Rail Travel : Top 5 Reasons Why First Class is Worth It!
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Rail Travel : Top 5 Reasons Why First Class is Worth It!
I love train travel. Honestly, I wish it was available more in the States, but here we are. So we often travel by rail on our European adventures, and we have learned it is often best to splurge on First Class tickets when it comes to long distance train rides.
Hear me out. Having taken multiple European trips on a budget, sometimes it seems like it's worth the lack of comfort in standard class rail ticket to save a few dollars, but it is not.
During our recent trip to Belgium and Germany, this became very clear. On our second day we booked a standard class ticket from Brussels to Brugge. We figured it was only an hour away, no need to upgrade. We were wrong. First of all, the seats are not assigned. It is a free for all and you just take what you can get. The style of train compartment for this journey were 4 seats facing each other with a 'table' in the middle. In standard class, it is a very tight fit. We are no strangers to train travel when in Europe, but we are not surprised when someone we don't know sits down on the other side of the table.
After the hour of feeling like we were crammed in a sardine can, we opted to purchase first class tickets on our return. Since it was still the same train line, the compartment style was the similar with 4 seats groups and a table, but there was legroom for days! Although our seats were not assigned, there were far less people trying to cram into the first class cars.
The next day we traveled first class from Brussels, Belgium to Düsseldorf, Germany, a 3 hour train ride. We were able to reserve our seats and they were comfortable with a foot rest. It was such an enjoyable ride.
Here are my Top 5 reasons you should definitely upgrade to First Class on your next rail journey :
5. Quiet Cars | These are train cars are perfect for those who need to work or want to unwind on their journey. Guests are asked to limit conversation and speak in subdued tones. Phone calls are not allowed and all portable electronic devices must be muted or used with headphones. Like WiFi, availability does depend on the train line and route.
4. WiFi | This does depend on the train line and route, but many of the longer length voyages offer WiFi in first class in the price of your ticket.
3. Less Crowded | Larger seats means less seats, which means less crowded. After hustling and bustling through the cities, it is nice to sit in your own space during a journey, especially a long one. The cabins are usually quieter due to less people, as well.
2. Comfortable Seats | All trains are different, but I think we can all agree the first class seats are far more comfortable than those in standard class. On our ride from Brussels to Düsseldorf, the seat was fully adjustable/reclined, had plenty of space, also had a footrest and tray table.
1. Legroom | I am not a tall person, but I do love to stretch out. Even when sharing a table in a first class cabin, there is enough room that you don't feel the need to put your feet under your seat to keep from kicking your neighbor.
On top of these fantastic reasons, the price difference usually is not substantial and the comfort outweighs the cost, in my opinion.
Are you interested in learning more about a European vacation? Contact me today for a custom quote!
Get in touch with Ashley Tweedy
Ashley Tweedy
Hi! I’m Ashley, an Independent Luxury Travel Agent with Vincent Vacations. I love exploring the world with my husband and our two daughters. We love finding fun tours, amazing food and seeing all the views!
Traveling the world and experience different countries first hand is truly a passion. I love to share the knowledge I gain with my clients to make it the planning process easier and their time abroad more enjoyable.
Whether you want to roam your new favorite city, relax on a beach or discover the adventure of a lifetime, I would love to help you with your next adventure. Send me an email or click the Travel Lead Form to book your next adventure!
Ashley Tweedy
Rail Travel : Top 5 Reasons Why First Class is Worth It!
Tulsa Travel Agent Near Me
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Hi! I’m Ashley, an Independent Luxury Travel Agent with Vincent Vacations. I love exploring the world with my husband and our two daughters. We love finding fun tours, amazing food and seeing all the views! Traveling the world and experience different countries first hand is truly a passion. I love to share the knowledge I gain with my clients to make it the planning process easier and their time abroad more enjoyable. Whether you want to roam your new favorite city, relax on a beach or discover the adventure of a lifetime, I would love to help you with your next adventure. ... Read More >>>
An expert destination wedding travel agent near me with five star luxury travel packages with a luxury travel company, Vincent Vacations.
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Matt & Shannon | Traveled to Athens, Santorini & Paros in 2024 'Ashley booked a great trip that aligned with our wishlist and budget. She found great accommodations that were a dream to stay in and located perfectly for our desires. She helped with transportation needs and extra excursions that created a dynamic and memorable trip. Thankful for her assistance on our bucket list destination.'
Honeymoon in Italy
Erin & Zach | Traveled to Stresa, Florence, Positano & Rome in 2024 'Ashley was truly a gem to work with! My husband and I were completely blown away with the accommodations she was able to provide us during our honey moon in Italy! She kept open communication with us during the entire planning phase and was happy to answer any questions that came up. We will absolutely be working with her in the future on any family vacations!'
European Adventure
Willis Family | Traveled to Sicily, Italy then Nice & Paris, France in 2024 'Ashley did a great job planning our first European vacation as a family of 4. I was busy at work, and we made plans to celebrate a family member's milestone birthday in Sicily. We gave Ashley a suggested itinerary, and she ran with it, and improved upon it. The hotels, flights, transfers, etc. were all flawless. We recommend Ashley to everyone we know with travel plans, and we can't wait to work with her again!'
