• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

A Moment With Franca

A Family, Lifestyle & Travel Blog

  • Home
  • About
    • About Me
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
  • Family
    • Family Events
    • Family Life
    • Family Days Out
    • Birthdays
  • Lifestyle
    • Home & Interiors
    • Bathrooms
    • Bedrooms
    • Garden
    • Kitchen
    • Health
  • Travel
    • Days Out
    • Things To Do In London
    • Holidays
    • Press Trips
  • Reviews
    • Theatre & Shows
    • Days Out
    • Toys & Games
    • Fashion
    • Hair & Beauty
  • Seasonal
    • Christmas
    • Halloween
    • Mother’s Day
    • Father’s Day
    • Easter
    • Valentine’s Day
  • Giveaways
  • Show Search
Hide Search

Family Trip To Durham with Virgin Trains East Coast

amomentwithfranca · 12 October 2016 · 47 Comments

During the summer we were contacted by Virgin Trains East Coast to review their First Class service to one of the destinations on the East Coast line, such as Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle, York, Leeds, Aberdeen, Durham and Lincoln among others. We chose Durham as we have never been there before and it sounded like an interesting place to visit following a bit of research online.

family-trip-to-durham-with-virgin-trains-east-coast

We were asked to go as a family, which was great, making it a really nice to end to the summer holidays. A week ahead of the trip we received our First Class tickets! Yay! How amazing is that? We have never travelled First Class with Virgin Trains before so it was going to be an exciting new experience for sure!

We actually received 3 tickets because up to two children under the age of 5 can travel free of charge, which meant we didn’t need a ticket for Sienna. This also means that kids under 5 don’t need a ticket so they’ll be expected to sit on your lap if the train gets busy. In our case, we were very lucky as we managed to find 4 available seats. If you can, you should reserve your seat, especially if you are travelling at a busy time.

On the day of our trip, which was a Friday, we set off for London Kings Cross in the afternoon.  We planned to get the 4:30 pm train which meant we arrived with plenty of time and we could also experience and enjoy the Virgin Trains First Class Lounge.

VIRGIN TRAINS FIRST CLASS LOUNGE

The Virgin Trains First Class Lounge is so beautiful that I wanted to stay forever, LOL! I loved the colourful, modern decoration. It was very stylish and well equipped with technology (for charging mobiles and sockets for laptops, etc) as well as complimentary wifi.

vtec-first-class-lounge-1

vtec-first-class-lounge-2

vtec-first-class-lounge-3

bella-in-the-vt-first-class-lounge

They also have brand new relaxation areas, brand new workspaces and even brand new chaise longues. The lounge attendant was very welcoming and helpful too. They had soft drinks, snacks, and newspapers to read. Of course, reading a newspaper in relaxation with two excited little girls around was never going to be a possibility, LOL!

There were some flat TV screens around displaying news and also you were able to hear live the train timings which is great so you then don’t miss your train.

bella-sienna-at-vtec-first-class-lounge

vtec-snack-area-1

vtec-snack-area-2

bella-showing-the-fruits-at-first-class-lounge

The girls enjoyed some orange juice, crisps, and some delicious chocolate chip shortbread. They were so yummy they ate 2 packs each! There was also fresh fruit such as apples and bananas available. Nick and I went straight to the coffee machine – we really needed one, LOL!

wiffi-and-sockets

coffee-with-biscuit

I noticed that Virgin have changed their lounge access rules at Kings Cross Station, so all First Advance ticket holders can now go in for free as long as their ticket costs over £10. I thought that was worth making a note of.

KINGS CROSS STATION AND FIRST CLASS VIRGIN TRAINS JOURNEY

Nick thought the girls might like to visit Platform 9 3/4, as featured in the Harry Potter books and films, so he took them to see that while I relaxed for a bit. He ended up buying some slug sweets in the Platform 9 3/4 shop, which Bella was eager to check out – it was quite a site seeing half a yellow slug sticking out of Sienna’s mouth! When they came back, it was time to to get our train – you can exit directly to the platforms from the lounge which is very handy, especially when you are travelling with kids and you don’t need to rush through a crowd of people.

