The Man in Seat 61

Mark Smith, the Man in Seat 61, founder of train travel website www.seat61.com.

Website: https://www.seat61.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/markgideonsmith/videos
Twitter: https://twitter.com/seatsixtyone
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seatsixtyone

Last Notes

2024-11-07 08:34:49 GMT

Indian Railways has just reduced its booking horizon (Advance Reservation Period) from 120 to 60 days.
The exact opposite of what most European operators are trying to do!
Yet it's described as a 'major relief' to passengers. Why's that? https://t.co/cIcBQ6X3s7
https://media.mas.to/media_attachments/files/113/440/750/349/474/876/original/4ff1649b9e03d57d.png

2024-10-08 15:13:49 GMT

Belfast's new Grand Central Station will open for trains (including the Enterprise Expresses to/from Dublin) as from this Sunday, 13 October. https://www.translink.co.uk/corporate/media/pressreleases/bgcsupdates
https://media.mas.to/media_attachments/files/113/272/450/359/811/186/original/3e1ac73e549b0152.png

2024-10-06 10:01:12 GMT

OK, so I have 'prepped' the Seat61 Budapest<>Belgrade page for the launch of direct 200km/h Subotica-Belgrade SOKO trains on 24 November, https://seat61.com/trains-and-routes/budapest-to-belgrade-by-train.htm
Anyone happen to know the planned timetable?
https://media.mas.to/media_attachments/files/113/259/896/558/658/001/original/accb4f0825549c80.png

2024-09-24 17:08:36 GMT

It’s official: New direct Paris-Berlin ICE train from 16 December. Departs Paris 09:55, departs Berlin 11:54, journey time 8h fares from €59.99 https://www.deutschebahn.com/de/presse/pressestart_zentrales_uebersicht/Erstmals-mit-dem-ICE-von-Berlin-nach-Paris-neue-Direktverbindung-vorgestellt-13084996

2024-09-19 09:55:27 GMT

A £49-per-month 'climate ticket' is suggested for Britain in a research paper out today.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/sep/19/campaigners-call-for-unlimited-climate-card-uk-rail-pass - read the report itself at https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/resources/fare-britannia-climate-ticket-report/

2024-08-26 09:17:03 GMT

Good news for Interrail & Eurail passholders:
Seat reservations Berlin <> Warsaw/ Wroclaw/ Krakow/ Gdansk can now be made online with German Railways & printed out or shown on your phone. I've updated the Seat 61 Interrail reservations guide, https://www.seat61.com/interrail-and-eurail-reservations.htm
https://media.mas.to/media_attachments/files/113/027/568/131/699/929/original/4668bf563b3d79ba.png

2024-08-21 09:22:45 GMT

We now have a universal workaround for LNER fares.
For travel London <> all stations Newcastle-Edinburgh inclusive, DO NOT book to/from London:
1. Book to/from Finsbury Park
2. In the search results, click 'Filters' then 'Route options'. Under 'Go via ' enter Kings Cross.

2023-10-26 13:16:30 GMT

Good news: Better 'missed connection' protection on European trains as Eurostar and five more operators join the AJC (Agreement on Journey Continuation) https://www.railtech.com/all/2023/10/25/eurostar-and-five-more-operators-join-the-agreement-on-journey-continuation-what-does-it-entail/