Michelle & Jason | Traveled to Rome, Paris & London in 2023 'Ashley from Vincent Vacations helped us plan our recent trip to Europe and it was a great experience! She guided us as we chose Rome, Paris and London for our destinations and helped us find tours and plan all transfers by car, train and plane. Our itinerary was put into an app on our phones that made it easy to check details for each day of our trip. Ashley quickly responded to all our questions and made us feel at ease.'
Munich, Germany
Haley | Traveled to Munich in 2023 'We had an excellent honeymoon in Munich, Germany thanks to Ashley Tweedy and Vincent Vacations! Ashley was able to get us an executive room at our hotel to access free breakfast & happy hour. She made the planning stress free by booking the flights, hotel, & tours. She was able to reschedule flights for us on the way home- (which decreased our travel time). She was prompt to answer questions I had via email while we were in Germany! She helped us navigate the train systems & make a day-to-day itinerary. We will definitely be reaching out to her again for our next European vacation!!'
Paris & London
Mel & Tom | Traveled to Paris & London in 2023 'My husband, Thomas and I both had a wonderful time during our European vacation. Ashely did an outstanding job planning our tours, hotels, and transportations to Paris, France, and London, England. She also arrived our flight to Uhingen, Germany to meet our sister in-law there. This made traveling together more enjoyable and put us at ease.
First, the travel app is outstanding! I highly recommend it to her clients. Secondly, the buses were nice with air conditioning. Our tours guides were exceptional! Directions and instructions clearly laid out which made it easy for us to arrive early to join our groups.
Our Paris and London hotels was genuinely nice, and the concierges were immensely helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable. We felt important and appreciated.
I cannot express how much we loved our European trip, and Ashley's planning was instrumental in our enjoyment! She was always available to answer our questions and help us with our concerns while on vacation. Ashley is an absolute professional! Tom and I will recommend you to our families, coworkers, and friend when planning their vacations!
Moreover, Tom and I will reach out to her when we plan vacations in the future. We think one of islands of Hawaii or Alaska would be a wonderful place to visit someday.
Again, thanks for all your patience, planning, and professionalism!'
Sicily & Rome, Italy
Michael | Traveled to Sicily & Rome, Italy in 2023 'We really enjoyed our Italian vacation that was designed by Vincent Vacations. Ashley Tweedy was very helpful during the entire process and was accessible to answer my questions. We had a few hiccups with airlines in Italy but she was able to help us through the whole process. I will book with her again.'
London, England
Mia | Traveled to London, England in 2023 'This is the first time we use a travel agent for our vacation. Ashley Tweedy was AMAZING!! She is very easy to work with and really cares about meeting her clients needs. I told her what I wanted for our first European vacation and she delivered. We stayed within our budget in a beautiful hotel that has a spectacular view of Tower Bridge. The tours and experiences she booked for us were fantastic and we learned so much. She even answered my question when we were in London and it was a stress free vacation and we were able to make memories and enjoyed our time there. I highly recommend working with Ashley and Vincent Vacations. Highly recommend her!!'
Scotland, England & Italy
Bailey | Traveled to Scotland, England & Italy in 2023 'Ashley did an amazing job booking out our 2 weeks Europe vacation! Our transfers were all super easy & our accommodations were in great locations, plus we LOVED all of our hotels. I would highly recommend Ashley, and we will use her again in the future!'
Madrid, Barcelona & London
Priscila | Traveled to Madrid & Barcelona, Spain and London, England in 2023 'We used Ashley Tweedy for our first trip to Europe, and we will certainly use her again! She was very quick in planning everything out for us, and all the places she booked for us were excellent and in great locations central to everything! We had such a great time, and we will gladly reach out to her again to plan our next trip :)'
Lisbon, Portugal
Sydney | Traveled to Lisbon, Portugal in 2023 'I cannot recommend Ashley Tweedy and Vincent Vacations enough. She was so accommodating with planning our trip to Portugal and very responsive. The trip went as perfect as it could thanks to her planning and knowing that she was a phone call away allowed us to relax even more. The tours that she helped us pick out and book were all of the highest quality and we never felt like we didn't have options for things to do when we were in Lisbon. She completely blew it out of the park for the hotel that she chose for us and we loved that our hotel was within our budget yet it was so beautiful and had a view of the ocean! Because this vacation went as well as it did, I am planning a trip every year and only booking through Vincent Vacations.'
Washington, DC
Stacy | Traveled to Washington DC in 2023 'Ashley was great to work with! Our hotel was in a great location and walking distance to museums and the metro. I can’t wait to work with Ashley again!'
Disney Cruise to Cozumel, Mexico
Samantha | Travel to Cozumel, Mexico on a Disney Cruise in 2023 'Ashley was AMAZING to work with! Prompt responses, excellent communication, gave us great options when it came to planning our vacation. We booked a Disney Cruise out of New Orleans with Ashley and through her, we literally just had to show up and enjoy ourselves. We will definitely be booking all our vacations with her from now on! Would 10/10 recommend her to all our friends and family!'
