To France, with conscience intact

For the growing number of environmentally-conscious travellers, the weekend European city break really is the ultimate sin.

While the prices of flights to short-haul destinations including Paris and Brussels are, more often than not, temptingly low, the cost to the environment in terms of CO2 emissions is extremely high, causing increasing numbers to question the ethics of such a trip.

However, those keen to enjoy a romantic weekend in the City of Light whilst keeping their conscience clean, will surely welcome the recent announcement by the Channel Tunnel operator Eurostar that it aims to reduce the carbon emissions of its services by a further 25 per cent by 2012, making the train by far the greenest method of reaching the continent.

In addition, the operator will further reduce its environmental impact by switching to biodegradable and sustainable materials and introducing e-tickets to save on paper.

"We don't have all the answers but we do know that a high-speed rail journey is 10 times greener than flying and that Eurostar can be greener still," said Eurostar's chief executive, Richard Brown.

"People want to minimise their carbon footprint on the environment and our aim is to help passengers tread lightly when they travel," he added.

For many, this latest initiative will simply come as yet another reason why traveling to Europe by train is a far more attractive option than flying.

While flying may seem like the quicker option, when airport security and check-in procedures have been taken into account, the train comes out on top, with passengers able to effectively roll up at the station a few minutes before departure and arrive in the heart of Paris or Lille or Brussels - yes, the heart, not some suburban airport - a little over two hours later.

With passenger guilt somewhat lightened by their decision to travel the greenest possible way, indulging in the varied temptations of the cities served directly by Eurostar services is made that little bit more tempting.

Spoiling your partner in Paris, long held as being the most romantic city on earth, is all too easy, though it would be easy to spend a small fortune doing so.

Great restaurants serving the finest food and wine are plentiful in the city, while shoppers will be spoilt for choice by the numerous designer boutiques surrounding the Champs Elysees and Opera before retiring to one of the city's famous luxury hotels.

Less famous, though just as decadent, are the Belgian cities of Bruges and Brussels, both within just over two hours of central London by train.

For chocoholics and beer lovers, both cities are the perfect destination for a weekend break.

Culminating in the April Chocolate Festival, Bruges has a luxury chocolatier on virtually every street corner within its picturesque city centre, many offering free samples.

As with the capital city of Brussels, the selection of beers on offer within the many pubs and bars is truly boggling, and the country's accessibility from the UK is good news for those wishing to sample all of them, as one weekend is simply not long enough.

Of course, Eurostar also offers direct trains to Amsterdam, though even walking there and back may not be enough to offset the guilt this city can instill in its visitors.