Great Western Coffee Shop

Can anyone advise  what is the cheapest weekday first class ticket from Taunton to London, returning later the same day.

I seek here an off peak ticket that may be purchased on the day of use and that is valid on several trains, not an advance purchase ticket that is tied to a particular train.
Outward travel about lunchtime, preferably on the 13-34 from Taunton, return from London preferably on the 19-03, though other trains considered if much cheaper.

Off Peak 1st Return. ^210.00

Valid out after 0840 and return after 1831. So fine for the two trains you mentioned. As well as earlier trains from Taunton and the 1835, 1945, 2035 and 2145 back from Paddington.

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If you take the 1245 out and 1835 return you can do:

Off Peak 1st Return Taunton - Castle Cary ^24.40
Off Peak 1st Return Castle Cary - Newbury ^86.30
Off Peak Day 1st Return Newbury - Swanley ^45.70
TOTAL: ^156.40

Both the 1245 and 1835 call at Castle Cary and Newbury so splitting at those stations is fine. The Newbury - Swanley ticket allows you to end and start short at Paddington. It carries restriction code F3 (one I'm well versed in!) which has no evening peak restriction off Paddington. I have assurances from the very top of GWR that gateline sstaff at Paddington are now fully aware of restriction codes C4 and F3 so there should be no problem using the Swanley ticket.

Ridiculously expensive for such a short journey, you can do a return flight to Amsterdam BA from Heathrow for less than ^100  to put it into perspective.

On the day with flexibility of departures?

Looking at tomorrow out and back with BA LHR-AMS, it's around ^540 Economy for flexible tickets.

I would personally thing long and hard before choosing to travel first class at these fares - however, it's a free market and nothing wrong with offering the choice provided there's sensible (we can discuss that word) alternative. The super off peak standard class return at ^74.70 is perhaps a better comparison - unless that ^100 is business class. I can find it a bit cheaper ( ^59 ) with advance singles if I'm happy with a really limited number of options.

That airfare comparison does need to be walk-up business (at leadt, ought to be First, but it isn't offered in the air)

Both your mentioned trains convey the Pullman restaurant, so in theory you can travel in First Class without paying for the privilege, so long as you eat slowly!

Are you seriously suggesting that FGW's First class offering ought to be considered as on a par with British Airways First class?

Do feel free to compare and contrast!  ;D

http://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/travel-classes/first/first

Indeed, and I might do just that !
If however the Pullman in one direction is not available or is full of first class customers, I really do not fancy steerage and would therefore have to pay on the train the difference between the full open first class single and the steerage ticket held.
That would probably cost more than the proposed discounted first class return. And the hassle of looking for the train manager to pay the excess, or the risk of sitting in first BEFORE paying the excess and looking as though I am trying to get away with it.

Not on the Amsterdam route, which is what the comparison was with.

Obviously not. Chalk and cheese. So let's look at a flexible Economy Class return to Amsterdam for tomorrow (closest to 'walk up' you'll get) and compare that with the 1st Class return rail fare of ^210 from Taunton to Paddington.

Cheapest flexible ^574.
Cheapest fixed departures ^387

Oh, and you cannot turn up 10 minutes before departure and get on a plane.

Or we could look at a longer term Advance booking on both. Economy and Standard Class. Ten weeks time. Out 26th April. Back 27th April. Similar times of day.

Flight: ^109 (1440 out, 1755 return)
Train: ^62.50 (1424 out, 1803 return)

Whilst comparing Taunton to Paddington by train with Heathrow to Schipol is totally arbitrary, I cannot find any instance where similar products, available at similar timescales, have the train being more expensive than the flight.


Skewed perspective.