Dec 15, 2006

Man in Seat 61 Gives Great Tips

This week's feature website is a personal favorite and one of the most useful websites in travel. I've mentioned him before: the Man in Seat 61. If you want to know anything and everything about traveling by train, his website is the first place to check. Timetables, prices, tips on which train ticket deals are best, how to book, photos, and even where to sit (he, of course, recommends Seat 61): I've always found everything I'm looking for on this site. While a lot of the advice about Eastern Europe focuses on people who want to travel from the UK, you can still find plenty of info on traveling around within our region.

Naturally, the biggest train journey in Eastern Europe and Russia, the Trans-Siberian, is also covered by Seat 61, on the dedicated Trans-Sib page.

The unbelievable thing is that the man behind the Man in Seat 61, Mark Smith, does it all for love. Well, that is, he's not paid for it, and he gives these reasons for the existence of his site:

"To HELP people who already know they want to travel by train or ship, but who can't find out about it through normal commercial websites or travel agencies ... Second, to INSPIRE people to do something more useful with their lives and their travel opportunities than going to an airport, getting on a plane, and missing all the world has to offer. There's more to travel than the destination - It used to be called a j o u r n e y ..!"

Check him out for any train journey you want to plan in Eastern Europe.