YOU wouldn’t think that an English train could ever go as fast as a Japanese bullet train, but thanks to a new section of track opened a little more than a week ago, the Eurostar can speed much of the way to the Chunnel at 186 miles per hour – same as in Japan. Travelers can now escape either London or Paris in a piddling two hours and 35 minutes, while the London-Brussels run goes down to two hours and 20 minutes.
Less time is great, but for less money is even better – round-trip fares have been reduced, to as little as $90 to Paris or Brussels ([800] 387-6782; raileurope.com).