 On board Eurostar, in seat 61. |
Who is the Man in Seat 61?
I'm Mark Smith, and I live in an English village in deepest Buckinghamshire, with Dutch wife Nicolette, our son & daughter, cats Phoenix & Rosie & Pip the crazy cockapoo.
Many years ago I ran away from Oxford to join the circus - or as we called it in those days, British Rail. Starting out in rural Kent on what was then BR's Southern Region, I was the Station Manager for London's Charing Cross, London Bridge & Cannon Street stations in the early to mid 1990s. After a spell as the Customer Relations Manager for two large UK train companies, I worked for the Office of the Rail Regulator and later the Strategic Rail Authority, ending up at the Department for Transport in charge of the team regulating fares & ticketing on the British rail network. Since 2007 I have run seat 61 full-time, as (a) updating it has become a full-time job and (b) it's more fun than real work.
I've travelled the world on trains & ships and I've been on the other side of the counter too - in university vacations I worked for Transalpino in London, a European rail ticketing agency issuing tickets and advising travel agents on train travel across Europe. Now I can share that knowledge online. See awards & press room.
 Seat 61 on a first-generation Eurostar... |
Why 'Seat 61'?
Zaharoff, the notorious arms dealer, would always book compartment 7 on the Orient Express to or from Istanbul. On Eurostar, I would always request seat 61 (in first class cars 7, 8, 11 or 12 in a classic Eurostar or in cars 3 or 14 in the new e320) as it lines up with the window, one of a cosy pair of seats facing each other across a table complete with table lamp, like an old Pullman car. It became a tradition, and I've left London in seat 61 en route to destinations such as Spain, Italy, Greece, Malta, Albania, Tunisia (via Lille & Marseille), Marrakech (via Paris, Madrid & Algeciras), Istanbul (via Vienna, Budapest & Transylvania), Ukraine & the Crimea, Aleppo, Damascus, Petra & Aqaba, and even Moscow, Vladivostok, Tokyo & Nagasaki via the Trans-Siberian Railway.
What does the site aim to do?
Many people want to cut their carbon footprint or are simply fed up with the stress of flying - and a significant number of people are afraid of flying or medically restricted from doing so. However, information on alternatives to flying is often difficult to find through a travel industry obsessed with flights.
So this site aims to inspire people to do something more rewarding with their travel opportunities than schlepping to an airport, getting on a soulless airliner and missing all the world has to offer. It then sets out to enable people to take train or ferry by giving the confidence and know-how to book their trip themselves, or call the right people to book it for them at affordable prices.
Why did I set up the site?
 On board the Rangoon-Mandalay overnight express |
Travelling by train from London to mainland Europe is a much more practical option than most people imagine. But finding out about it has become frustratingly difficult. I thought I could post basic 'how to' information online for train journeys from the UK to Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Greece, Russia and every other country in Europe. And how about reaching Morocco, Tunisia, Ibiza, Corsica, Crete or Malta by combining train & ferry?
One day in 2001 I found myself in WH Smiths at London's Marylebone station looking for something to read on my train home from work. I spotted a 'teach yourself HTML' book for £2.95. I had bought a PC and had some free webspace. I read the book, tried a test webpage, it worked, and here I am. There's a lot of work involved in keeping the site even remotely up to date, but people seem to find the site useful, and this keeps me going. If you've any feedback or suggestions to make about the site, please e-mail me or use the guestbook. I'd be glad to hear from you!
 Giving a presentation to the Cambridge University Railway Club. |
Is the site a hobby or a business?
Seat61.com is a personal website, started as a hobby. It's grown and grown, and became my full time occupation in September 2007. However, I'm not a company or a travel agency, just an individual with knowledge that others might find useful. All the information on the site is provided free of charge to users, to help people make journeys by train or ship instead of flying, affordably, comfortably and safely. The site generates income through affiliate schemes, and this supports the site, helps fund my travel habit (...er, I mean research, of course) and buys me the occasional bottle of my favourite Chateau Musar...
£30,000 raised for the UNICEF Syria appeal, but more needed...
If this site helps you, do please donate to the UNICEF Syrian children's appeal through my JustGiving page, www.justgiving.com/fundraising/seatsixtyone. That page explains why I'm supporting this particular cause. I was delighted in 2015 when I reached my first target of raising £10,000 - I never really thought it would be possible when I set myself that figure. The total now exceeds £30k...
The Man in Seat 61 books
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Cartoon by Mick Brownfield from an article about me in the Sunday Times. I love it - better than the original me, I think! See Zazzle stores in the USA, Canada, Australia & NZ. There's a Zazzle UK, but beware postage costs. I plan to give earnings to charities Oxfam & Shelter. |
I've written two books based on the site, published by Bantam Press. The first was an essential handbook for train travel from the UK into Europe that sold over 10,000 copies, first published in June 2008, updated in April 2010. A second book about train travel worldwide was published in February 2011. However, these books are now long in the tooth, you'll find more up to date info on the website.
Knowledge & Information Management Awards 2021
Seat61 won the award for Best Electronic Information Resource in the Knowledge & Information Management Awards 2021. The K&IM Group is part of CILIP, the Chartered Institute of Librarians & Information Professionals.
Telegraph Travel Awards 2012
I'm still a little stunned that Seat61 won the Favourite Travel Website category in the Telegraph Travel Awards 2012 - voted by 17,000 readers, beating off stiff competition from mega-sites such as Tripadvisor.com. The awards were hosted by Clive Anderson at the ME Hotel in London on 13 November 2012.
Guardian & Observer Travel Awards 2008
I'm delighted that Seat61.com won the Best Travel website category in the prestigious Guardian & Observer Travel Awards, held in Fes, Morocco in October 2008. Naturally, I travelled there by train and ferry, which helped me update that part of the site. Mariella Frostrup presented the awards.