There were lifts and escalators everywhere which I thought was really good for disabled accessibility, people travelling with a lot of luggage or kids (or both!). It was all very well signed too. I was a little bit worried about the 3 hour journey with 2 very active girls on the train to Durham. I must admit, I was dreading it already, LOL!

showing-the-first-class-virgin-train-seats

bella-and-i-at-the-vg-trains

We found the first class carriages pretty quickly and managed to get our 4 seats pretty quickly too. Our 4 seats faced each other with a table which was the main thing we wanted. I’m not sure if the whole train was new but definitely our carriage looked pretty new – it looked very posh. They have big and comfy leather seats with the Virgin Trains logo and First Class emblazoned across them. It looked really nice, so of course, I had to take selfie in my seat! 😉

sienna-eating-cake

nick-enjoying-his-beer

Not long after, we were offered some drinks, crisps, and cakes. Obviously, my girls were delighted that there was some cake! They had one piece each with some milk. Everything on offer is included except for prosecco which is charged at £6 for a small bottle.

entertainment-on-the-train

As I mentioned before, we were very worried about the the girls getting bored during our 3 hour journey. We bought lots of children’s magazines which have plenty of puzzles, games and stickers inside and usually come with a few toys and surprises too. I think Nick bought all the magazines in the store – they had about four each! This was great as they were very happy opening and discovering the surprises for at least an hour. We also brought their iPads which entertained them for a little while watching videos. There was a handy socket underneath the table too for charging them which was useful to be able to use.

I was very happy to have wifi on the train so I could use my laptop, although I was so tired that I couldn’t do anything. I decided to relax and enjoy the trip instead.

MENU

virgin-trains-first-class-menu

We then were offered the menu. This is a whole new menu that has been created by James Martin. There is a breakfast menu that is available until 11 am, and then a ‘Rest of The Day’ menu that is served from 11 am onwards. They also had a Dinner Menu and a Weekend Menu that we were not given because we were travelling on a Friday afternoon.

james-martin-menu

The Rest of The Day Menu had:

  • Chicken & bacon Caesar wrap
    British chicken breast with Beechwood streaky bacon and Caesar dressing in a wrap served with hand-cooked crisps
  • Cheese Ploughman’s sandwich V
    Lake District mature cheddar with a Croxton Manor sweet and sticky farmhouse pickle on malted bread served with hand-cooked crisps
  • Gourmet sausage roll
    Yorkshire rare-breed sausage roll served hot with golden-sultana brown sauce
  • Vegetable tagine V
    Spicy chickpea and butternut squash tagine served with herb bulgur wheat
  • Hot-smoked salmon salad NGCI
    Flakes of hot-smoked salmon with tomato and parsley quinoa on a rocket and mixed leaf salad. Served cold with a creamy vinaigrette dressing and a bread roll

food-in-first-class

For pudding you can have a Seville Orange Drizzle cake or choose from a selection of fresh fruit. If you would like to check the menu you can see it HERE. Nick and I both ordered a Cheese Ploughman’s sandwich and the girls had wraps. It was all really nice.

nick-playing-with-sienna

After we had eaten, there was still 45 minutes of the journey to Durham left. This was the tricky part as my girls were started to get bored with the same entertainment. Nick decided to walk down the carriages of the train with them, which killed about 20 more minutes! Thankfully there were not many people on our carriage as I was worried some people would start complaining about my girls, LOL!

Small Incident

With about 25 minutes to go, Bella decided to play with Sienna in the carriage. There were only a few people remaining so I allowed them to play in our carriage only. After just 5 minutes, a woman came carrying Sienna because she had got her arm caught in the sliding carriage door. What happened was that the automatic doors between carriages open when you stand in front of them so then you can cross. In my opinion, it would be better if you had to use a button to open them as it can be dangerous for kids. This would not have happened if the doors were not automatic. I think this is something to bear in mind when you have kids on trains that have doors like that.

Anyway, my poor Sienna was crying but the staff were very helpful and they brought some ice packs to put on her arm. She was fine and it wasn’t that bad but it could have been worse. She stopped crying after just a few minutes. She is very brave and relaxed with accidents which I appreciate as my eldest daughter tends to be the opposite!

After all the drama we realised we had arrived in Durham, so yes we managed! We travelled 3 hours by train with the girls and we survived, LOL!

**Quick Note: Our weekend away in Durham. Will be live soon!

TRAVELLING BACK

Our journey back was the same although the train wasn’t as new as the one we took on the way but the service was still the same.

nick-with-bella

Nick is looking very tired here, LOL!

We did the exact same thing as our outbound journey, giving some magazines to the girls, having some iPad time and also enjoying a few snacks. We also had a walk around the train again too. We were all very tired from a busy weekend though and this was the main difference I would say, so we were really desperate to arrive home.

sienna-playing-on-the-train

Thank goodness for Peppa Pig toys, LOL! 

