Deals of the Week: Eurostar summer specials, Queen Mary 2, new air links

Book by next Sunday, 25 August, for the current crop of summer specials on Eurostar - the day-trip fare of £50 to Paris or Brussels, which applies only to two people travelling together, must be bought at least three days in advance. It is available for travel until 7 September. The short-break fare of £59 to either capital can be used any time before the end of September, but you must book two weeks in advance and stay away two nights (or a single Saturday night). These cheap deals are not available over the August bank holiday. Travelling further afield, Eurostar has a link with the Thalys high-speed train to offer a rapid journey to Rotterdam, The Hague or Amsterdam for £85 return; this must be booked through Rail Europe (08705 848 848, www.raileurope.co.uk, but has no date restrictions.

A TRAIN

Book by next Sunday, 25 August, for the current crop of summer specials on Eurostar (08705 186 186, w ww.eurostar.com). The day-trip fare of £50 to Paris or Brussels, which applies only to two people travelling together, must be bought at least three days in advance. It is available for travel until 7 September. The short-break fare of £59 to either capital can be used any time before the end of September, but you must book two weeks in advance and stay away two nights (or a single Saturday night). These cheap deals are not available over the August bank holiday. Travelling further afield, Eurostar has a link with the Thalys high-speed train to offer a rapid journey to Rotterdam, The Hague or Amsterdam for £85 return; this must be booked through Rail Europe (08705 848 848, www.raileurope.co.uk, but has no date restrictions.

A BOAT

Twenty months from now, a momentous transatlantic voyage will take place: Queen Mary 2, the latest addition to the Cunard fleet, will make her maiden voyage from New York to Southampton in convoy with the elderly QE2 – making a final journey across the North Atlantic. Immediately prior to the voyage, the two ships will be berthed together in Manhattan – the first time two Cunard "Queens" have been in the city simultaneously since March 1940.

QM2, as the new vessel is already known, is billed as the largest and most expensive passenger ship in the world. She is due to be launched on 12 January 2004. The two ships will set sail from New York on 25 April 2004, arriving at Hampshire port on May Day.

Booked through Cunard (0800 052 3840, www.cunard.co.uk), taking advantage of current 20 per cent "Sailaway" discount, you can make the eastbound sailing on QM2. The rival line, P&O Cruises, is offering a fun way of reaching San Francisco aboard its flagship Aurora, this coming New Year. On 6 January, she will sail from Southampton via Madeira, the Caribbean, the Panama Canal and Acapulco and finally under the Golden Gate Bridge, arriving on 27 January. The three-week journey, including a flight home, costs £1,911 if you book by the end of August through 0845 3 555 333 or www.pocruises.com.

A PLANE

Two new air links begin on Monday 9 September. VLM (020-7476 6677, www.vlm-airlines.com) resurrects the old KLM link between London City and Manchester, with fares starting at £73.20 return. This could be a good way to circumvent the weekend closure of Virgin Trains' line between the two cities, but bear in mind that London City is closed from noon on Saturday to noon on Sunday.

On the same day, Aer Arann (0800 587 2324, www.aerarann.ie) is to begin flights between Luton and Galway, connecting the West of Ireland city to London for the first time. The journey is slow, being in a propellor plane, but seats are available for £105 return.