London

We're back in London tonight, after a lengthy train journey from Montpellier. We started at 0824hrs with a northbound TGV Duplex from Perpignan, changing at Lille Europe to catch a Eurostar to London. The Duplex is a double-deck version of the French TGV.  The seats on the lower deck (where we were seated) are closer to track level, and thus the sensation of travelling at speed is much greater from this position. As expected, progress through France was swift, and after changing to the Eurostar, we arrived in London at 1430hrs.

After checking into our hotel, we visited a couple of bars in the Marylebone area.  Firstly, the delightful Coco Momo on Paddington Street, and then the more traditionally styled Duke of Wellington on Crawford Street.  Marylebone is a pleasant area in which to ramble - a safe, welcoming neighbourhood with lots of pretty shops and nice restaurants, many offering ethnic cuisines.

We're eating in at our hotel tonight. It's been a very long day travelling and we don't feel much like going out again this evening.  Our train to Glasgow tomorrow is at 1030hrs.

Our Eurostar, on arrival at St Pancras

London

Day 1, and we arrived in London by mid-afternoon, after travelling on the 1040 Virgin Trains service from Glasgow. The train to London was a Pendolino, one of Virgin Trains' 9-car tilting units which are deployed on most West Coast Main Line services. Four and a half hours after leaving Glasgow, the train arrives in the centre of London - a journey time which now rivals most competing airlines when considering the transfer times from the city centre to the airport. Cocooned in a sound-proofed, air conditioned carriage, the journey is fast and efficient - a definite sign of progress. However, one can't help thinking back to the 1980s when British Rail's APT regularly managed end to end journey times of four hours and fifteen minutes. Incidentally, the last surviving APT now sits neglected in a siding outside Crewe station - blink and you'll miss it as your Pendolino flashes by...

Using a Weekend First upgrade, travellers can take advantage of the business class accommodation at weekends, for a £15 surcharge per head. Gone is the glamour and prestige of first class travel, although the extra seat width and legroom, free Wi-Fi, and complimentary refreshments certainly make it a worth while deal.

Tonight, we dined in Trader Vic's, a Polynesian restaurant located in the basement of The Hilton on Park Lane. The restaurant offers tasty, well-presented food in quiet, ambient surroundings. The interior decor is stylised like an giant tropical beach hut although the lack of windows detracts slightly from the atmosphere. Whilst the service is a little on the slow side to kick-off, the staff are very attentive once the food is actually on your table.

There's not much time in London for sightseeing, or anything else for that matter - check-in tomorrow for the Eurostar is at 0800hrs...

Ready to go - our Pendolino at Glasgow Central

On board the Pendolino