Cheap First Class Routes

[merseydrew]

Hi all

Which short routes across the UK have first class Accomodation? E.g Avanti West Coast (Wilmslow-Manchester Piccadilly) which totals to around £11.30

I am keen to try as many first class from different operators as possible.

Thanks

 

[Anonymous10]

Hi all

Which short routes across the UK have first class Accomodation? E.g Avanti West Coast (Wilmslow-Manchester Piccadilly) which totals to around £11.30

I am keen to try as many first class from different operators as possible.

Thanks

Tfw offer every other hour a Stockport to Manchester service with first class.

 

[Iskra]

Transpennine Express from Manchester to Sheffield can be done for under £10 in the evenings

 

[A S Leib]

Leeds to Wakefield Westgate's been recommended here before as one of, if not the cheapest ticket which permits using a first class lounge (£7.10 each way for an anytime First), and I've somewhat frequently been able to get Newcastle to York or Edinburgh first class tickets for around £15 each way with a railcard if you're looking for longer journeys as well (but normally on early / late services, especially ones starting or terminating at Newcastle).

 

[Jan Mayen]

Doleham to Three Oaks £5.70 return? (I'm not seriously suggesting the OP, or anyone else come to that, does this!)

 

[MrJeeves]

Doleham to Three Oaks £5.70 return? (I'm nor seriously suggesting the OP, or anyone else come to that, does this!)

On a route without 1st class, too!?

 

[Bertie the bus]

You can sample 1st Class on all 3 types of units operated by TPE for £20.50 with a Stalybridge - Manchester Airport return.

 

[Jan Mayen]

On a route without 1st class, too!?

I didn't realise 1st Class was declassified on that route!

 

[OscarH]

Doleham to Three Oaks £5.70 return? (I'm not seriously suggesting the OP, or anyone else come to that, does this!)

If you want some trivia, me and @MrJeeves had a look, this £2.70 fare is the cheapest walkup first class fare in the country https://www.brfares.com/!faredetail?orig=GWE&dest=WRX&rte=1000&tkt=FDS

 

[A S Leib]

I know that it isn't quite what was asked for, but I think Ramsgate to Weymouth via Barnham might work out as one of the cheapest first class season tickets per mile (£176.30 for a week, or around 5.7p per mile if you could fit in a return journey each day).

 

[Tetchytyke]

If you want some trivia, me and @MrJeeves had a look, this £2.70 fare is the cheapest walkup first class fare in the country

Another one where there isn't actually a first class service to use it on!

 

[MrJeeves]

If you want some trivia, me and @MrJeeves had a look, this £2.70 fare is the cheapest walkup first class fare in the country https://www.brfares.com/!faredetail?orig=GWE&dest=WRX&rte=1000&tkt=FDS

For some more fun (still walk-ups only), for each operator that sets first class fares...

• CrossCountry's is Edinburgh and Haymarket at £3.10
• ScotRail's is Lenzie to Bishopbriggs at £3.20
• Thameslink & Great Northern's is Meldreth/Foxton to Shepreth at £3.60
• SWR's is Cranbrook to Whimple/Pinhoe at £3.60
• WMR's (no 1st class services anymore, but applies to GWR services) is Worcester Foregate Street to Worcester Shrub Hill at £3.60 too
• Southern have multiple at £3.80:
  • Wivelsfield - Burgess Hill
  • Horley - Gatwick
  • Hove - Aldrington
  • Oxted - Hurst Green
• Greater Manchester PTE price some first class singles at £3.80 between Gatley and East Didsbury which would likely never be used as only Northern call at Gatley. Same applies for Burnage to Mauldeth Road.
• TPE's is Dunbar to East Linton at £4.30
• Northern also price a single between Adlington and Blackrod at £4.30 for some reason. Both are only served by Northern as far as I can see.
• TfWM price University to Birmingham at £4.40, which would be useful for the few XC Voyager services which call at University.
• EMR do Kidsgrove to Alsager at £4.80, which I believe only sees standard class services. The next cheapest first class fare set by EMR is Cleethorpes to Grimsby Town at £5.40, with TPE offering an upgrade on this journey for £10!
• Avanti price Coventry to Birmingham International at £5.10
• London Overground price Clapham Junction to West Brompton at £5.30, for the Southern West London Line services
• Elizabeth Line price Shenfield to Brentwood at £5.40, despite no first class services operating that journey
• Southeastern price Hildenborough to Leigh, despite this only having Southeastern services which no longer offer first class
• LNER's cheapest is Falkirk Grahamstone to Stirling at £7.80
• GWR seem to have their first class fares at a minimum of £10 no matter what, so many short journeys, including those just a mile long, are priced at £10. Best bet for that is a route priced by someone else, such as the above Worcester to Worcester or Redhill to Reigate (£5.00)
• Hull Trains do Hull to Brough/Beverley at £10.50
• Greater Anglia's is Ipswich to Manningtree at £11.60
• Chiltern's is Banbury to Leamington at £14.10, for CrossCountry services which call at these locations

You can expect more useful data than this, and in a more readable format, soon though...

 

[Jan Mayen]

Redhill to Gomshall, priced by Southern for reasons beyond understanding, £5.55 with a Gold Card discount. And, yes, there is First Class, and no, it isn't enforced.

 

[styles]

Wonder what the cheapest is where you could reasonably consume a complimentary hot meal and a couple of bevvies.

£7.80 for Falkirk Grahamston to Stirling at 13 minutes may be a push.

