How much extra would you pay for First Class on the Train

[boogeewoogee]

For travel in the UK on a GWR service. I have to travel fairly long distances by train on GWR every couple of months. Have a railcard so get 1/3 off.

I often do London-Pembroke Dock and London-Penzance. It just so happens that my family have decided they like living at the very end of train lines... Both of these journeys can take around 5 or 6 hours. That's without delays.

If a standard class single was £20 and first class was £40, would you pay the difference? I much prefer travelling in first as I can work, or relax a bit more. But I constantly feel guilty for 'wasting' money.

Free wine? On my trains you only get a drink and a biscuit in morning rush hour, any other time there's nothing on offer.

(journey time of over an hour, not just five mins down the road)

It depends on the train and the company.

20 years ago I lived in London and I would visit my brother in Cornwall.

I didn't book first class but I did used to pay for a meal, so I spent a good few hours sitting in first class seats being served dinner.

Not all first class are equal.

LNER are great.

Grand Central felt like regular seating with a “free” packet of crisps and shit coffee.

Choose your provider carefully.

On another note, I’ve used the Seatfrog app successfully in the past to bid for cheap upgrades at the last minute.

My friend and I are going to London on Friday with Grand Central and back on Sunday with LNER first class both ways. We're only using Grand Central because of the strikes. I think it was about £20 extra each each way. We know LNER is worth the extra - yet to find out about Grand Central! Having had to book and rebook about 4 times so far I'm relieved to be able to get on a train at all.

I get the train all the time for work, usually in first
Crosscountry/ transPennine express first class is pointless, especially in the evening.
LNER/GWR/EMR are great.
Avanti is fine, but standard premium is just as good and half the price (unless you fancy a few drinks on the train, in which case free wine/beer in first).
I find it so much easier to work, less crowded, plus sockets for my laptop etc . If I'm paying for it myself it depends on the operator and distance. Usually would for longer journeys but wait and see how busy standard is first before maybe paying the upgrade!

Yes I would pay £20 for first class upgrade to Penzance, but surely @boogeewoogee you can’t get tickets from London to Penzance for £20, and the first class upgrade will be a lot more than £20?

I did Edinburgh to London return earlier in the year.

I think it ended up being about £40 extra return to go first.

Seat was good. Big and comfy with plenty of space, charger etc. We got a bacon roll and coffee going down then a sandwich and a drink from the bar. Coming back seat wasn’t as good as the window alignment was off. We were then given sandwiches and drinks (unlimited to be fair) from the bar.

Im not sure I’d do it again though. I’d probably pick the quiet carriage on the train next time and take a better selection of food and drink.

Great western do offer a weekend first class upgrade of £5 per zonal area, to a maximum of £20/25 I believe, which is what Penzance/Pembroke would be.

The reason it’s cheaper on the weekend is that it’s a more limited first class offering to what you’d get during the week, but you’d still be in the carriage with individual large seats etc.