Quibble with Man in Seat 61

To be honest, despite Covid, I wondered how frequently he was updating....though I was looking at non-Europe as well. Some references seemed to be 3 years previous. All that being said, it can't be an easy job keeping all of it up to date.

Well, drat about your ticket prices.

When I found a small error on the website a few years ago, I sent an email with the details. I got a very nice email exchange back... very appreciative, very willing to make the correction.

very appreciative, very willing to make the correction

I guess I could do that.

Also who knows but the threat that train seats will sell out weeks in advance seems pretty real this year.

You could have him refund the money you are paying for his content 😉

Not sure how far in advance you need to book ahead at www.cd.cz/en for the Prague to Budapest trains but I’m forever thankful to Mark Smith ( HE IS THE MAN in seat 61) because I read his piece on the Czech trains and was able to buy a $22 ticket for Prague to Budapest and a friend got a $15 ticket. Until Mark advises otherwise, I will always buy tix for international trains between Czechia and Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary on that website.

I will always buy tix for international trains between Czechia and Germany,

Note that Bahn.com allows free stopovers on the Berlin/Prague/Budapest train, cd.cz does not. Bahn.com goes on sale a month earlier than cd.cz. For some reason cd.cz is offering free seat selection in 2nd, bahn.com charges €4.50. Right now the opening first offer prices are about the same.

You could have him refund the money you are paying for his content

After my 2015 experience I don’t trust the site for $$ issues, so I researched it myself and I didn’t lose any.

Czech trains and was able to buy a $22 ticket for Prague to Budapest and a friend got a $15 ticket.

The current best price is more like $26, but you can’t get that price following manseat61.com advice. He says seats go on sale 60 days in advance-- but it's 90. By 60 days the price is going to be double the 90 day price, a few weeks out there may be no seats left. I didn’t buy the cheaper Regio train (it’s now more than $15) because I didn’t want the longer journey ending in Buda (not Pest) and at either of the 2 times offered (too early or too late). However I wouldn’t have known to look without that website’s help. Careful with the Regiojet website, they mix buses and trains on the same page and the symbol for each is similar. I was only clued in because the bus was faster and the times better, I couldn't see the difference in symbols initially.

Hi Tom, Excellent point. I did buy tickets from Berlin to Prague and stopped over in Dresden on DB two years ago with that terrific feature of DeutscheBahn. Also did the same with a Hamburg to Wismar ticket making a stopover in Lubeck.
As you just pointed out, absolute statements are perilous. The conventional rule about train tix not being sold before the June 10 timetable change has now been thrown out the window by many national train companies. Not only are Renfe, Trenitalia and SNCF today selling tickets for dates beyond June 10, they’re selling them for dates more than 120 days in advance way into September! ( I haven’t checked beyond September). So, forget about the 60/90/120 days-In advance-rules as to when to start buying train tickets!
Possibly to get a jump ahead so international travelers can firm up their itineraries by nailing down their train tickets today, so they don’t lose business to other countries who will sell their train tix four months in advance. Croatia cleaned up in 2021 by allowing international visitors entry into Croatia when other countries would not, so maybe the government-run national train companies are doing what they can to help out tourism after three long years of COVID’s impact.
This is an exceptional year. Yesterday, I was able to buy a $21 IRYO ticket on a Frecciarosa train from Barcelona to Madrid for an upcoming September trip. An hour after I bought it on The Trainline, tickets were not available for sale—even for July trains. Then, a few hours later they were for sale again all the way into September!

Well, I just checked all my French train tickets just out of curiosity when I was researching local TER train times. One of the legs is 20 Euro cheaper a month later (ugh) and most of the others were pretty close to what I paid in April. I think it all depends on what is happening to bookings. Perhaps the unrest has kept people off trains somewhat so they are promoting certain routes. All part of dynamic pricing I suppose.

Laura, interesting, I didn’t know French train prices went up and down, another wrinkle.

Edit: The price for first class dropped also on a train I booked Tuesday on Bahn.com. So it's a German thing too.