RailUK First Class Lounge Guide

[VT 390]

What time can you use the first class lounge at Euston before travelling on the Highland Caledonian sleeper?
Also what times are the showers available at Euston station lounge and are towels provided?

 

[Bungle965]

What time can you use the first class lounge at Euston before travelling on the Highland Caledonian sleeper?
Also what times are the showers available at Euston station lounge and are towels provided?

Up to 2 hours before I believe it is.
Showers are available for 1st class sleeper passengers, and they are available essentially until the towels run out as they can be quite popular.
Sam

 

[Butts]

A tale of 3 Lounges....

Birmingham New Street Monday .... Well provisioned - Coffee Machine , Cold Pop in Fridge, Nuts, Pretzels, Cakes, Biscuits and Uglies !!! 8/10

Euston Tuesday ..... Absolute Crap...Hot Drinks Machine , Meagre Cold Drinks in Fridge and next to no snacks 1/10

Glasgow Central Thursday ....Excellent as New Street with the addition of Crisps and Newspapers 9/ 10 ....would get 10 but unlike the other two it has no Toilet

 

[trainophile]

Suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, but a bit disappointed yesterday to be refused entry to the Edinburgh Lounge as we had VTWC tickets. End of a nice perk, and a shame for those of us who arrive from the west side of the country.

VTWC should consider getting their own Lounge there, it’s only fair!

 

[Polarbear]

Suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, but a bit disappointed yesterday to be refused entry to the Edinburgh Lounge as we had VTWC tickets. End of a nice perk, and a shame for those of us who arrive from the west side of the country.

VTWC should consider getting their own Lounge there, it’s only fair!

Much as I’d like to see provision of a VT lounge at Edinburgh, I doubt it’ll happen. Less business traffic down the WCML & a roughly 2 hourly service won’t make it stack up.

Ideally, I’d like to see lounges operated by one company across the UK, with each TOC buying access rights. Don’t think that’s likely to happen either.

 

[VT 390]

I got a very good deal using the Virgin lounges the other week as I had a Virgin trains 1st class only single from Birmingham New Street to Coventry which with my railcard cost just £4.15 and for this I got snacks and drinks at Birmingham and Coventry first class lounges plus a coffee on board the train which in total added up to way more than £4.00. I am very surprised that Virgin don't have a minimum fare rule like LNER on their lounges, is there a reason for this? (I'm not complaining though as it was a very good deal for me).

 

[trainophile]

I got a very good deal using the Virgin lounges the other week as I had a Virgin trains 1st class only single from Birmingham New Street to Coventry which with my railcard cost just £4.15 and for this I got snacks and drinks at Birmingham and Coventry first class lounges plus a coffee on board the train which in total added up to way more than £4.00. I am very surprised that Virgin don't have a minimum fare rule like LNER on their lounges, is there a reason for this? (I'm not complaining though as it was a very good deal for me).

Don't forget the free Times too, that's worth something like £1.80 (edited to correct) these days. Plus a couple of bottles of water - say 40p each in a shop. It all adds up.

 

[WesternLancer]

Hi folks - any advice on the following ref Euston 1st class lounge.

I'm booked on the sleeper soon but will be at Euston a couple of hours ahead, with time to kill. My sleeper ticket is std class (2 of us sharing means no point in 1st class sleeper fare IMHO), and the info published says only 1st class sleeper tickets valid in Virgin's lounge.

I was once happily afforded access with a used portion of an EMT Advance 1st ticket (they probably didn't look at it carefully enough...), but I was wondering what the cheapest 1st ticket to/from Euston would be that would afford access to the lounge.

EG would a 1st single from say Willesden Jct permit it, or does it have to be a Virgin 1st class ticket, and are we thus looking at a single to Watford perhaps?

Cheers
PS - time to spend for me might well be at the platform end, but i suspect my other half might prefer the lounge

 

[Adsy125]

Hi folks - any advice on the following ref Euston 1st class lounge.

