buying 2 seats for yourself - train

princeofpounds

Yeah the UK is definitely not the 'norm' in terms of how train transport is handled. I travelled in China a while back on their excellent high-speed rail trains. You buy a ticket for a seat, you sit in that seat. In most classes, the number of standing passengers is capped. Don't know about the lowest class.


I also missed a train (by turning up at the wrong station - didn't know there were two!) and remarkably I was able to hand back the ticket for a full refund and exchange for the next train.


The luggage racks on UK trains are also pathetic. You can't even get more airline hand luggage in the overhead shelf, and there are typically spaces for about 12 bags in a carriage of 50+ people.


I remember one trip between Christmas and New Year. The train was packed. I ended up sharing sitting on a bag in the aisle with an 80+ year-old man (I was on crutches). We both had reservations, but could not physically get anywhere near the seats to even ask for them.


We stopped at one station, and there was a huge crowd on the platform waiting. They of course could see people standing in the aisle with space between them, not realising those spaces were luggage stacked 2-high.


There was almost a riot. Not joking. People smashing on the windows trying to get people to bunch up. People inside trying to communicate there were no gaps.


Miserable.