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First-Class Travel

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Ivo

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Hey all,

Are there any low-cost First-Class journeys out there that anyone can recommend? Thus far all I've done was Westbury to Exeter (£9.55 coupled with STD from Bath Spa to Westbury), and obviously I'm doing two runs next week for a combined £29.40 for almost four hours across two TOCs. However, there must be better examples out there. I'm going tio assume that XC are not the place to look (Arriva over-charge for everything in my experience!), but otherwise... any ideas? (Please only suggest those with an Advance fare available, because otherwise my Railcard is invalid FC.)

Thank you in advance... ;)
 
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googolplex

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You can go from London>Scotland with East Coast for around £35 each way on a First Advance if you book far enough in advance, but that's not particularly cheap compared to other, shorter runs.
I think some good deals can be had with EMT on their London route. I managed to do a return journey with first advance tickets between Bedford and Nottingham for around £25, booked a few days before.
I also seem to recall managing to travel between Bedford and Swansea for around £50 return with the first advance singles on FGW.
 

Ivo

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Are those with or without a Railcard?

Also, I have found Paddington to Penzance for under £30, but Penzance only has so much appeal... Not to mention I've been there before.
 

robert2000

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WSMR not the cheapest. but the best i reckon, a nice day out in shrewsbury is what i recomend, you do get 5 hours there though.
 

Ivo

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Penzance-Plymouth can be done for £6 each way first advance.

Just had a look at this one, and - using the YPRC - I've found an HST service, leaving Plymouth on 18/02 at 13:12, for £3.65 First-Class! Surely that can't be right!

Add the fact that it is only 70p (presumably £1 minus the YPRC) more than STD...
 

Kurayami

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I've only ever used First Class on the route from Waterloo to Bounemouth. And thats was becuase my only experience of doing that in STD Class was having nowhere to sit, and hardly anywhere to stand from Lonon to Basingstoke. Affter Southampton it there was alot more space in STD but with the 1st Advance I was guarenteed a seat, table and power for my laptop!
I've never really seen the point of going 1st class for any other reason then on busy lines where a STD/1st Advance with a seat reservation isnt possible. Most TOC's know that people want a plesant jouney so as long as the train isnt busy ive found STD to be perfectly fine.

I'm going tio assume that XC are not the place to look (Arriva over-charge for everything in my experience!)
^^ Did you read the article about tiecket prices in the RM a few months ago? About XC's £1002 ticket? Considering XC don't have any catering onboard, it's a total joke.
 

Ivo

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Actually, no. I just consider Arriva my mortal enemy :lol:

(Welcome, by the way!)

So you know, I did do Westbury to Exeter First Class last month. It was the last of a series of days out, and just happened to be the cheapest fare! I won't complain... Having done it on an HST once, it really did feel the business. But given how poor XC standard is (little better than, say, the 357s back home on the c2c route, I doubt that FC will really be that much better. I remember when it was announced that they had won the franchise...

"Prices to increase on XC"

Really...?!
 

Kurayami

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I've found c2c to be ok. Not wonderful but ok. Mind ive only ever used them at like 23:00 hours!

And yes for £1002 you can buy a ticket from XC from Newquay in Cornwall to the Kyle of Lochalsh in the Scottish highlands. First Class duh obviously i hope so..
But unforchinatly XC don't care what you hope for becuase of this 3 leg joney only the middle leg on a XC cl220/221 even has first class seating! the first and last leg you will be stuck in STD. Its not even the longest possible distance on the UK railnetwork (Penzance-Wick)
To add insult to injury for anyone who buys this ticket lets consider this....
Im sure you all know about the all line rover tickets well.
First Class 7 Day - £565
First Class 14Day- £860

Now what i want to know is.. if you tryed buying this £1002 ticket at Newquay would the XC counter agent point out the all line rovers?
 

Ivo

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I plan to get an All-Liner in June actually!

Anyway, your point about the XC salesman...

If he was doing his duty, then yes, he would point them out (assuming he knew of them of course!). If, however, he acted like a typical Arriva employee, then he wouldn't.
 

142094

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First Class 7 Day - £565 First Class 14Day- £860

It has previously been pointed out that if you need to return after 14 days you wouldn't be able to buy the All Line Rover. Plus if you book in advance the price comes way down.
 

Kurayami

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It has previously been pointed out that if you need to return after 14 days you wouldn't be able to buy the All Line Rover. Plus if you book in advance the price comes way down.

Booking in advance in good time brings the fare down to £561. But then you have to travel on the trains your booked onto. XC must just be totaly mad to have fares like this though even £561 isnt worth the kind of service you would get on the jouney plus lets face it for that much you could jet off to austrailia!
 

EltonRoad

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Back to the original point, one trick for travelling cheap(ish) in First Class is to book standard and have a meal in the restaurant. But of course you'll have to find a train with a restaurant car that's open to standard ticket holders - increasingly rare these days! And there's always a slight risk that the restaurant is unavailable.

