Doesanybody actually pay the ludicrous prices to travel first class on trains?

[TooTickyDoves]

Second class with a railcard is bad enough. And they wonder why so many people drive!

No but if I'm travelling at the weekend I do use the weeked upgrade system. Upgraded to first class on the Eurostar once but it was a special offer. Otherwise it's second class for me too!

I do sometimes if I'm travelling for work, on the grounds that if they want me to get work done on train I need to be in first class to have space for laptop etc.

company folk do
intersteing ly my brother nad sister in law oth lawyers
w hen they went to london HE alaways got 1st class
she nevr thoguth to!

I do - if there are cheap deals available through The Train Line etc. Makes it much more civilised.

Have been first class on Eurostar as well and wasn't that impressed, to be honest. Mind you, I was newly pregnant and I seem to recall not being impressed by anything then!

dp does sometimes. if its the only way to get a seat and he has a meeting at t'other end.

he went to find the loo or buffet or something once from nearly empty 1st class carriage to find the rest of the train packed and people in the bits between carriages and everything. offered his seat to a mum with baby and toddler who declined and looked at him like a nutter.

feel sorry for them both really - she cant have had many nice things happen to her to be so suspiciuos when it does. and he felt awful being treated like a madman for trying to be nice.

work used to pay for me - I never even looked at the cost of the ticket

Now, when I travel, it amazes me how much 1st class travel is. But then the ticketing system is barmy - you can often get a normal ticket and pay to upgrade to 1st class and end up paying less than a 1st class ticket. It's all mad. I don't think anyone really understands how it all works!

No.

I go sit in them, and if the controller tells me to move, I pretend I am a tourist.

thats what i do expat. except the tourist thing doesnt really work for me (being from here and all).
i wait till they ask then play dumb. if the upgrade price is a fiver or so, i might pay it. if not i fess up to being cheeky and make like a tree

It really works for me b/c I speak other languages. I pretend I have limited or no English.

Works every time.

i could try that in spanish i suppose but i dont get much practice and if they spoke back to me i could get caught out, which would be hilariously funny for those around us i suppose!

I do for longer journeys if I book in advance - it's sometimes cheaper than the standard class 'on the day' price. And I do upgrade at the weekend.

No because I can't afford it.

Have been on v.full Virgin trains where I have been moved to first class because standard clas has been so packed.

Am v.v.v.good at getting seats on trains though so have never really wanted to go into first class.

This is Simon Hoggart going from London to Chester a couple of weeks ago:

My father in law travels first class on the railways but then he works for them and doesn't have to pay so that's why.

When I first met Dh he had a card, as a child of railway employee, which allowed him to travel free of charge and in first class. But he used to sit in second class with me, aww sweet, lol

If you book online far enough in advance 1st class ticket to London from us costs only £1 more than standard -- and you can travel on any train.
If train is chockful with no seats in standard then I sit in 1st class -- and don't always get asked to pay extra.