There are some rail journeys that have an innate air of grandeur about them: the Venice-Simplon Orient Express, the Trans-Siberian Express, or the Rovos Rail itinerary from Pretoria to Cape Town, writes Colette Doyle. At the opposite end of the spectrum thereโs the horror of your average train ride to work โ sweaty armpits pressed in your face, standing room only and surly staff unsympathetic to your plight.
Cross-Countryโs first class service offers a happy compromise and dispels at least some of the unpleasant memories associated with the hapless commuterโs daily struggle into the office. The carriage is spacious with wider, more comfortable seats providing plenty of leg room and those who need to use the train as a mobile office will find theyโre well catered for, with handily sited power points for your mobile and laptop, plus free wifi access. Even better, thereโs a tempting selection of complimentary food and drinks for first-class passengers. Iโm on an early morning journey, so choose the tasty bacon roll, but I could have opted for a healthier option of porridge, or gone for a sweet treat in the form of a blueberry muffin.
For lunch thereโs a choice of pasta with chicken, leeks and bacon lardons, or a Lake District cheddar cheese sandwich with crunchy coleslaw. The menu rotates so that even if youโre a frequent traveller you should still be able to experience a good variety of different dishes.
The first class host is friendly and helpful and when I complain about the overly efficient AC system โ perfect for Abu Dhabi, but not really necessary on an overcast day in the notoriously unreliable British summertime โ she offers to speak to the train manager to get it turned down and solicitously brings me a warming cup of hot chocolate. Later on, as the carriage starts to fill up, an equally obliging steward moves my case to the luggage rack, out of harmโs way. As I sit back, relax and watch the English countryside roll by, I conclude that travelling first class should definitely be filed under one of lifeโs affordable luxuries.
Return tickets from Reading to Durham start at ยฃ82 in standard class and from ยฃ171 in first class; visit crosscountrytrains.co.uk for more booking information and timetables
Hilton London Islington
โLocation, location, locationโ is what they say when it comes to buying residential property, but itโs also a good maxim to keep in mind when choosing a hotel for a business trip, writes Colette Doyle. The newly refurbished Hilton London Islington is a perfect example: situated slap bang in the middle of Islingtonโs happening social scene, itโs ideally positioned for those who have to attend meetings in either the City or the West End.
A renovation costing in excess of ยฃ5 million has given the guest rooms a sleek and polished look. If youโre lucky enough to be staying in a suite, then youโll find that a comfy crushed velvet sofa lends a homely air to the living area. An ironing board and iron are handily stashed in the closet so you can look sharp for that next appointment and there are toiletries from skincare guru Peter Thomas Roth in a decent-sized bathroom complete with vanity mirror (a firm favourite of the travelling female executive). Staying in a suite also entitles you to access to the executive lounge, which provides guests with a quiet and comfortable setting for catching up on some work โ and donโt miss out on the complimentary canapรฉs and pre-dinner drinks served between 5pm and 7pm.
Afterwards, you may want to move across the lobby to the in-house restaurant, the Axis Bar & Kitchen. This perfectly serviceable establishment offers a relaxed bolthole from the buzz of Upper Street and has just started an afternoon tea services that comes complete with all the ingredients indespensable to this delightful ritual: dainty sandwiches, warm scones with cream and jam, plus a selection of freshly baked creamy cakes.
At dinner, my companionโs starter of chicken and mango salad is so tasty I confess to sneaking a few forkfuls, as my Inca tomato appetiser is saintly but a little insubstantial. For mains, he opts for mullet with shrimps and spring vegetables and I go for chorizo salad, with the delicious addition of warm Padrรณn peppers and garlicky alioli sauce. Dessert brings cheese for my plus-one and a gorgeously gooey chocolate brownie for me.
The beauty of Hilton hotels for the business traveller is that are a safe bet, offering a reliable and consistent product; the Islington property, Iโm happy to report, faithfully upholds the brandโs best traditions.
53 Upper Street, London N1 0UY; 0207 354 7700; tinyurl.com/qygnv9e; room rates start from ยฃ159