FINAL THOUGHTS

I would say that it is always a challenge to travel with kids but it is, of course, possible. If you have the opportunity to travel in First Class the journey becomes much easier journey.  I wouldn’t say it is ‘a journey to heaven’, as it never tends to be when travelling with kids, LOL!

Overall, travelling with Virgin Trains East Coast was fantastic. We truly enjoyed the experience – it was great! The service and staff were fantastic too and the lounge at Kings Cross is AMAZING! I would like say THANK YOU SO MUCH to Virgin Trains East Coast for this fabulous opportunity!

Next: Our weekend away in Durham. Will be live soon!

What do you think of the Virgin Trains lounge? Have you been there before? Have you travelled on Virgin Trains before? What about their First Class? Have you tried their service before? Please leave a comment below as I would love to read what you think. 

*Disclaimer: We were guests of Virgin Trains East Coast for our trip to Durham. However, all thoughts, views, and words are my own.

Thanks for stopping by,

Love you all ❤️

Franca  💋

Linking up with:

Related

Filed Under: Press Trips, Bella, Family, Lifestyle, Nick, Reviews, Sienna, Travel Tagged With: Durham, Family Trip, First Class Lounge, First Class Trains, James Martin Menu, Kings Cross Station, London, Travel, Travelling with Kids, Virgin Trains, Virgin Trains East Coast

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Angela Watling says

    13 October 2016 at

    I was really hoping to read about your experiences in Durham because I went to Uni there and LOVE it. But it looks like I’ll have to wait a little longer for your post 😉 I’ve never travelled on that line since it became Virgin though so it was interesting to read your experiences. Sounds like it was quite a nice journey all things considered. I do like the look for First Class. Such a shame your daughter got her arm caught in the door. That’s not a hazard you would think of is it! I’m pleased she was alright in the end though!

    Reply
  2. Fran @ Whinge Whinge Wine says

    5 November 2016 at

    How lucky – you get some amazing experiences! I didn’t even know places like that first class lounge existed – not for the likes of me I’m very sure 😉 #KCACOLS

    Reply
  3. Squirmy Popple says

    5 November 2016 at

    I went first class on a Virgin train once at it was great! My husband and I got upgraded due to some issues with delayed trains, so we were pleasantly surprised with the free food, wifi and attentive staff. Wish I could afford to do it more often! #KCACOLS

    Reply
  4. Lydia C. Lee says

    5 November 2016 at

    Wow! You make that sound really fun! #KALCOLS

    Reply
  5. Ali Duke says

    5 November 2016 at

    The train and the departure lounge look lovely. It must have been so nice to travel in style. I too always take lots of magazines for Booey when we travel, always keeps her happy.
    #KCACOLS

    Reply
  6. Twicemicrowaved tea says

    5 November 2016 at

    I live in Durham so I can’t wait to hear how you spent your weekend here! First class train travels sounds great (as does the lounge!). I’m glad Sienna was ok in the end – those doors can be vicious! #KCACOLS

    Reply
  7. Adventures of Mummy and Me says

    5 November 2016 at

    I’ve only ever been on a train for commuting or the occasional trip to London – Never done a long distance journey, never done a trip with one of the swankier operators (like Virgin) nor have I ever taken our little man on a train! I’m thinking I may need to rectify all of these points soon as that looked amazing! Especially the First Class lounge! Wow! #KCACOLS

    Reply
  8. BEAUTY BABY AND ME says

    6 November 2016 at

    Looks like a great service – going first class is such a treat especially when you get to use the lounges too xx #KCACOLS

    Reply
  9. Annette, 3 Little Buttons says

    6 November 2016 at

    Wow, I am impressed. This looks fantastic. We have family who have just moved to Durham, it seems like such a long journey, and taking the train didn’t even cross my mind. #KCACOLS

    Reply
  10. crummy mummy says

    6 November 2016 at

    Wow it looks like you travelled in style – I don’t think I’ve ever travelled first class on a train before! #KCACOLS

    Reply
  11. Louise says

    6 November 2016 at

    This looks like it is a great way to travel, it’s great you get free wifi and a meal too. I will have to keep Virgin Trains in mind if I ever travel that way! #KCACOLS

    Reply
  12. Alex says

    6 November 2016 at

    Sounds more like plane travel than train travel – very luxurious! We bank with Virgin so can use their lounges in the banks and get free tea and coffee and biscuits, they’re always so stylish and lovely. They know what they’re doing! #kcacols

    Reply
  13. Madeline (This Glorious Life) says

    6 November 2016 at

    That first class lounge looks amazing! I’ve never actually been on a Virgin train, but it looks lovely, and I can see how travelling first class would make the journey that little bit easier with children! x #KCACOLS

