Champagne doesn’t flow at 6 AM on a Tuesday. Book a first class ticket for a mid-week, mid-day journey. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are your VIP passes. Everyone wants to travel Friday night or Sunday afternoon—don’t be everyone.
Also, check if your route has “split ticketing.” That is, buy two separate first class tickets for the same train (e.g., London to Birmingham, then Birmingham to Manchester). It can be half the price of a single “London to Manchester” first class ticket. The system is weird. Exploit it.
How we saved almost 60% on First Class train tickets - Which?
And please, for the love of comfortable travel, use a cashback website. TopCashback or Quidco will give you a few pounds back on every ticket. That’s the cost of your free coffee upgrade.
Alerts, Alerts, Alerts
Stop checking train sites like a maniac. Let the internet work for you. Set up a price alert on apps like Trainline or specific operator pages. They’ll email you when first class prices drop.
Alternatively, follow the train operators on social media. They promote “secret sales” at 2 PM on a rainy Thursday. Be the person who sees the tweet first and snaps up that £29 first class ticket to Edinburgh. You’ll feel like a champion.
