Millsy_2102
Member
Hi everyone,
My family and I – that's my mum, my brother, and myself (a party of three) – are planning our first ever trip on an LNER 'Azuma' train, heading up to York! We're aiming to travel on Monday, August 11th, 2025, for a few nights, although we haven't actually booked our tickets yet. We'll be using my dad's Southern staff pass, which gives us a fantastic 70-75% discount on train travel across the UK, making trips like this much more accessible and a real treat for us.
We are hoping to arrive in York between 15:00 and 16:00 so we can drop our bags off at the hotel and have the rest of the evening to explore. Given the journey time is roughly two hours, we'll be looking to catch a train from London King's Cross between 13:00 and 14:00.
As this is our first time on an Azuma, we'd love to tap into the collective wisdom of this forum to help us make the most of our journey and avoid any surprises. We're looking for any specific insights or advice from those who regularly travel on LNER Azumas, especially on the London to York route, or who have experience with family travel (especially small groups like ours) on these services.
Here are some specific areas where we'd really appreciate your detailed input:
My family and I – that's my mum, my brother, and myself (a party of three) – are planning our first ever trip on an LNER 'Azuma' train, heading up to York! We're aiming to travel on Monday, August 11th, 2025, for a few nights, although we haven't actually booked our tickets yet. We'll be using my dad's Southern staff pass, which gives us a fantastic 70-75% discount on train travel across the UK, making trips like this much more accessible and a real treat for us.
We are hoping to arrive in York between 15:00 and 16:00 so we can drop our bags off at the hotel and have the rest of the evening to explore. Given the journey time is roughly two hours, we'll be looking to catch a train from London King's Cross between 13:00 and 14:00.
As this is our first time on an Azuma, we'd love to tap into the collective wisdom of this forum to help us make the most of our journey and avoid any surprises. We're looking for any specific insights or advice from those who regularly travel on LNER Azumas, especially on the London to York route, or who have experience with family travel (especially small groups like ours) on these services.
Here are some specific areas where we'd really appreciate your detailed input:
- Booking Strategy (for 11/8/25 with staff discount): Since we haven't booked yet and it's a Monday in August, would you recommend booking as far in advance as possible even with a staff pass, or is there more flexibility closer to the date? Given our discount, is there any optimal time to book (e.g., when Advance fares might normally drop, which could still influence the base fare before discount)?
- Train Recommendation: Based on our desired arrival time of 15:00-16:00, which LNER service would you recommend we aim for from London King's Cross? Are there any particular services to be aware of during that time (e.g., often busier, a different train set, etc.)?
- Seat Reservations - To Book or Not to Book?: This is a big one for us. We aren't sure whether to reserve seats for our party of three. We've heard that sometimes the reservation system can be unreliable or that people ignore the reservations. What's your experience with the electronic seat reservation displays on the Azuma? Is it a reliable system for holding our seats? As staff pass holders, we have the option to make a free reservation, but if the system is not reliable, we'd be just as happy to find an unreserved carriage. We're specifically interested in finding out if there are any designated unreserved carriages on these trains, and if so, which ones they are and how busy they get on a Monday.
- What if we miss our train? This is a key concern for us. If we have reserved seats but miss our intended train from King's Cross, would we be able to get reserved seats on the next available service, or would we have to try our luck with unreserved seating? Any advice on the best way to handle this situation with a staff pass would be a massive help.
- Onboard Experience & Family-Friendly Coaches (for 3 people):
- What's the general atmosphere like in Standard Class on a typical Monday afternoon?
- Are there any coaches generally considered better for families – perhaps those with more tables (for us to sit opposite each other), or traditionally quieter zones (if such a thing exists in Standard)?
- We've seen some older trains had designated quiet coaches; do Azumas have anything similar in Standard? If so, are they usually strictly enforced?
- Catering: We'll bring some snacks, but we're curious about the on-board catering. We don't know what to expect in terms of prices, so we'd love to hear from anyone who has used the service recently – how do the prices compare to what you'd find in a station or a high street cafe? What's the quality like for the cost?
- We've heard about a 'Let's Eat at Your Seat' service. How efficient and reliable is it in practice for Standard Class passengers? Or is it better to just go to the Cafe Bar in Coach G? Are payments exclusively card-only, or is cash still accepted?
- Seating & Comfort:
- We're interested in the comfort and legroom in Standard Class for a journey of around two hours. Are the seats comfortable for a longer journey?
- Are there any "bad" seats to avoid (e.g., restricted views, facing backwards if that's an issue for some, next to loud areas like the cafe bar doors or toilets)?
- Technology & Connectivity:
- We'll have phones and tablets, so access to power sockets is important. We've read that there are power sockets at every seat in Standard Class – are these generally reliable?
- How is the free LNER Wi-Fi in Standard Class? Is it usually stable enough for Browse and light streaming (we'll download content beforehand, but it's good to know)? Are there any connection quirks or areas where signal is typically weak?
- Luggage Storage:
- We'll each have a backpack, and one small carry-on sized suitcase between the three of us. We're wondering how easy it is to find space in the overhead racks, or the larger racks at the end of coaches? We're hoping to keep our backpacks near us and store the suitcase. Are there any specific coaches that tend to have more luggage space, or is it fairly uniform across Standard Class?
- Is it advisable to board early to secure luggage space, particularly on a Monday afternoon?
- Arrival at York Station:
- Any specific tips for alighting an Azuma at York? Are platforms generally long enough for all coaches, or should we be aware of any short platform stops on the approach?
- How well-signposted are connections within York station, or the exits towards the city centre? Is there a particular exit that's best for central York attractions (e.g., Minster, Shambles)?
