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The Man in Seat 61

@seatsixtyone.bsky.social
25K followers 145 following 1.3K posts

Mark Smith, the Man in Seat 61, the chap who runs that train travel site seat61.com. YouTube: youtube.com/c/seat61.

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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 23h
Oh dear. Time to stick with €2 for any choice of seat at Trenitalia?
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
No wonder the infamous Renfe.com needs the upgrade! “The current system is based on almost 400 interconnected applications, many of them programmed in obsolete languages and having been in service for between 20 and 30 years”
renfe.com
Renfe | Train tickets AVE, Avlo Low Cost (with No Booking Fees)
Buy cheap train tickets AVE, Avlo high speed Low Cost ✓ Timetables, Fares and Discounts ✅ No Booking Fees! ▷ ( Renfe.com )
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
These new trains are about to enter service from Zagreb to Split. Are those first class seats as comfortable as they look? Well worth the €30 1st class fare!
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
INTERRAIL PASS SALE! From Thursday 24 September until Wednesday 30 September 2026, save 50% on long-validity Interrail Global Passes (one month continuous or longer) and 15% on shorter-duration Global Passes, and One Country Passes (all validities). www.interrail.com/en/interrail...
interrail.com
Interrail Global Pass for Europe
The Interrail Global Pass is the fun and cheap way to see more of Europe. Travel to up to 33 countries with one train Pass!
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Kawaii..! Is it just me that desperately wants to draw two little eyes on it? It's just me, right..?
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
BREAKING: Nox Mobility will lauch a new Hamburg-Munich night train March 2027. Initially 3 per week, later daily, initially with these flatbeds, from 2029 with enclosed private rooms for 1 or 2 people. Book at noxmobility.com/en, I'm seeing a typical price of €65 one-way.
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Something's happening today in the world of night trains...
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
My report on @EuropeanSlpr’s inaugural Brussels-Milan sleeper train is now ‘live’ in the Daily Telegraph online travel section: www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/916c882...
telegraph.co.uk
Europe’s newest sleeper train offers vintage vibes and spectacular scenery
It’s an environmentally sustainable alternative to budget flights, but European Sleeper’s latest route has teething problems to overcome
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
The new Brussels-Milan European Sleeper is up and running - I've updated Seat 61 with more photos, scenery shots and tips. London to Italy with one easy same-station change in Brussels: www.seat61.com/trains-and-r...
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Heading back on the European Sleeper from Milan to Brussels, this time in a single sleeper - Comfort Plus in European Sleeper parlance. 2h05 late start, let’s see how we get on…
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Finally, some 2h50 late, the inaugural European Sleeper from Brussels to Milan is on its way!
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Oh dear. 19:06 sleeper to Milan shown on boards as 19:06 +1h30. So have an Emergency Plan👇🏻. But can’t see a true online real-time departure board here so will have to go and wait on the platform to avoid it sneaking off less than 1h30 late…
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
I guess it’s time for an adventure - Interrail pass activated! It covered my train from Tring into London and it’ll cover my Eurostar to Brussels with a €35 passholder fare (€40 in 1st class). It’ll then cover my European Sleeper Brussels to Milan with a berth reservation fee.
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Today’s quiz question: What is a luggage rack for? (Apparently not for luggage)
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
BREAKING: Today, Eurail (established 1959) & Interrail (established 1972) merge into a single European railpass range for EVERYONE regardless of nationality or country of residence, called INTERRAIL. Read why I think this is excellent news here: www.seat61.com/news.htm
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Hat tip to Francis Bourgeois for the Grand Tour. The illustrious trio hard to replace, but the new guys are killing it. Also, episode 5 - good choice of seat…
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Some key stats here: "Spain’s high-speed rail sees passenger numbers double as fares fall by 40%... Liberalisation has not simply redistributed passengers between competing railway companies. Rail has attracted travellers who might previously have chosen to fly." www.railwaypro.com/wp/?p=141129
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
At Amsterdam Centraal, a 'pop-up' temporary restaurant will open where the Cafe 1e Klas used to be, following some restoration work, from 4 September to 25 October, see www.demaaltuin.nl/editie/amste... and www.treinreiziger.nl/tijdelijk-re...
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Belgrade-Bar FINALLY becomes bookable online. Suddenly demand has leapt and the summer-only daytime train is being extended until the end of September. Could these events be connected..? 🙄
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
🤞
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
BREAKING: @EuropeanSlpr announce another new route, Brussels & Amsterdam to Copenhagen & Malmo. 3 times a week starting from April 2028. mailchi.mp/69c6493c188f...
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Of course, if next years switch from Amsterdam-Berlin to running Amsterdam-Hamburg Hbf proves the business case for a permanent direct Amsterdam-Hamburg service (and I suspect it will), that's great... 1/2
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
The best example of dressing up bad news as good I have yet seen! New ICEs from Amsterdam to Hamburg Hbf? Nope. Just massive trackwork disruption to existing Amsterdam-Berlin ICEs which are diverted via Harburg with journey times extended to 7 hours. nieuws.ns.nl/nieuwe-ice-v...
nieuws.ns.nl
Nieuwe ICE-verbinding naar Hamburg en Bremen
Vanaf vrijdag 2 oktober rijdt NS International met de nieuwste ICE-treinen rechtstreeks naar Hamburg. Daarmee komt deze populaire Noord-Duitse stad duurzaam en comfortabel binnen handbereik. Reizigers...
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
ORR approves track access for Virgin Trains for up to 20 return services between London and Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam from 1 October 2030. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Virgin takes another step towards Channel Tunnel rail services