I'm booked on the sleeper soon but will be at Euston a couple of hours ahead, with time to kill. My sleeper ticket is std class (2 of us sharing means no point in 1st class sleeper fare IMHO), and the info published says only 1st class sleeper tickets valid in Virgin's lounge.

I was once happily afforded access with a used portion of an EMT Advance 1st ticket (they probably didn't look at it carefully enough...), but I was wondering what the cheapest 1st ticket to/from Euston would be that would afford access to the lounge.

EG would a 1st single from say Willesden Jct permit it, or does it have to be a Virgin 1st class ticket, and are we thus looking at a single to Watford perhaps?

Cheers
PS - time to spend for me might well be at the platform end, but i suspect my other half might prefer the lounge

You can’t get virgin to Watford as it’s pickup only, so Milton Keynes. That’s if they only take virgin tickets, others will be able to say if that’s true or not.

 

[WesternLancer]

You can’t get virgin to Watford as it’s pickup only, so Milton Keynes. That’s if they only take virgin tickets, others will be able to say if that’s true or not.

Good point, thx. There are 1st fares to Watford, but priced by WMT. Milton Keynes is priced by VT, but unsure if the lounge is worth £29 which is the price of a 1st class ticket to MK. Not even sure it is worth the £14 1st class fare to watford tbh...

So I assume the 1st lounge at Virgin is not open to WMT passengers then?

An anytime 1st single Clapham Jct to London terminals at £5.30 might be more like it...

 

[Deerfold]

Good point, thx. There are 1st fares to Watford, but priced by WMT. Milton Keynes is priced by VT, but unsure if the lounge is worth £29 which is the price of a 1st class ticket to MK. Not even sure it is worth the £14 1st class fare to watford tbh...

So I assume the 1st lounge at Virgin is not open to WMT passengers then?

An anytime 1st single Clapham Jct to London terminals at £5.30 might be more like it...

The lounge at Euston is only open to Virgin and Sleeper customers (based on signage when I was there a couple of weeks ago).

 

[Bungle965]

So I assume the 1st lounge at Virgin is not open to WMT passengers then

That's correct yes.
Sam

 

[WesternLancer]

Thanks for those responses and info.

 

[trainophile]

No takeaway cups in Birmingham New Street today. I know it’s to save the planet but sometimes if you only have ten minutes before your train it’s nice to grab a hot drink to keep you going until the trolley comes round.

Don’t know if this is a new policy, I will have to start bringing a travel mug.

 

[TravellingPhil]

Quick question, sorry if it's already been answered.

If I held an Aberdeen to Haymarket 1st class LNER ticket, then bought a standard to carry on to Waverley (advances to Haymarket can cut the price a little), what response would I likely get if I tried to get into Waverley's first class lounge with my ticket to Haymarket? I'm thinking they'll probably say no?

 

[DarloRich]

Quick question, sorry if it's already been answered.

If I held an Aberdeen to Haymarket 1st class LNER ticket, then bought a standard to carry on to Waverley (advances to Haymarket can cut the price a little), what response would I likely get if I tried to get into Waverley's first class lounge with my ticket to Haymarket? I'm thinking they'll probably say no?

they are going to say no. Rightly.

Mind you the first class lounge at Edinburgh is very nice. I rarely use first class but had a chance to do so recently. Very impressive. Makes the one at New Street look crappy.

 

[TravellingPhil]

they are going to say no. Rightly.

Mind you the first class lounge at Edinburgh is very nice. I rarely use first class but had a chance to do so recently. Very impressive. Makes the one at New Street look crappy.

As I thought, just a thought in relation to a journey I made last year and thinking of repeating with something similar. Thanks for replying so quickly. I actually have a Kings Cross to Edinburgh journey coming up as well so I'll get the chance to have a peep inside using that one.

As for Haymarket, a tram down to the Caledonian and a coffee will help keep the journey feeling special!

