Is THIS the UK's Best Value First Class Ticket? Avanti West Coast, Crewe to Holyhead
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- čas přidán 2. 08. 2024
- I took the Avanti West Coast Super Voyager train from Crewe to Holyhead to see what they had on offer in First Class. Not only on the train but in the lounge at Crewe too!
Come with me as I show you what you get for your money. We'll start off in the lounge for a bit of breakfast before catching our train all the way over to Holyhead and seeing what the onboard catering is like. Whilst not taking this too seriously, I'll add up the prices of individual items along the way and ask the question: is it worth it?
Thanks as always guys for taking the time to watch my videos. All likes, comments, subs are massively appreciated and it really encourages me to make more content for you all to enjoy.
Cheers for now.
Mark
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📖Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
00:45 - Crewe First Class Lounge
03:06 - Crewe to Prestatyn
06:46 - Breakfast
07:20 - Onwards to Anglesey
10:47 - Arriving into Holyhead and summary
Route map: OpenStreetMap (annotated)
www.openstreetmap.org/
Ahh love it mate, a bargain and a beautiful journey all rolled into one!
Cheers Steve, and a lovely breakfast too!
Am watching this in a library. Got the sound low & subtitles on!! It's great seeing what the people doing the subtitles think he is saying!! Will = Rhyl; Cowin Bay = Colwyn Bay; Candido Junction = Llandudno Junction
Great value as people say the breakfast was a pleasant surprise plus the lounge
The North Wales coast always looks stunning plus Conwy and the castle
I haven't been on a train in that area since a child
(Although regularly visit Llandudno from Liverpool)
I travelled to York for the first time in first class from Liverpool the staff were great but you only got a drink and a packet of crisps! Plus had to change at Leeds as train wasn't continuing to Newcastle
No first class lounges either for transpennine express
However I did get basically half my fare refunded for delays within 48hrs
Great video
By the looks of what we saw in the video Holyhead must be in the running for the grottiest station of the year award!
I wouldn't argue with that! A fascinating place though with all the memories and signage of the old ferry/rail terminal. Hope they do something with it.
Given how busy the train was this is definitely great value. The Manchester to London 1st Class fares are crazy expensive even on an advanced ticket since Avanti took over.
I can’t justify first class with Avanti on the WCML tbh. Seatfrog may be an option but even that has become difficult to find any real bargains on.
London to Manchester even in virgin trains days was expensive, flexible or advance fare. Since covid and the government/DfT controlling the railway, there are less advance fares nowadays because Government/DfT takes all of the ticket sales (compare to pre-covid where TOC's took the sales) and therefore control the purse strings of the railway, so obviously less advance fares means the public has to buy the more expensive tickets etc = more money in their pockets. And then because of the governement/dFT also wanting to cut corners to make the railway more efficent its why you see first class on all TOCs' pretty much cutback compared to precovid, but still the same price (or sometimes more expensive). EMR is a pure example, no first class lounges, no proper first class cooked items.
That said, London to Manchester, defintiely look at ticket split especially on first as usually advance fares if you split at Nuneaton or/and Stockport, you can save a couple of quid. I did a search recently for 2 days in advance ticket splitting at those 2 stations, £40+ saving so instead of £240, it was £198.
I'm waiting for my train driver course for Avanti, can't wait to drive the new trains!!
It's nice to see wet and windy parts of my homeland that i've never visited. Cheers
It will be interesting to compare the service, seat comfort, food and snack offerings etc when the Hitachi 805s take over from the 221s in the not too distant future.
I did Manchester to Holyhead once on a TfW service. Just a 2-car 175. The stock then made up the Holyhead - Cardiff service. Both services, to and from Holyhead were uncomfortably busy. A great welcoming for any tourist travelling to or from Ireland. I feel sorry for people in North Wales who rely on TfW services, especially compared to the investment in the south, and most of all around Cardiff.
Lovely trip , most enjoyable. Hope you are well and safe, cheers.
Great job, mate. Always improving! A nice brekkie like that is well worth the upgrade.
Thanks Rachel.
Great video, hope all is well and hope you have a great weekend, take care
Hahahaha… I love the quest to get good value out of the first class ticket! Looks like you did really well… The kombucha being free is very generous!
Yep, I didn’t want to take the p but if it’s free…..
Excellent value for your money, mate 👏
Good video. Nice to see you travel along the North Wales coast where I live. Looked a very comfortable journey.
