The secret hacks you need to know to save up to 54% on first class train tickets

Careful planning in advance – combined with a few smart checks – can make all the difference when it comes to snagging a cheap first class ticket.

Follow our guide to the ins and outs of traveling in style and a whole new world of British trains opens up, including bigger seats, soft drinks and snacks on shorter journeys, and hot meals and alcoholic drinks on long-haul routes like Avanti.

We’ve tried all the tricks to get first class tickets at discounted prices – here’s what we found…

Is there really an easy way? get a cheap first class ticket?

Yes. Log in to the Seatfrog auction app (seatfrog.com). After purchasing a standard class for a trip, it is possible to bid for an upgrade to first class. A limited number of such upgrades are available on most trains. It’s a straightforward system: the highest bid wins, and the auction ends 30 minutes before departure.

During a random check, we found that a standard ticket from London Euston to Penrith at 1:40pm cost £94, while a first class ticket cost £230. Seatfrog allows you to upgrade for £36. So the first class ticket actually cost £130 – a saving of £100 (or 43 per cent off).

There are first class tickets for all trains Services offered on Seatfrog?

Almost all. Transport for Wales has just joined, but Scotrail and Hull Trains are not taking part.

If you do not participate in a Seatfrog auction, Is it better to book in advance or wait until the last moment?

It’s usually best to book well in advance, says Mark Smith of the website Seat61.com. When we checked, a first class flight from York to Edinburgh cost £59.80 ten weeks in advance. This compares to £91.70 on the day (54 per cent more).

Is there an exact best time? book in advance?

For long-distance routes, eight to twelve weeks is best as this is when most train operators publish timetables and prices are usually lowest. In this “sweet spot,” tariffs can be up to 75 percent cheaper. Some operators allow you to book bargain fares even further in advance: LNER is 20 weeks and Hull Trains is 26 weeks.

What about very Last minute offers?

These are possible and worth checking out if the Seatfrog app isn’t right for you. On trainline.com we found on the day of the trip that the difference between first and standard class for the Bristol to Penzance route was just £22.10 – £83.50 instead of £61.40. For London King’s Cross to Edinburgh, a last-minute first class ticket cost £138.90 (booked 30 minutes before travel), while journeys later that week cost £173 to £299.

Are some routes more suitable? first-class offers than others?

Yes. According to Railsmartr.co.uk, the best prices are usually found by traveling between regional stations and avoiding London. It highlights that a first class flight from York to London on the same day and around the same time can cost £95 (for a journey of 1 hour and 52 minutes), while York-Edinburgh in first class is just £52 can cost (for a journey of 1 hour and 52 minutes). Travel time 2h 37m).

How about an upgrade? once you’re on board?

If available, this is sometimes possible – you have to ask the security guard. Particularly low rates may be available on weekends and public holidays. The cost to travel on the Great Western Railway and Greater Anglia is between £10 and on the LNER between £10 and £45. You can pay there with your card and then move on.

What about Avanti? West Coast trains?

It differs from the others in two upgrade options: Standard Premium and First Class. You’ll sit in the same carriages for both – with wider seats and a guaranteed table – but the standard award doesn’t get you free food or drink. Current first class upgrade prices are similar to LNER. If booked in advance, Saturday fares between London and Glasgow can be £85 (standard), £120 (standard premium) and £199.50 (first class). On all journeys the standard award is from £17.50 extra.

Are there discounts for the Bahncard? to first class tickets?

Yes, if tickets are purchased in advance. They do not work for upgrades available through Seatfrog or onboard.

Any other Travel tips?

Try boarding a train in a dining car. Although first class passengers receive priority bookings, standard class ticket holders can also dine at GWR.

When does GWR dine? Driving cars?

GWR’s Pullman Dining is housed in a vintage-style Pullman carriage and is available Monday to Friday on the Paddington to Plymouth services at 1:03pm and 7:04pm. 5:48pm Paddington to Swansea; 1:15pm and 6:16pm Plymouth to Paddington; and Swansea to Paddington at 12.23pm (gwr.com). It costs £37 for two courses or £44 for three courses; Wine starts at £17 a bottle.

What about transportation? Dining service in Wales?

Two courses £21.95 (with a bottle of wine £37) or three courses £24.95 (with a bottle of wine £40); For details, see the First Class menu at tfw.wales.