 

[Butts]

they are going to say no. Rightly.

Mind you the first class lounge at Edinburgh is very nice. I rarely use first class but had a chance to do so recently. Very impressive. Makes the one at New Street look crappy.

From my experience the one in New Street (Stock Wise) is a lot better than Edinburgh Waverley.

Ambience wise Edinburgh wins hands down but used to only have a few biscuits and crisps if you were lucky on the nibbles front. Was there more than that on your visit ?

My most recent one was Glasgow Central which beat both of them on nibbles but again Edinburgh prevailed on the decor. Euston by contrast was worse than any of the above - hardly any freebie sustenance.

 

[30907]

People might like to know that KGX Lounge is closed for refurbishment this week. Customers are given a voucher, supposedly for a hot drink in the Parcel Yard between 8/9.
This actually means being directed to a small unstaffed room with chairs and tables, crisps and water. There was hot water too, but they had run out of disposable cups 4 hours earlier...

 

[robbeech]

They also just pack up if they become a bit busy. I know a chap that was turned away because the pub was too busy and I’ve read social media posts that say similar.
It’s worth assuming that there simply isn’t a lounge until the proper one opens again.

 

[Deerfold]

People might like to know that KGX Lounge is closed for refurbishment this week. Customers are given a voucher, supposedly for a hot drink in the Parcel Yard between 8/9.
This actually means being directed to a small unstaffed room with chairs and tables, crisps and water. There was hot water too, but they had run out of disposable cups 4 hours earlier...

Again? Why does it need so many refurbishments? Things change but there's few obvious improvements.

The room sounds familiar - it's also some distance from the platforms compared with the lounge.

 

[VT 390]

People might like to know that KGX Lounge is closed for refurbishment this week. Customers are given a voucher, supposedly for a hot drink in the Parcel Yard between 8/9.
This actually means being directed to a small unstaffed room with chairs and tables, crisps and water. There was hot water too, but they had run out of disposable cups 4 hours earlier...

When does the Lounge reopen again?

 

[Bungle73]

Again? Why does it need so many refurbishments? Things change but there's few obvious improvements.

The room sounds familiar - it's also some distance from the platforms compared with the lounge.

Hasn't it only had one since the new one originally opened? And let's be honest, what VTEC did to it was awful. Let's hope they replace those terrible chairs with something a lot better.

 

[Deerfold]

Hasn't it only had one since the new one originally opened? And let's be honest, what VTEC did to it was awful. Let's hope they replace those terrible chairs with something a lot better.

I'm not sure when you're counting from. VTEC did at least 2. I make this the second since then. Every one seems to introduce more bizarre seating.

 

[Ianigsy]

The vouchers are also accepted at the Pret a Manger on the other side of the concourse for a hot drink - I decided this evening that as it was warm I'd rather sit outside with a tea.

 

[richardderby]

When does the Lounge reopen again?

reopens tomorrow, Monday 8th July,with a new decor, according to this:
https://www.traveleads.co.uk/news/t...t-class-lounge-at-london-kings-cross-station/

 

[Deerfold]

reopens tomorrow, Monday 8th July,with a new decor, according to this:
https://www.traveleads.co.uk/news/t...t-class-lounge-at-london-kings-cross-station/

I wonder if they can get the chargers working now - all the lounges with them seem to be very temperamental.

 

[Bungle965]

Coventry is the next of the VT lounges to close and become a lounge for all passengers.
Closure is set for August 1st.
Sam

 

[Butts]

Coventry is the next of the VT lounges to close and become a lounge for all passengers.
Closure is set for August 1st.
Sam

Blimey they have a right cull of 1st Class Lounges in the Midlands.

Coventry follows Wolverhampton and Stoke on Trent into the dustbin !!!

Which will be the next casualty ?

 

[VT 390]

Why are Virgin closing so many lounges? I thought the WolcerhamWolv one was because of the change of operator but that would not explain Coventry.