that could be travelled via train in under two and a half hours. Other European countries are likely to follow suit.”
Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au
eurostar Kirsty Blows Rail Online sncf tgv thalysLatest News
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