Mark Smith, known as the Man in Seat61, is one of the most respected experts in rail travel. This hand-picked collection of rail holidays brings together his recommendations that stand out for their scenic trains, well-planned itineraries, or the ease of travelling by train versus flying. Each itinerary can be booked as it is or tailored with additional stops, alternative routes and extra nights to suit you.
Recommended Itineraries
Seat 61 Recommends
4 Days
- Brig
- Chur
Take a whistle-stop tour of Switzerland and experience two of its most famous rail journeys - the Glacier Express and the Bernina Express. Recommended by Seat61 for its incredible scenic journeys.
From £1,099
- Toulouse
- Barcelona
- Avignon
Take the train to vibrant Catalan capital Barcelona via Toulouse and Pyrenees. With 4 nights in Barcelona, there's time for a day trip to the Roman city of Tarragona too before you return to the UK with a stop in Avignon to break your journey home. A Seat61 recommended holiday.
From £1,049
7 Days
- Cologne
- Innsbruck
- Venice
- Basel
Make your journey to Venice part of the holiday, with a scenic train ride through the fantastic scenery of the Austrian Tyrol, via the Rhine Gorge and the Brenner Pass. Spend 3 nights in the unforgettable city of Venice before returning via historic Basel. Part of our Seat61 Recommended holidays collection.
From £999
11 Days
- Cologne
- Munich
- Budapest
- Bucharest
- Sofia
- Istanbul
Travel across the European continent via Cologne, Munich, Budapest, Bucharest and Sofia before taking in the sights, smells and sounds of Istanbul, the city where east meets west. Part of our Seat61 recommended holiday's collection.
From £1,199
9 Days
- Strasbourg
- Zurich
- Zagreb
- Belgrade
- Podgorica
- Kotor
Take the train to Montenegro via the famous Belgrade to Bar rail route, considered one of the most beautiful rail lines in the world. Travel out from London via Strasbourg, Zurich and a sleeper to Croatia. End your holiday in the beautiful Montenegrin port of Kotor. A Seat61 recommended holiday.
From £1,249
- Paris
- San Sebastian
- Santiago de Compostela
- Vigo
- Porto
- Pinhao
- Salamanca
- Girona
Enjoy a stunning holiday taking in the beautiful Spanish region of Galicia and the verdant landscapes of the Douro Valley in Portugal. This suggested itinerary includes stops in San Sebastian, the pilgrim city of Santiago de Compostela, Vigo, lovely Porto, Pinhão in the Douro Valley and historic Salamanca. A Seat61 recommended holiday.
From £1,699
16 Days
- Los Angeles
- Santa Barbara
- San Francisco
- Portland
- Seattle
Take the Coast Starlight Amtrak route up the west coast of the USA from Southern California to Washington State near the Canadian border. Starting out from Los Angeles, you'll visit sunny Santa Barbara and San Francisco before taking a sleeper to Portland, Oregon and Seattle in the Pacific Northwest. This holiday is part of our Seat61 recommended collection.
From £2,799
13 Days
- Zermatt
- Chur
- Innsbruck
- Lake Bled
- Graz
- Stuttgart
Travel from Zermatt, in the shadow of the Matterhorn, through the best of the Swiss and Austrian Alps, to picture-perfect Lake Bled in Slovenia's Julian Alps. Part of our Seat61 recommended collection.
From £2,099
- Strasbourg
- Berlin
- Bialystok
- Vilnius
- Riga
- Tallinn
Travel across Europe to the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania on this exciting two-week holiday by train. You'll stop in Strasbourg before catching a direct service to Berlin. From here, cross Poland and visit Riga, Vilnius and Tallinn before flying back to the UK. This holiday is part of our Seat61 recommended collection.
From £1,449
13 Days
- Vienna
- Sighisoara
- Sibiu
- Brasov
- Sinaia
- Constanta
- Bucharest
Follow in the footsteps of Michael Portillo as you travel from the castles of Transylvania, through Romanian capital Bucharest and onwards to the Black Sea resort of Constanta on this Romanian rail adventure. A Seat61 recommended holiday.
From £999
9 Days
- Pretoria
- Cape Town
Enjoy a luxurious journey across South Africa aboard the famous Blue Train. Round off your trip with four days in Cape Town, with time to explore its history and breathtaking scenery. This is one of our Seat61 Recommended holidays. Part of our Seat61 recommended holidays collection.
From £3,399