Local residents will soon be able to buy cheap train tickets to travel across Europe.

RailEurope Shanghai Agency says it has begun to promote all its products to the Chinese individual consumers in order to exploit a new tourism market that will exist after the 13 EU member countries officially open to Chinese tourists on September 1.

Locals can buy train tickets for 10 to 15 percent cheaper than those sold in Europe, said Li Dazhi, director of the agency.

He said they can also enjoy a further 30 percent discount as long as they travel in a group.

The prices range from about US$100 to more than US$1,000, with the cheapest ticket good for a tour of a single country and the most expensive covering 17 different countries.

"Once you've bought a ticket, you can travel to as many places as you wish within a certain time period," Li said.

He also said the customers will be offered various free or discounted services, such as free cruises, and discounts on hotels and car rental.

"The local market for train travel in Europe is huge," said Wang Yan, general manager of Shanghai Airlines Tours.

He says the fact train travel is cheaper than flying should make it very popular with locals.

Li with RailEurope said expatriates with temporary residence cards will also be allowed to buy the discounted tickets.

(Shanghai Daily July 21, 2004)