 Interviewed about European train security by Charlie Stayt & Steph McGovern on BBC Breakfast, BBC1, 29 August 2015. |
Wanderlust Travel Awards 2010, 2009, 2008 & 2007
Seat61.com was voted Top Travel Website by readers of Wanderlust Magazine in the Wanderlust Travel Awards 2007, and again in the Wanderlust Travel Awards 2008, held at The Times Destinations Show at Earl's Court. It made the top three once more in 2009 & 2010 out of over 600 websites, receiving the Bronze Award in 2009 and the Silver Award in 2010. I'm truly delighted that the site has been recognised in this way, and am very grateful indeed for everyone who voted for the site.
Responsible Tourism Awards 2010, 2009 & 2006
I'm delighted that seat61.com won the Best Low Carbon Transport & Technology Initiative category at the Virgin Holidays Responsible Travel Awards 2010. The awards were presented on 10 November 2010 at the World Travel Market at the Excel exhibition centre in London's docklands. Seat61.com previously won the 'Best Personal Contribution' category in the First Choice Responsible Tourism Awards 2006. Seat 61 was in the top 3 finalists and was 'highly commended' in the 'Best Low Carbon Transport & Technology' category in the 2009 Responsible Travel Awards.
The Oldie Travel Awards 2008
Seat61.com was judged Best Travel Website in October 2008 in the Oldie travel awards, sponsored by Voyages Jules Verne.
BBC TV Top Gear, July 2011
What, the car show? Yes, I know, the most unlikely show for my national TV debut. But Hammond and May were building a train out of caravans and needed some 'train experts' as guinea pigs. An Audi S8 pulling four caravans on rail trolley wheels, it was the noisiest and most vibration-ridden 'train' I had ever ridden. What you can't see from watching the show is how swelteringly hot that second class caravan was on that bright sunny day on the Great Central Railway at Rothley. Still, lucky I didn't end up in Scum Class. That was one crazy day... The episode is now on YouTube (in 3 parts), starting at www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkpCzp0CmjY. I was able to help Top Gear again more recently, supplying a few shots from my Paris-Milan TGV video to the BBC for the 'race' between Eurostar & TGV and Jeremy Clarkson in a Mustang from Wembley to Milan broadcast in February 2013. In this case, the train won!
Press room: Articles, interviews...
The Man in Seat Sixty-One has been fortunate enough to feature in newspapers, magazines and even on TV & radio both in the UK and overseas. In 2013 it was even mentioned in Parliament! I've been asked to write about train travel for The Telegraph, the Sunday Times, The Observer, The Guardian, The Independent and Wanderlust Magazine, amongst others. I've also been asked to give presentations to various organisations and societies over the years.
Top travel tip...
"Never travel without a good book and a corkscrew..."
A few favourites...
| Favourite cities: | Cairo, Istanbul, Havana, Tangier, Bombay. | ||
| Favourite hotels: |
Windamere Hotel, Darjeeling - Afternoon tea to the sound of a piano, dinner by candlelight served by white-gloved, turbanned waiters. At around £65 per night including food, it's not the cheapest hotel in India, but it's worth every penny. See the Train travel in India page. Baron's Hotel, Aleppo, Syria - Where else can you pay just US$45 to sleep where Roosevelt, Agatha Christie and T.E. Lawrence slept? Lawrence's bill (unpaid...) is still on the premises, in a glass case in the lounge. See the London to Syria page. Sadly, allegedly now being used as a barracks for Assad's troops. Pera Palas, Istanbul - The grand hotel built by the Wagons-Lits company for their Orient Express Passengers, and still a very grand hotel. Around £75 a night for a single. Raffles Hotel, Singapore - THE place to stay in Singapore! Strand Hotel, Rangoon - Raffles' little brother, but with even better service and unlike Raffles all 32 suites are in the original 1901 main building. Royal York, Toronto - A grand hotel, Canadian-style, and so handy for train departures from Union Station across the road... Savoy, London - Pure class, where Nic & I spent our wedding night. Possibly the best hotel breakfast ever. Hotel Queen Mary, Longbeach, California - A classic British 1930s liner, and you can actually stay aboard her... |
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| Favourite journeys: | London-Fort
William on the Caledonian Sleeper, the train they call The Deerstalker... For
as little as £69 one-way including berth in a 2-berth sleeper, you can travel
550 miles North of London straight into the magnificent West Highlands. In
spite of having travelled all over the world, it's still one of my favourite
journeys. And even Siberia is hard pressed to match the bleakness on Rannoch
Moor on a cold February morning, seen from a warm sleeping-car room. The
sleeper runs daily except Saturday nights, year-round.
See the Deerstalker page for details,
photos & video. Auckland-Wellington on the Northern Explorer (formerly Overlander): New Zealand's epic train ride, see the Northern Explorer page. Chicago-Oakland (San Francisco) on the California Zephyr - See the California Zephyr page, or visit www.amtrak.com. New Jalpaiguri-Darjeeling on the Darjeeling-Himalaya Railway - Narrow gauge, and still partially steam-worked. 56 miles in 7-8 hours, but still more comfortable than the bus (which takes 4 hours). New Jalpaiguri is the railhead where the overnight 'Darjeeling Mail' to and from Calcutta arrives and departs. You can book Indian Railways (and Indian Rail passes) through an excellent agency in Wembley - SD Enterprises. Visit www.IndiaRail.co.uk for details. Mandalay-Gokteik & Nyaungshwe-Thazi in Burma - Old colonial railways through the hills, see the train travel in Burma page. |