 

[Buzby]

£7.80 for Falkirk Grahamston to Stirling at 13 minutes may be a push

Mind you, the Waverley to Haymarket at 4 minutes would be an interesting diversion!

 

[thejuggler]

Grand Central.

Bradford Interchange to Halifax £6.60

 

[Davester50]

In the video, Scott starts at Aberdeen and heads to Preston via Edinburgh sampling not only the delights of 1st Class travel but the Lounges of all the main train companies in 2025.

It's really not *all*

 

[Buzby]

It's really not *all*

As he’s based in Scotland, he’s done the same ones he did last year (that serve the country).

 

[Davester50]

As he’s based in Scotland, he’s done the same ones he did last year (that serve the country).

Preston wasn't in Scotland the last time I looked at a map.
I know we've had a lot of wind, but not that strong to move it that far.

 

[Buzby]

Preston wasn't in Scotland the last time I looked at a map.
I know we've had a lot of wind, but not that strong to move it that far.

They either started or finished in Scotland. I still think it was a valiant effort.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Hi all

Which short routes across the UK have first class Accomodation? E.g Avanti West Coast (Wilmslow-Manchester Piccadilly) which totals to around £11.30

I am keen to try as many first class from different operators as possible.

Thanks

A Stockport - Manchester Piccadilly first class single is £7 (there's also a TPE only for £6.40), and you could use that for TPE, Avanti, TfW and CrossCountry.

Also noteworthy is TPE's "Weekend First" upgrade, which is £10 and would require you to already have a valid ticket, probably costing in total over double the actual cost of just a first class single.

There are also many advanced fares listed, but I don't know about their availability.

 

[Davester50]

They either started or finished in Scotland. I still think it was a valiant effort.

It's an interesting challenge, but all things aren't equal in it, but it's his rules, and he's done ok with his first class prices, which he puts in the description.
He needs to get the Sleeper in Double en-suite to get all the operators though.

 

[moleman212]

Just out of interest, have LNER ditched their £10 minimum fare for access to their first class lounges? Can't see a mention of it on the website anymore.

Not that many tickets are priced less than this but on a York to Doncaster 1st Advance the lounge host at York did check the ticket price last time I went in a year ago.

Also... They seem to have removed any mention of being able to use the lounge an hour after you arrive... Although the lounges page says you may use a lounge if your ticket is to or from a station with an LNER lounge.

London King's Cross First Class Lounge

If you've bought a First Class ticket to or from King's Cross you have access to our luxurious First Class lounge at the station.

www.lner.co.uk

 

[Deerfold]

Just out of interest, have LNER ditched their £10 minimum fare for access to their first class lounges? Can't see a mention of it on the website anymore.

Not that many tickets are priced less than this but on a York to Doncaster 1st Advance the lounge host at York did check the ticket price last time I went in a year ago.

Also... They seem to have removed any mention of being able to use the lounge an hour after you arrive... Although the lounges page says you may use a lounge if your ticket is to or from a station with an LNER lounge.

London King's Cross First Class Lounge

If you've bought a First Class ticket to or from King's Cross you have access to our luxurious First Class lounge at the station.

www.lner.co.uk

At Kings Cross there's still a sign (or there was a couple of weeks ago) saying the lounge is available for two hours before (1 on Fridays) or 1 hour after travel.

 

[Buzby]

He needs to get the Sleeper in Double en-suite to get all the operators though.

On one level, perhaps - but there could be no meaningful comparison - none of the others offered sleeping berths, and Caledonian’s seating is decidedly not 1st Class. Checking the toilets and menu alone would be pointless.

 

[styles]

Mind you, the Waverley to Haymarket at 4 minutes would be an interesting diversion!

Could legitimately get a 1st class ticket from Waverley to Haymarket just to pop on, grab a coffee and a chicken club sandwich, then hop back off at Haymarket before getting your intended train, coffee and sarnie in tow. You'd have to grab the attention of the 1st class host pretty sharpish and hope they're ready to serve by the time they leave Waverley mind.

 

[infobleep]

Hi all

Which short routes across the UK have first class Accomodation? E.g Avanti West Coast (Wilmslow-Manchester Piccadilly) which totals to around £11.30

I am keen to try as many first class from different operators as possible.

Thanks

Are you wanting to just try the first class compartments or do you feel the need to have a first class ticket when trying them?

A number of Southern and Thameslink branded services either have first class declassified or a section of first class is declassified.

This maybalso be the case on some South Western Railway routes but I'm not 100% certain which ones and you would need to check to see which rolling stock is running on any perticular service.

 

[robbeech]

Could legitimately get a 1st class ticket from Waverley to Haymarket just to pop on, grab a coffee and a chicken club sandwich, then hop back off at Haymarket before getting your intended train, coffee and sarnie in tow. You'd have to grab the attention of the 1st class host pretty sharpish and hope they're ready to serve by the time they leave Waverley mind.

It’s quite common to wait until departure from Haymarket to start with the service which makes a lot of sense.

 

[Mark J]

During the GWR rail sale, it was possible to get Reading to Hereford (over a 2 hour journey), for £10 each way.

So over 4 hours in first class for £20 total.

The only issue is on the last service from Hereford, first class catering ceases at Worcester Shrub Hill. Meaning that complimentary refreshments are not given out between Worcester and Reading/London.

However, I was fortunate that a passing Train Manager asked if I would like a coffee. When they returned, came back with a snack box and a coffee.

 

[Tazilly]

Great Malvern to Malvern Link : £2.75 with a senior railcard