Cheers Keith, yes I've done that journey a few times. Not always had a decent breakfast but TfW's Gerald would probably beat it on quality, not on price though.
Great video Mark. You have tempted me to book the same journey!
I’d definitely recommend it, maybe combined with a ferry too 👍
Great value indeed Mark. Nicely done with the freebies from the lounge, if they're on offer, why not i say ! Great to get a bonus breakfast on the train too !
Yep, they can afford it!
So glad to see you got your money's worth, great video, thanks for posting, I hope everything's OK out there in India my friend 👍
Love your vids, Mark. Cheers from OZ.
Cheers Jim 😊👍
Loved your video with its content
Cheers Davie
Funny watching this video with all the sunburn all over me from todays heatwave in the Highlands, on the same day multiple trains failed from overheating! Lol. I have been to Bangor and the coast route you taken by train I desperately want to do since i have been there. Even in the awful weather you had it still looks fantastic to see :) and absolutely First Class on LNER from Inverness to Edinburgh really worth it with all the food, tea, coffee, snacks etc. First Class with ScotRail still has no catering making it not worth while. For me the food, drinks and snacks is what makes First Class worthwhile
I’ve never been able to get an economical 1st class ticket on Avanti. You did a great job though very enjoyable.
Thanks, tried my best to get my money’s worth! It’s like hotel toiletries isn’t it - I’ve paid for them, I’m gonna take them home 😂
Hi. Hope you are well. Very enjoyable video as always, we always look forward to seeing your next video. Have a good weekend Best wishes David and Beverley Norfolk
Thanks both, hope you’re good too. Next vid will be a little late this week as I’m over in India but I’m endeavouring to get it done!
Wow Mark what a bargain you got 2 breakies and beautiful Train I always found Holyhead a dirty place has it changed,? We will have to tell Steve marsh about this trip that's value for your money mate all the best John 😊
Been on this trip many times. Euston to holyhead or chester to holyhead. Views where the best of almost all the rail journies ;ok west high land line)
Never get tired of those views of the Welsh Coast on this line. Plus Conwy, the bridges - just fantastic!
Nice train, tasty snacks, nice guitar music, nice trip for £31. Shame about the weather, but this is Blighty.
Great value and brilliant Video. The boat is also nicknamed the Funship
Cheers Jack, yep, an interesting history that boat has!
@@LetsMakeaTrip do you remember that film on the buses did in Pontins in Prestatyn and they went on the ship at sea, is it that one do you think?
I defo would pay it Mark just for the breakfast its well worth it.
I agree Robert. In fact, you could probably just go as far as Bangor for the breakfast (even cheaper).
I have done this just a short while ago (travelling from the Netherlands to Portlaoise in Ireland and back. The first class in these Avanti West Coast trains is excellent. Better as in Eurostar which is also serving a meal during the journey (which is not bad either, but they are not serving hot food). In Belgium and here in the Netherlands there are no foods and drinks at all on any train: you have to buy something yourself before boarding. So that Eurostar and Aventi West Coast are offering just that in the first class and even "for free" (it's included in your ticketprice I guess) is very good service indeed. And for 1st class Interrail card holders (like me) the food and drinks in those trains are a real treat. I do not take that for granted. And again: Aventi is the winner for me because Eurostar is not serving hot food.
If you come back Jaap, I recommend the Transport for Wales loco-hauled service between Manchester/Holyhead & Cardiff. The food on that train is amazing - it will blow you away. Video coming out this Friday will show you more.
Awesome Mark from Alan in Lowestoft buddy 😊
Thanks Alan
Another good video Mark. I also try to go 1st where I can justify the extra, or there's an offer on. I used to use Seatfrog for upgrades on LNER; but they are getting very expensive. Because the Lincoln to Kings Cross service has the bottom tier menu; it's very difficult to justify £15 for essentially, a bacon roll with coffee.
I can also recommend the TFW Gerald service from Cardiff to Chester and the GWR Pullman service out of Paddington (though I only had breakfast when they used to do it). Both excellent journeys with some great food.
Spent quite a bit of time on Gerald - the upgrade on the old service was an absolute bargain! Seatfrog these days has gone absolutely crap and I’ve pretty-much given-up using it. Just nothing much around unfortunately.