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Kelsie | Travel to Tulsa in 2023 'Working with Ashley was a fantastic and smooth process. The trip turned out better than planned! I will definitely continue to use her for all future travel. '
Prague, Czech Republic
Jeremy | Travel to Prague in 2022 'Vincent Vacations and my Rep Ashley Tweedy provided a stellar experience. Everything was as advertised and the trip was a blast. I will be using them exclusively in the future and couldn’t recommend enough!!'
I recently sailed on the Scarlet Lady for the Fire & Sunset Soirees Sailing from Miami with Virgin Voyages. This was my first cruise ever, not just with Virgin Voyages but with any cruise line.
Virgin Voyages is an Adults Only cruise line that offers a mix of fun, fitness & relaxation. Love theme nights? This may be the cruise line for you!
Here are 5 things that surprised me :
I was NOT Bored - I am a Europe Traveler. Like hit the ground running, 20k+ steps per day, see ALL the things kind of traveler. I was so worried I would be bored “stuck” on a cruise. Nope. Not on Virgin Voyages. You can be as busy (or not busy) as you want. Trivia, summer camp crafts, puzzle contests, yoga, HIIT workout classes and entertaining shows are just a few of the activities we took part in. These don’t sound like your jam? Don’t worry, there were many more options. They even have a casino and tattoo parlor on board. Want to relax? There is a spa on each ship and the hammock on the Sea Terrace was wonderful with the breeze and a book!
The Food - Honestly, I was dreading the food. I get disappointed with bad food, so I was happily surprised by how good the food was at each of the restaurants. The best part no traditional buffets. They have a food court area with different stations that could be considered a buffet, but definitely didn’t have that feel. Also, you didn’t serve yourself, so that was a plus.
Ease of Moving around the Ship - These ships are huge (not the largest cruise ships, but huge). Once I started to remember the name of the different areas and rooms of the shop, moving around was quite easy. There is also a map on the app that makes finding the different locations very easy.
Toilets - Not sure what I was expecting here but they are like airline toilets. Not bad, but surprising.
Size of the Staterooms - Upon first glance I was a little shocked by the size of the stateroom. This was my first cruise, I literally have nothing else to compare it to. None the less, my bestie and I navigated around each other easily. We found dedicated places for our bags (if you’re an unpacker, they can fit under the bed) and were able to have plenty of space to get ready each morning and evening.
Let’s just say, I was happily surprised by my first cruising experience and can’t wait to sail next time with my husband!
Want to experience sailing with Virgin Voyages for yourself? Fill out my registration form or send me an email and we will get started!
I love train travel. Honestly, I wish it was available more in the States, but here we are. So we often travel by rail on our European adventures, and we have learned it is often best to splurge on First Class tickets when it comes to long distance train rides.
Hear me out. Having taken multiple European trips on a budget, sometimes it seems like it's worth the lack of comfort in standard class rail ticket to save a few dollars, but it is not.
During our recent trip to Belgium and Germany, this became very clear. On our second day we booked a standard class ticket from Brussels to Brugge. We figured it was only an hour away, no need to upgrade. We were wrong. First of all, the seats are not assigned. It is a free for all and you just take what you can get. The style of train compartment for this journey were 4 seats facing each other with a 'table' in the middle. In standard class, it is a very tight fit. We are no strangers to train travel when in Europe, but we are not surprised when someone we don't know sits down on the other side of the table.
After the hour of feeling like we were crammed in a sardine can, we opted to purchase first class tickets on our return. Since it was still the same train line, the compartment style was the similar with 4 seats groups and a table, but there was legroom for days! Although our seats were not assigned, there were far less people trying to cram into the first class cars.
The next day we traveled first class from Brussels, Belgium to Düsseldorf, Germany, a 3 hour train ride. We were able to reserve our seats and they were comfortable with a foot rest. It was such an enjoyable ride.
Here are my Top 5 reasons you should definitely upgrade to First Class on your next rail journey :
5. Quiet Cars | These are train cars are perfect for those who need to work or want to unwind on their journey. Guests are asked to limit conversation and speak in subdued tones. Phone calls are not allowed and all portable electronic devices must be muted or used with headphones. Like WiFi, availability does depend on the train line and route.
4. WiFi | This does depend on the train line and route, but many of the longer length voyages offer WiFi in first class in the price of your ticket.
3. Less Crowded | Larger seats means less seats, which means less crowded. After hustling and bustling through the cities, it is nice to sit in your own space during a journey, especially a long one. The cabins are usually quieter due to less people, as well.
2. Comfortable Seats | All trains are different, but I think we can all agree the first class seats are far more comfortable than those in standard class. On our ride from Brussels to Düsseldorf, the seat was fully adjustable/reclined, had plenty of space, also had a footrest and tray table.
1. Legroom | I am not a tall person, but I do love to stretch out. Even when sharing a table in a first class cabin, there is enough room that you don't feel the need to put your feet under your seat to keep from kicking your neighbor.
On top of these fantastic reasons, the price difference usually is not substantial and the comfort outweighs the cost, in my opinion.
Are you interested in learning more about a European vacation? Contact me today for a custom quote!