We Need to Find More Ways to Spend Our Money

Tired of rising gas prices? I'd like to see a story where someone is gushing over paying nearly $4 at the pump. I want to see Mom's on CNN talking about how they can't find enough ways to spend their money. I want to see Careerists talking about how they need to cut back their schedule so they can go out and spend their hoard of money on expensive clothes and food. I want to see them buy a lobster and steak dinner with a lobster martini and then throw it away when it's not buttered enough.

Sorry. I just love how every story across the news wires now starts with "Tired of rising gas prices? Are you suffering at the pump? The gas and mortgage and food inflation crisis got you down in the mouth?"

So if you're feeling it at the pump, this travel alert won't help too much. Unless you already live around Europe and Britain. Reading this does make me wonder if train travel in the US has a shot at coming back. Not that it was ever thriving. But we use to take the train from NYC to Philly all the time before the prices rose to nearly $40 each way, per person. Then we tried the Chinatown to Chinatown bus. Then we decided we weren't sadists, so we just stuck to driving the old-fashioned, expensive, jaw-droppingly expensive way. Recessions are fun!

We're all escaping the pump... (cue scary horror movie music)

LONDON, ENGLAND-- Planning to spend time traveling around Europe and Britain? The Eurail Pass is the time-honored way for young people to traipse the length and breadth of Europe, but it is not valid in Great Britain. ACP Rail and BritRail are offering Youths (aged 16-25) who purchase any Eurail Pass, a 50% discount off the adult price of a standard class BritRail Consecutive Pass, BritRail FlexiPass, BritRail England Consecutive Pass or BritRail England FlexiPass.

The discount offer is valid throughout 2008. Once you have purchased your Eurail pass from an authorized agent, log onto www.BritRail.com and choose the "Eurail Pass" tab under "select BritRail Passes." The Eurail and BritRail Passes must both be in your possession at the time you travel in Britain and they must both be valid for travel, but you need not use a day of travel on your Eurail Pass to complete your journey in Britain.

BritRail Passes are available for as few as 4 days of travel through to a month, so the time you spend touring Britain is entirely up to you. 19,000 daily train departures to more than 2500 destinations make the BritRail Pass your passport to Britain's heritage cities, historic towns and quaint villages.

In addition to being comfortable and efficient, train travel is 'green': Trains emit 50% less Green House gases per passenger kilometer than cars; 25% of the gases compared to a plane traveling the same distance. The energy replaced by Regenerative Braking is enough to provide power to 11,825 homes for a year or to brew 2.6 billion cups of tea.

So traveling by train is definitely the best way to see Europe and Britain. It's quick, comfortable and environmentally friendly. With the Eurail Pass holder 50% discount for Youths, the 'all-access' standard class 4 Day BritRail Consecutive Pass costs EUR 92 / $145AU / Y15000 / $130US; the FlexiPass version is EUR 116 / $184AU / Y19000 / $165US. The discounted cost for a 4 Day BritRail England Consecutive Pass is just EUR 74 / $116AU / Y12000 / $105US; the FlexiPass version is EUR 93 / $147AU / Y15200 / $133US. This offer is not valid for residents of Britain or Europe. For more information or to purchase, please visit www.BritRail.com.