Decent trains, but expensive (National Express East Coast)

Member Name: stuff10

Product:	National Express East Coast
Date:	24/06/09 (226 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Smart, clean trains

Disadvantages: Expensive

We used the National Express train service to get down to London a few weeks ago. It was the start of our Honeymoon so for the first time ever, we paid the extra money to go in first class.

Our first class tickets were £38 each (single), compared to around £25 for standard class. So what does the extra money get you? Well, the seats themselves are bigger and seemingly more comfortable than standard class. Each seat in first class has access to a table and there seemed to be plenty of power points scattered around to enable people to charge laptops and mobile phones.

Each table had a supply of bottled water and shortbread biscuits and there was a guy going round offering people free tea and coffee every half an hour or so. I can't comment on whether it was any good or not cos I don't drink tea or coffee, so I suppose some orange juice or something would be nice for those of us who aren't hooked on caffeine.

The carriage itself was clean and tidy and looked well cared-for. I didn't use the on-board toilet, but I could tell from the door that it was one of those futuristic ones with the buttons on the door and the sci-fi "swoosh" noise as you close it.

We had 2 large suitcases with us (we were going on holiday) and were slightly concerned beforehand about where we could store them on the train, but we need not have worried as there was plenty of storage space at the doors of the train and also inbetween the rows of seats.

The journey itself passed without incident and we even arrived early into Kings Cross.

Summary: No problems, other than the price