That was a jolly pound-worth trip, Mark. I really enjoyed following it and remembering my time in Cymru. My first job after university was selling ice cream in a Parisella's (Conwy) ice cream van around north Wales and I lived in Colwyn Bay for a couple of months. Yea, I would pay for first class to get all those extras which probably have worked out the same in economy class, if you ate and drank the same (or even less). The weather? Well, Britain I suppose. Mustn't grumble.
Cheers Paul. Colwyn Bay, yep I might nip up that way for some sea air soon. Think I need it. Not sure there’ll be many ice creams consumed though now!
You travelled and ate /drank like a king! Bit of an upgrade from the cheese and onion crisps, skittles and Opal fruits on previous Outing.
Haha, yes it was Gareth! I did try and make the most of it. AWC can afford it!
great bargain really, would definitely think about it
Yes, I got my money’s worth I think and quite happy with the service all-in-all 👍
Hi Mark. I often get LNER 1st from Alnmouth-Newcastle. 12.80, often the same price as a single on TP or CC. You get cup of tea and biscuit in lounge..then G+T and sandwich and brownie. Well worth it.
Yes, I always where possible book in advance first class and return, I also reserve a seat, some operators allow the seat to be specified if far enough before travel. Can often work out cheaper than a bought on the day standard class return for same journey and time period. Not done the trip to the ferry in daylight as always took a night sailing and in winter.
You certainly got your money's worth!😂👍
I hope so Sheila!
Good stuff. Great value. I was disappointed that you didn't attempt to pronounce Llanfair PG 😢😂, and you didn't show Llanfairfechan (where I went on a field trip in 1964).😊 Crewe also brings back happy memories. Keep up the good work, you're starting to rival Geoff Marshall 👍
Cheers Mike, not sure I'm going to rival Mr Marshall but at least I try to reply to as many comments as I can! lol
Quality snaffling 👍👍
Haha, cheers mate!
That's brilliant. I've done the same liberating items from the lounges at Brum new st and Euston. Avanti 1st class is brilliant, and you played it perfectly. Bet you were stuffed after all that food
Cheers, yep, it’s like hotel toiletries, tea, coffee etc. I’ve paid for it,I’m gonna take it home! 😂
I have done the glasgow to london route and vice versa, and yeah we pretty much get our moneys worth of snacks in the lounge. Sometimes too much and then we get full before boarding. And on all times due to issues outside anyones control, we end up sometimes being delayed so we always get 50% off our money back, so even more of a bargain. And then because of the delays, we ended with extra food etc, which we aren't turning down. Did it before £75 advance each then with delay repay, got £37.50 back so 1st class for £37.50 is a bargain for 2 hot meals each onboard, all the snacks in the lounge, and the first class tickets.
Nice video as usual, and a part of the world I've never been to. Surprised the line isn't electrified though. I've heard bad things about Voyagers, especially the smell - how was it? And definitely got your money's worth! Excellent value for a small First uplift!
Cheers mate. Not sure about the smell thing - seemed ok to me. I see the electrification of this line might now be a thing (well, I’ll believe it when I see it!). Will lose something for me though if it ever happens.
Clever wee idea.. I wonder how many calories you got for your money.. 😉… must beat a kitkat on an over night flix bus from London to Glasgow
Loads I would imagine! It sure does beat the coach tbh!
When I use trains i always try to use rangers/rovers you save massively
Agree, but for first class travel in this instance it was the right thing to do.
Yes I have done that before
Hope you got as much out of it as I did.
Excellent 🏆🏆🙏🙏🏆
Thank you 😊😊😊🚄🚄🚄🚄🚄🏴🏴🏴
if i can afford a first class we grab it, set an alert for early tickets, Doncaster to Dundee returns (we are going in November for a weekend) to upgrade cost us £1 each extra!
Excellent video. I much prefer the Super Voyagers to the Pendolinos. You did very well getting such a great priced First Class ticket. I find it annoying that Avanti don't highlight in their timetables when they serve Breakfast, as Virgin used to. I'd find it very useful knowing in advance what should be offered before the journey.
Jeers mate. Yes it would be useful I agree. Maybe they don’t want to over-promise and under-deliver!
