Just let down by some obscene prices! (National Express East Coast)

Member Name: joerobo

Product:	National Express East Coast
Date:	02/06/09 (50 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Really comfortable method of transport

Disadvantages: Generally very expensive at the moment

From my experience there are two distinct sides to the National Express trains that operate on the East Coast (the same line that GNER used to run on). To briefly sum up these sides mostly everything is very positive except for the cost of tickets.

Starting with the positives, the trains are always pretty clean and I never find that seating is too cramped. Preferably I sit at tables of four where you get a lot of room but even the airline seats are ok, and the table you get is reasonably sized.

In my experience the guards are very friendly and courteous which makes longer journeys in particular all the better. To add to this, the trolley service that they operate is very convenient and the buffet sells some nice sandwiches. In particular the cheese and ham toasts taste great- though the price is a bit on the hefty side.

As for the negative side the prices seem to be pretty random and more often than not extremely expensive. It is nearly always cheaper for me to fly to London from Newcastle than to get the train. I have found that by using third party websites such as thetrainline.com I can get somewhat cheaper tickets.

Put short, if you can get cheap tickets then this is a great way to travel and it is the most comfortable way to go.

Summary: If you can get cheap tickets this is the way to travel