    Reply
  14. Tracey says

    6 November 2016 at

    Your trip looked such fun, more like a plane journey than a train! I have only been on a virgin train once and had to sit on the floor as it was so packed, luckily it wasn’t a three hour journey! #KCACOLS

    Reply
  15. Devon mama says

    6 November 2016 at

    This sounds LOVELY!! Virgin trains are so much nicer anyway than the ones we have down here but the First Class bit looks incredible – especially the lounge at the train station. Takes the stress out of it! Glad to hear you had a nice trip! #kcacols

    Reply
  16. RelentlesslyPurple says

    6 November 2016 at

    Wow that lounge looks absolutely amazing! Those chairs look so comfy. It looks like a lovely experience all in all x #KCACOLS

    Reply
  17. Now I am mum says

    6 November 2016 at

    I’m on a Virgin train to London with my 8 month old as I type!! Virgin trains are great – amazing how noisy baby toys (and baby) suddenly seem in a relatively quiet carriage though! #kcacols

    Reply
  18. Sara says

    6 November 2016 at

    That looked like a really fun trip – you guys made me want to jump on a train and go! Come to think of it, we’ve not had a train trip with the children. Time to sort that out! Loved the lounge too! #KCACOLS x

    Reply
  19. One Messy Mama says

    6 November 2016 at

    Wow. Now that looks like one amazing and COMFY experience! What a lovely way to travel! I’m sure you al enjoyed it! It’s looks so clean and spacious! #KCACOLS

    Reply
  20. Cherry - the newby tribe says

    6 November 2016 at

    It looks like it was a really lovely train and relaxing journey which I definitely think helps when you have small children on board. I’ve not tried a 3 hour train journey with them yet but might be brave the older they get! #KCACOLS

    Reply
  21. ERFmama says

    6 November 2016 at

    This looked really nice! I’ve never seen a first class train wagon before or a first class waiting room so now I got some insight! hehe Def. wish I had the money to do first class when I travel – it is sometimes a huuuge difference between this and coach.
    I’m sorry to hear about the incident – I’m glad to hear she’s OK!

    #KCACOLS

    Reply
  22. Sharon Parry says

    6 November 2016 at

    Gosh I haven’t been on a train years! This looks very different from what I remember. Loved the lounge as well #KCACOLS

    Reply
  23. Kimberley | ohjustmylittleblog says

    6 November 2016 at

    Travelling first class, such a treat! The first class lounge looks great too. That’s such a shame about Sienna’s arm, I hope its ok now. I love Durham, I think its so pretty x #KCACOLS

    Reply
  24. Jess Powell (Babi a Fi) says

    6 November 2016 at

    Oh wow, that lounge is really nice! I don’t have any call to travel anything other than Arriva Wales usually… their best moment has to be a customer service rep going on the news to say if people didn’t like their trains, they should get the bus instead. xD #KCACOLS

    Reply
  25. The Mum Reviews says

    6 November 2016 at

    It sounds like such a treat to go first class on Virgin trains! I think I did it once long ago – without kids. I’m glad you were able to enjoy it with your family, even with the small mishap. #kcacols

    Reply
Newer Comments »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

HI THERE, I’M FRANCA!

Hi, I'm Franca. Blogger for 9 yrs, exploring lifestyle, family, travel. Ex-lawyer turned full-time digital creator. Love testing and reviewing new products, services, and destinations. Read More…

Social

Follow me on:

Newsletter

    Built with ConvertKit

    Valerie Perimenopause

    Valerie Offer

    AMAZON STORE

    Amazon Store

    What’s On

    • Sandbox VR London: A Must-Try Immersive Experience in London
    • The Friends Experience London: A Must-Do Attraction for Fans Visiting London
    • Plied and Prejudice London – A Wild & Boozy Jane Austen Night

    Family Days Out

    • Sandbox VR London: A Must-Try Immersive Experience in London
    • The Friends Experience London: A Must-Do Attraction for Fans Visiting London
    • Phantom Peak London – The Ultimate Immersive Adventure You Can’t Miss!

    Collaborative Videos

    Popular Videos





    AWARDS

    BritMums



    BritMums

    Tots100

    Tutora Best Parent Insight Blog Award Shortlist

    RANKING

    Tots100
    Top 20 UK Parent Blog 2020

    Flea Network Top 20 UK Parent Blog 2018

    MEMBER

    LINKY

    Keep Calm and Carry On Linking Sunday
    Copyright © 2025 · A Moment With Franca · Privacy Policy