What a beautiful journey, and wow, you can eat a lot! 😂
All for the purposes of entertainment Marianne! 😂
@@LetsMakeaTrip 😂😂
Worth the price for food and drink, features are kinda standard first class though
They are. I maxed out the free stuff tbh and the views were great - plus points. 😊👍
Mm sad thing is that whilst one can, from ///any/// GB rail station, buy a very good value rail / sail thru ticket (and no luggage restrictions) to any of the ports in Ireland (ie to Belfast, to Dublin or to Rosslare), one can now no longer buy a thru rail / sail / rail ticket to any rail station in Ireland, N or S (eg Dumbarton to Derry, Gillingham to Galway, Welwyn to Waterford etc). Now, on arrival in Ireland, one has to separately buy the relevant Translink (NI) or Iarnrod Eireann (Republic) rail one. The same applies now the other way: OK a thru sail / rail ticket to any GB rail station from any of those ports but no longer a thru ticket from (say) Cork to Chelmsford etc.
I didn’t realise that. Last time I was looking, I bought a through ticket from Shrewsbury to Wexford (via Rosslare). That’s going back about 3 years iirc.
I tried a similar way to order on board an LNER service from King's Cross to Leeds last year, but Avanti seems to have better choices (LNER has a skeleton menu). Anyway, £16 is a good value for first class. The cheapest first class ticket I bought was a promotional €15 fare between Bologna and Milan on an Italo High Speed Train on Easter Sunday in 2018. That class, called Prima, is a great value.
Wales is still somewhere I have to visit, as I did not have the chance so far, maybe next year as I am planning to visit Northern Ireland in December.
Wales is lovely mate, you can take this train, the boat, then the train/coach up to Belfast and beyond. LNER btw have different menus for different time trains. It gets quite complicated but they print out which one will get you which service.
I’ve done this route twice now on steam hauled rail tours.
That would be pretty good! I must look out for them.
Great video thanks.
After watching many train travel videos messaged my son who was travelling Glasgow to MK yesterday to upgrade to first class. He settled for premium economy, much better 5 hours than packed in like sardines.
Help have I set a standard he will expect me to fund on his future train travel? Yes I do spoil him. I blame all you u tubers 😂😂😂
Haha, sorry about that! You can’t beat a decent upgrade though 😊👍
Great deal. Good reminder for us all that 1st class is not just the option for fat-cat business people!
Hope you are enjoying your time in India. Looking forward to "I took the X34 bus from New Delhi to Mumbai" 😉
Cheers mate. I have plenty of stories to tell of India already!!
I don't understand ticket prices. I recently bought a first class single ticket for £39.50. The standard class ticket on the exact same train was £40.00
I’ve travelled with that company before from Glasgow to London, and to be honest, it wasn’t worth the money I paid as the service was awful. However, your video was rather interesting.
Not sure when you travelled with them but sounds like you had some bad luck and got one of the bad journeys. I have done the glasgow to london multiple times, and it is hit and miss, but majority of the time the service is quite good. But I do think it depends on the staff as well. Some tend to be over generous and give you multiple hot meals on the journey whereas some just give you one hot meal. I know technically you are only meant to get 1 meal per ticket but the multiple meals is usually a bonus.
I think first class has improved more recently though, as avanti did go through a rough patch a while ago, with staff issues and stock issues (been told their food suppliers were having issues supplying products).
Dont ya just love that one person who manages to spread out so much they have a 4 seat table all to themselves....
I travel with a medical assistance Springer spaniel with his Bright red jacket and lead with all the writing on it and often walk up and down the aisle saying out loud to the dog "Look at all the folks taking up 2 seats with their bags boy"..does anyone ever make room, of course not.
Lots of times ended up sitting on that crew seat near the toilet or simply standing....on a First class ticket.
Train travel....Bluurrgghh
Btw..the Welsh translation for any place starting with a double letter "L" is CLAN...So its Clandudno.))
Haha, nice one!
I recently bought an anytime first class ticket for £15 on Avanti from Holyhead to Bangor (to escape Holyhead on a rover ticket which wasn't valid before 0900). Std Class was £10 and I received a coffee and a bacon sandwich for £5 difference. Bargain!
i live in LLJ x
Bargain! A lovely journey too.
It was,, cheers Tim 😊👍
Avanti West Coast are to replace the Class 221 Voyagers once the Class 805 Bi-Mode trains have begun service and CrossCountry are to inherit the Class 221 or perhaps Grand Central should inherit the Class 221.
Cheers Andrew. I’ll be sure to try them as and when. In the meantime, this was good, yes. But the best imo is TfW Gerald services.