Firm wants to run up to 20 daily journeys to Europe but it must get additional approval for overseas tracks.
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
Longest? What a can o’ worms THAT concept is! Start with this: jonworth.eu/the-longest-...
jonworth.eu
The longest train journey in the EU
Anyone who has been following my work for a while knows I have long had a rather abstract discussion about the definition of the World's Longest Train Journey. I started calculating this back in 2021,...
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Good suggestion - newly-opened restaurant added to the Seat 61 Prague station guide, www.seat61.com/stations/pra...
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Meanwhile, from my back garden… Are we all outside tonight?
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
From today, Sweden-Finland train service is restored - they last ran in 1988! 🥳
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
One of the most scenic routes in Europe. I’ll even stick my neck out and say, even more spectacular than the Bernina!
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Reposted by The Man in Seat 61
Simon Maarfield @simonmaarfield.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Update: ICE trains 9590/9590 🇩🇪 Berlin <> Paris 🇨🇵 cancelled between Berlin and Frankfurt until a fix for Alstom's unreliable new ETCS equipment can be found. No concrete timeframe for this, so for now DB has removed the trains until December timetable change @seatsixtyone.bsky.social #CrossBorderRail
Screenshot of DB news item about withdrawal of direct ICE train services between Berlin and Paris
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Yet more all-new Eurostar destinations! 🥳
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
In retrospect , I sound wildly optimistic.
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
An interview with Chris Engelsman, one of the founders of @EuropeanSlpr: Some key background to ES's aims and future here... back-on-track.eu/in-conversat...
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Reposted by The Man in Seat 61
Tim Richards @timrichards.aus.social.ap.brid.gy · 27/07/2026
In April I tried out the new Scenic Plus class aboard the Northern Explorer train in New Zealand, travelling from Wellington to Auckland and eating great food along the way. I've written about the experience for Explore - you an see the article by flipping to page 6 at the following link […]
aus.social
Original post on aus.social
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
London-Amsterdam Eurostars will also stop at Antwerp Centraal from the December timetable change (in the outward direction only, of course)
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
The psychology behind choosing train over plane (the science behind why so many people prefer rail travel!) 👇🏻 timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/t...
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Psychology reveals why some people happily choose a 10-hour train journey over a two-hour flight
For many travellers, the fastest route is not always the most appealing one. A flight can cut hours from a journey, yet some people still choose a train seat, a window view and the steady movement of ...
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
Trieste tram back in action (again!) from tomorrow.
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
NEWS: The Belgrade-Podgorica/Bar trains can now (finally!) be booked online with Montenegro Railways at www.tickets-zpcg.me
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Oh dear, the national railcard thing again! This gives existing regular users a discount - basically an £82 handout to each existing user - without lowering fares shown to non-users - so generates relatively little extra revenue or travel. So lower fares if you like, but please, not with a railcard!
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Dogs weighing up to 40kg to be allowed on all Renfe trains, as from World Dog Day July 21 (What’s that? They have to have the *window* seat???) www.catalannews.com/life-style/i...
catalannews.com
Dogs weighing up to 40kg to be allowed on all Renfe trains
Spanish rail operator announces measure will apply from World Dog Day July 21
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
At first I thought this was AI. But it’s real. I’m honoured! 🥰
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
New from this week: Interrail and Eurail passes are now valid on Ouigo trains, both high-speed, classique and international Brussels-Paris, www.seat61.com/trains-and-r...
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Thanks to a reply to one of my posts, I’ve discovered a story about Vichy France’s Marshall Pétain and the Hotel Terminus Nord - and couldn’t resist adding it to www.seat61.com/stations/par... Maybe Mrs 61 and I were in his and Eugenie’s room..?
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
This weekend I have been mostly lying in bed next to the Gare du Nord…
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Making a quick research sortie to Paris in a heatwave, as you do after superb pre-Eurostar seafood linguine at Carluccios. To my surprise, all A B & C zone EES kiosks *still* out of use. No fingerprinting OR stamping in operation. Check-in remarkably fast, no queues to speak of 👍
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Today I am returning from the Netherlands to London via Hoek van Holland-Harwich, in a Stena Line Captain’s Suite. Ryanair? Never heard of them…
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
The new Haparanda (Sweden) to Oulu (Finland) train service opens for booking today- starts 10 Aug, two per day.
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Update at 33°C: Englishmen giving up following service reductions, air-con failures & advice not to travel. Mad dogs still up for it.
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
West Coast Railways' 'Jacobite' leading the War on Singletons here. But I'm pleased to hear that they're allowed in second class.
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
Someone's just pointed out that brfares' new BUY button also makes buying tickets from your local station to London International (CIV) easier, for use in connection with Eurostar: I've just updated the advice and instructions at www.seat61.com/european-tra...
seat61.com
European train travel from the UK regions | Buying tickets to connect with Eurostar
Advice on buying UK train tickets to London to connect with Eurostar, or how to use ferry links to reach mainland Europe by-passing London...
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