First Class

[Oswyntail]

What trains would that be?

Yep, 444s. I like them as trains, with a good ride (on the very few times I have used them), but that was not "First Class"

 

[OMGitsDAVE]

First Class is generally good here compared to the likes of other countries.

Only country i was in where first class was ALWAYS full is The Netherlands, and they only get bigger seats - nothing compared to ours. People used to run to get to the door with first class, as it wasn't as common.

 

[Daimler]

Can I just ask people what they expect from First Class, we all look up to trains on the continent but the first class offering there is about the same if not inferior to ours, when I went first class to Nice from Gare de Lyon last year, there was no at seat service by trolley (impossible with the Duplexs layout), no complimentary items offered at the buffet which was busy and had 20 minute queues, no free wifi, no free Newspapers, there was a powerpoint admittedly and the seats were comfier but that was it. There wasnt any staff visible except the Chef du Train who checked tickets in the coach once in the whole trip (just prior to Avignon). On the local TER from Nice to Monaco again it was the same as our suburban first class and the seats werent that much comfier and again no ticket checks so anyone basically sat in there as it wasnt well segregated.

I believe they have a different attitude in France - on the TGVs, first class is about the extra comfort and that is it (and very comfortable it is too!). You see all sorts of people travelling in first class in order to enjoy the extra comfort, rather than just the 'businessman' stereotype.

It's not that much more expensive than standard, in my experience...