The Man in Seat 61

Yes, but it’s all government money now.

They want to go via Hamburg if they can, at least from May when the major Berlin-Hamburg trackwork ends. Hamburg arrive 06:30, Berlin 08:50 would work very well commercially.

Well I never.
Not RPI+1%, not RPI, not even CPI, just 0%...

Point taken. I was living an actual journey as I wrote it!

youtube.com/clip/Ugkxz5j...

Become a co-owner of #EuropeanSleeper and get a free ticket for our first night train from Paris to Berlin!

Buy 7 or more shares (min. €980) and receive an invitation for a free return ticket on the very first festive departure.

More info 👉️ www.europeansleeper.eu/invest

Absolutely positive.

Though the question (which I forgot to ask Chris E) is, will it go from Gare de Nord, or Paris Est where there's more room?

Indeed. Best get the train out of France asap!

bsky.app/profile/jonw...

About European Sleeper and their current Brussels/Amsterdam-Berlin/Prague sleeper: www.seat61.com/trains-and-r...

BREAKING: European Sleeper will start a Paris-Berlin sleeper train from 26 March 2026, after Nightjet pulls out in December.
It'll run via Brussels (with Eurostar connection from London) 3 times a week. This + existing train = Brussels-Berlin 6 times a week. www.europeansleeper.eu/paris

3/3: I'm dreading doing the 2026 update for UK-France, I fear more Ouigoisation has punched even more holes in journey options, including the London-Lille-Lyon service.
It really does dilute frequency, reducing connectivity.

2/3: 18:07 Hendaye-Paris also Ouigoisée so unsuitable for international guests with baggage & connections (Ouigo is not protected by AJC or CIV).
Last 'normal' TGV of the day now leaves 16:11, have had to revise northbound 'overnight in Paris' option to leave San Seb 2h earlier. 😥

1/3: Now SNCF is sabotaging its own service.
The 12:11 Paris-Hendaye has been Ouigoisée, no catering, no 1st class, baggage fees.
As a result, I've had to delete the 08:32 London-San Sebastian. Now just 1 London-San Sebastian daytime service.😢

YouTube video by Oli Frost Private jets don't pay fuel tax. Now I don't either.

Today’s fun tax tip…

(It’s a similarly daft situation that railways pay tax on fuel/energy but airlines don’t pay any tax on their aviation fuel, a huge hidden subsidy)

youtu.be/dr9MH0NuUtg?...

So in effect they’re thinning/diluting their service frequency too.
Suggestion: Just add a 3rd class car to every departure (you can charge them a baggage fee and deny them access to the cafe-bar 🙄)

Just updating my UK-Portugal page. The 09:30 Vigo-Madrid AVE has had its 1st class & all catering removed, to become an Avlo.
It’s almost as if @Renfe is deliberately sabotaging its own service. If you want a proper train it’s 06:00 (ouch!) or 13:27 (doesn’t run Saturdays). 🤷‍♂️

Exactly that, well said! It’s why I don’t promote Snalltaget more than I do. Poor provision for privacy, in an age when sharing with strangers is going out of fashion.

European Sleeper introduces Comfort Standard from December - a couchette compartment ‘converted’ to a sleeper by getting mattresses & fully-made up beds, and sold as single double or triple. A good idea!
www.europeansleeper.eu/travel-class...

Soon after the Lisbon-Kyiv sleeper…

Sleep to Scandinavia: New Swiss night train to Copenhagen and Malmö - Focus on Travel News SBB’s tri-weekly EuroNight from Basel to Copenhagen and Malmö launches 15 April 2026, with tickets on sale 4 Nov 2025 and CHF 47m support to 2030.

Still needs Swiss parliamentary budget approval : but a new all-year 3 times a week sleeper could link Basel with Copenhagen and Malmo. ftnnews.com/travel-news/...

Vagonweb now showing proposed Vienna/Budapest-Belgrade service, due to start in Spring 2026:
1) Budapest-Belgrade by SOKO train every 4 hours, in just 3h17.
2) Two direct Eurocity trains Vienna-Budapest-Belgrade, the Avala & Ivo Andric.
Bring it on...
See www.vagonweb.cz/razeni/razen...

“If either Ebbsfleet International or Ashford International station are reopened in Kent, then Virgin will stop there, and it is working with Kent County Council and other local stakeholders to explore how to make this happen.” Not quite a commitment but something.

If you’re wondering what an Alstom Avelia train is, Italo’s EVO trains are these, operating on Italian high speed lines, see the EVO section at www.seat61.com/trains-and-r...

ORR approves Virgin for new Channel Tunnel services The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has approved Virgin Trains’ application to access Temple Mills International depot in London, paving the way for a new era of competition on Channel Tunnel routes.

The decision is in! The Office of Rail & Road (ORR) has approved Virgin Trains’ application to access Temple Mills depot, paving the way for competition between London and Paris, Brussels & Amsterdam from 2030. www.railwaypro.com/wp/orr-appro...

My two-week Tring to Turkey rail holiday — that even won over my teens Mark Smith, the voice of rail travel website The Man in Seat 61, gathers his family and takes the scenic route to the Turquoise Coast via Prague, Budapest and more

My article in The Times today, telling the tale of our family summer holiday to Kusadasi by train (includes a quote from Eurostar’s train manager Blake!):
www.thetimes.com/travel/desti...

In reality, they’re actually less of a problem, if you think about it!

Thanks for that, all relevant pages now updated!

Hooray for the double-decker train! I’ve a soft spot for them As Eurostar announces the launch of a two-storey fleet for the future, Mark Smith, The Man in Seat 61, says it’s just a shame we had to wait so long

In The Times today, by yours truly: "Hooray for the double-decker train! I’ve a soft spot for them"
www.thetimes.com/travel/inspi...