Just back Wilmslow - London- Lille - Aix En Provence and back, all 1st class. I loved it! Will post further soon.
CS
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OK, all unpacked and ready to post.
I travelled out this Monday (23rd) Pendelino from Wilmslow (Wilmslow to Stockport on a 323, then change at Stockport on to the Pendo) first class. I was in coach K, the leading vehicle, the first time I've travelled in this coach and the ride was much rougher than the many other Pendo journeys I've done.
Went to an aviation art exhibition at Mall gallery, then stayed overnight in Crowne Plaza St James Park (free - I've got loads of reward points for that hotel group). Next morning (Tuesday) off to Waterloo for the 08:35 Eurostar 1st class to Lille. I'd booked my journey from London to Aix En Provence and back through Eurostar, paying the £5 telephone booking fee rather than do it all on line to get the exact seats I wanted. I had super seats each way on Eurostar, single seat by a window. Good at-seat breakfast and beverage service, and after the crawl through the south London suburbs we hit the CTRL and whizzed down to Ashford at high speed. Slow through the chunnel, then high speed to Lille where I changed to TGV.
I'd asked Eurostar for first class upper deck single window seats on TGV, but they said they could ask, but had no direct control of seat allocation on the TGV. As it happened, I'd been allocated a lower deck single window seat, which I sat at for a while, then had a look upstairs. Lots of spare seats, so I moved to the forward-facing single seat of a pair with a table between them and next to a window. Here I adopted my favourite 'Pendo' seating position; fully recline my seat and the facing one, TAKE OFF MY SHOES, put my feet up on the opposite seat, sit back, and relax (with a glass of something red, of course!).
The train manager wasn't bothered I wasn't in my allocated seat, even though I was using the cheapest possible 1st class ticket (only for use on the specified train, and non-changeable or refundable). This was great! It was like flying at 15 feet all the way down through France to Aix. All the toilets were clean and working, no at-seat service but toasties and other drinks and snacks available at the upper-deck buffet. The train was absolutely rock steady at 300 kph, with my wine bottle, glass, and food not moving at all on the table, even round the curves (where the track is well tilted to reduce any sideways forces).
I stayed overnight in Aix, then next morning (yesterday) caught the 08:53 Aix to Lille TGV. This time my seat was in upper, but was between 2 windows. So I moved to the seat in front which was perfectly aligned to the window. Again, there were no problems doing this. This seat was a single and though I could have moved to a facing pair as I had the day before, I decided to stay in the single seat - very comfortable, with a fold-down foot rest on the back of the seat in front.
Arrived Lille at 13:35 in time for the 14:03 Eurostar back to Waterloo - again, nice single window seat with an excellent at-seat lunch service with drinks included. Into Waterloo just before 15:00, giving me about 3 hours in the Science Museum before a quick pint of London Pride in the 'Doric Arch' and tea and biccys in the Virgin 1st class lounge at Euston. 19:35 Pendo direct to Wilmslow with at-seat evening snack and drinks (and my favourite 'two facing seats feet-up' seating position - yes, I'd moved from my allocated aisle seat in a group of 4 to this pair of un-allocated seats and the TM didn't mind). Home by 21:35.
Every train was bang on time. All (except that rough initial Pendo journey) supremely comfortable. I may have been lucky in that I moved seats on TGV and Virgin with no complaints, but especially on TGV there were lots to choose from so I shouldn't be a problem. And unlike the Brits, the French don’t yak away on mobiles (the few who did moved to the vestibule first) or wear ‘personal’ stereos. So it was nice and quiet, too.
Cost? Wilmslow to Euston return, 1st class, just over £70. Waterloo to Aix return 1st class, about £240.
It would be nice to know if there's a way of getting exact seat preferences on TGV as you can for Eurostar.
Now I fancy a Eurostar to Bruges once it moves to St Pancras!
CS.