On FGW there's a lunch restaurant on 1200 and 1255 Plymouth to Paddington, open to standard class.
 

DaveNewcastle

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. . . . one trick for travelling cheap(ish) in First Class is to book standard and have a meal in the restaurant. But of course you'll have to find a train with a restaurant car that's open to standard ticket holders . . .
Excelent way to travel. Waiting staff in EC restaurant have positively welcomed me into the restaurant since "privitisation", even before the train is ready to depart (ie there might still be FC pax coming along looking for a table).
Still operates on 12 northbound evening services, & 6 southbound services ( 4in the mornings and 2 in the evening)
 

devon_metro

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Back to the original point, one trick for travelling cheap(ish) in First Class is to book standard and have a meal in the restaurant. But of course you'll have to find a train with a restaurant car that's open to standard ticket holders - increasingly rare these days! And there's always a slight risk that the restaurant is unavailable.

On FGW there's a lunch restaurant on 1200 and 1255 Plymouth to Paddington, open to standard class.

However to have a sizeable meal that would take the length of said journey you'd be looking at paying nearly £30 and might then be booted out of FC.
 

Pumbaa

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EMT Sheffield - London have First advance fares for £12, easily bookable now for March.
 

Ivo

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Nice... but it hardly seems worth it. Not when this time next week I'll be a few minutes from Sheffield, then travelling up to Leeds and back (and/or seeing a friend) and then using the 18:35 to St Pancras First Class, for £15.20. Will keep in mind though if I like the run! :D
 

MCR247

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I've found c2c to be ok. Not wonderful but ok. Mind ive only ever used them at like 23:00 hours!

And yes for £1002 you can buy a ticket from XC from Newquay in Cornwall to the Kyle of Lochalsh in the Scottish highlands. First Class duh obviously i hope so..
But unforchinatly XC don't care what you hope for becuase of this 3 leg joney only the middle leg on a XC cl220/221 even has first class seating! the first and last leg you will be stuck in STD. Its not even the longest possible distance on the UK railnetwork (Penzance-Wick)
To add insult to injury for anyone who buys this ticket lets consider this....
Im sure you all know about the all line rover tickets well.
First Class 7 Day - £565
First Class 14Day- £860

Now what i want to know is.. if you tryed buying this £1002 ticket at Newquay would the XC counter agent point out the all line rovers?

You'd get 1st on INV-KYL. Although I think you get curtains and a lamp with a 2nd class seat
 

Oracle

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I once travelled from Paddington to Cardiff in what was then 2nd Class...we had breakfast on the train that we managed to wangle out long enough for the guard to allow us to stay in the FC coach until we go off! Our MP friend who accompanied us sweet-talked the staff and they gave him a large kipper as an addition, free!
 

A60K

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Ha! Out of interest, do any operators still offer kippers on their breakfast menu? I know GNER did, as they had on-train posters promoting that they got them from Craster.
 

EltonRoad

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East Coast advertise their smoked salmon as being from Craster.

To add to the debate: you can buy catering vouchers from East Coast that bring the cost down a bit, eg £12 voucher that's worth £15 on the train, £8 worth £10 and £4 worth £5.

Might be a cheap way of travelling First Class, and you get a meal thrown in ..
 

robert2000

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Ivo, i notice that yo have not travelled on northern rail.
unless you need to update your signature.

also, does LM still do 1st class?
 

Ivo

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Er... they did last I knew. And yes, I've noticed that Northern Rail are missing from my list... Give it a week.

21/01/2010 15:51 Sheffield to Leeds: I'll [probably] be on it, start to finish.
 

moonrakerz

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Thus far all I've done was Westbury to Exeter (£9.55 coupled with STD from Bath Spa to Westbury),

I did Westbury- Penzance last summer. Can't remember the fare, certainly cheap, split it at Exeter and/or Plymouth. No worry about getting back, the "in" train is the "out" train.
The free tea/coffee/bikkies paid for the fare !
 

michael769

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Most Scotrail services allow you to upgrade your ticket to 1st class for only £3.50 to £5.50 at the weekend.

Weekend First

Season Ticket holders, Flexipass Holders, people who have recently bought a 1st class ticket or sleeper ticket can travel in First Class at the weekend at no extra charge over the cost of Std Class, via their Advance Loyalty Club
 

Ivo

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Has anyone travelled First-Class from Liverpool Street to Norwich? I've found a fine-looking price of £7.90 (for almost two hours?!), but of course, I've never done. Heck, it's been nearly eleven years since I travelled on the GEML north of Colchester for the first (and only) time [and back obviously]. I was barely 10 at the time...

(That price is with a Railcard obviously... it would be £5.30 STD with one.)

What worries me though is that, courtesy of the lack of Advance fares, an STD Single to Southend Victoria from Liverpool Street is more than a 1ST Advance to Norwich...
 
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142094

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As far as I'm aware you don't get anything in 1st class with NXEA so all you'd get in a nicer seat and more legroom.
 
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