I’d passed through Crewe on some of TfW winter services Pre-Covid out of Manchester Piccadilly via Stockport on my way to Chester for the connection to Holyhead when going home to Ireland - it reverses out of Crewe which is a bit strange, but I do try to get Avanti out of Chester to Holyhead where possible - I just wish they had more direct services from Manchester to Holyhead on SailRail though, as TfW trains are tiny by comparison to Avanti and the connections at Chester & Lladnuo can be very tight when travelling with a heavy suitcase - one possible workaround is to get a Northern from Manchester Victoria to Chester and Avanti to Holyhead as TfW don’t call at Deansgate/Castlefield (for the Metrolink) which is a bit odd as especially when travelling via Metrolink from Shudehill/Market St, Platform 13 at Piccadilly is a real hassle when getting tickets/information after climbing out of the Metrolink platforms at Piccadilly
There aren’t many Avanti services to Holyhead I agree. What I would recommend though as an alternative would be the loco-hauled TfW services from Cardiff. You’ll certainly get a decent first class seat (and meal) on those!
There aren’t many Avanti services to Holyhead I agree. What I would recommend though as an alternative would be the loco-hauled TfW services from Cardiff. You’ll certainly get a decent first class seat (and meal) on those!
Hope your OK nd well
Not too bad Dave, thanks.
Edinburgh to Inverness(or vv) on the 1st class LNER for less than £40....
Sounds good. Hope you get as much as I did for the money. I'll give it a go if so!
@@LetsMakeaTrip snacks with Whisky... hot meal and pudding.. more drinks.. left EDB on time 70 mins late late into Inverness due track circuit failure auto delay repay from LNER so trip less than £20..
I am surprised there is not a sleeper service between Euston to Holyhead.
It’s not far enough is it?
Isn't Wolverhampton now managed by WMT? If so closing the lounge makes sense, since they don't have first anymore.
Yes
I didn't know that Andrew. Obviously Avanti still call at the station, like they do at Crewe. I think the old lounge there went back to Virgin's day tbh.
Holyhead to Dublin ? Irish ferries next ? 😏
One of my forthcoming plans mate 👍
Are they still doing Sail N' Rail from Dublin to England? I thought that was a great value when I was able to use it.
Yes, it's still available. I did the trip from Lincoln a few years ago. £49 from Lincoln-Dublin. The train to Holyhead broke down on route and went out of service; and by the time I arrived at Holyhead I had missed my ferry. With the delay for the next one; it meant I was three hours late arriving. But, it did give me more time to enjoy the Club Class upgrade offering (wine, snacks and more wine) and because it was a through ticket from Lincoln-Dublin; I got a delay repay claim for the whole £49. Also, the last time I checked; Lincoln to Dublin was CHEAPER than Lincoln to Holyhead!
@@CB-OnTheGo When I took it, I think it was £39 to and from Dublin to any place in England (I was going to and coming from Sussex)>
I only had one problem, on one trip I was booked on a non-existent ferry trip (the ship was in drydock) out of Holyhead. Fortunately there was a nearby pub that kindly let me stay way past closing whilst I waited for the next one!
Do you go straight to the lounge and board your train from there? How does it help in avoiding the crowds?
The first class lounge is above the station, on the footbridge. You cant board the train from here, you would have to go off the footbridge onto the platform. You still have the crowd to deal with, but if you know what platformt the train is coming in on, you can sometimes beat the crowd if you are quick enough.
Is it me or is it that every northern England station has a Platform 14b that is miles away from any other platform and is no particular order? I’m from London and am used to 1-16 in order and nothing else
Try Doncaster platform zero. I swear that it's so far away from the main station; that it has a different postcode!
No seat booking available?
Seat booking normally compulsory.
No wonder you could not get through the door at the end after all you ate and had in your pockets.😂
HAHA, that's very true!
How many cases had the person getting off the train at the end got with him?
It’s amazing how much luggage some people travel with!
You would be surprised, you think some people have took their entire house with them witht he amout of suitcases they take with them. Seen it on EMR services where one group have pretty took up both luggages spaces in one carriage, leaving the other customers to have their lugagge in the aisles.
stuff the221s rubbish train uncomfortable ,probably worst train invented ,had to put up with them on the west coast line try second class with the constant bogies rattling there tit s off
It was more about the first class experience really but I get what you're saying.