I took a first-class train from Scotland to England for $257, and the luxury perks were limited and not worth the price tag

I spent just over five hours on a first-class Avanti West Coast train from Glasgow, Scotland, to London, England, on June 1.

Avanti West Coast is a UK-based train operator that runs services on the west coast between Scotland, North Wales, and several English cities including London.

Ticket types include first class, standard premium, and standard class.

Around six weeks before my departure, I bought a $257, or around £209, one-way ticket from Glasgow Central Station to London Euston Station. It marked my first time purchasing a first-class ticket. In comparison, standard tickets start at around $40, or £32.80, depending on the timing.

Insider paid for the trip, as per our reporting standards.

The journey was due to take four hours and 37 minutes, but ended up being delayed by around 40 minutes. I was still happy as even with the delay it took less time than driving, which takes almost 7 hours.

My journey began at Glasgow Central Station on the morning of June 1. I arrived more than an hour before my scheduled departure time so that I would be able to enjoy the station's first-class lounge.

The first-class lounge was located near the information desk. The door was locked, and I was buzzed in by a staff member who didn't ask to see my ticket.

Once inside, I noticed several other customers who entered after me also weren't asked to show their tickets. It was surprising to me that anybody could walk in.

A representative for Avanti West Coast declined to comment on the record when contacted by Insider regarding access to the first-class lounge. 

The decor paid homage to iconic Glasgow landmarks, such as the Duke of Wellington cone statue.

At the back of the lounge, there was a kitchen area where signs directed customers to help themselves to snacks and beverages. There were no staff members present.

The snacks on offer included fruit, oatmeal, muesli bars, and muffins.

There were two refrigerators filled with soft drinks. However, when I took a closer look, I realized that the fridge placed on the cabinet was broken as the door wouldn't fully close.

There were also two coffee machines, but the first machine was broken and had an "out of order" sign on it. I was able to use the second machine to make a hot chocolate.

I took a bottle of water, a banana, a muesli bar, and a muffin. The snacks tasted good, but in my opinion the options were a little underwhelming.

My train started boarding around 10 minutes before it was due to depart at 11:33 a.m.

There was luggage space in shelves above the seats and there were also racks for larger suitcases.

I soon found my seat in first class. I had been assigned to a table with a window, directly across from another solo passenger who was kind enough to take this photo of me.

There was an outlet specifically for laptops and cellphones attached to the table.

Avanti West Coast offers complimentary Wi-Fi on all of its services. Unfortunately when I tried to log on using my phone, the connection was poor and I couldn't use the internet at all on my laptop.

The bathroom was clean and of a similar standard to other train bathrooms I had seen before. There was a toilet, a sink, a small mirror, and a full-length mirror.

I was a fan of the full-length mirror, as I imagine it might come in handy for longer journeys where passengers want to change their clothes.

Around 10 minutes after departure, I was asked for my soft drink order and I opted for a Pepsi. 10 minutes after that, I was asked for my food order. I wasn't given a physical menu but was verbally asked to chose between ravioli, a toastie, or afternoon tea.

I chose the afternoon tea, which consisted of four sandwiches: ham and cheese, cheese and onion, chicken, and egg. There was also a scone with two individual pots of jam and cream.

The entire meal was lovely and I was particularly fond of the scone, which was light and fluffy.

The rest of the journey was spent enjoying the scenery and chatting with the passenger across the table, who turned out to be an experienced traveler. He told me that train travel in the UK is nowhere near as luxurious as it is in the rest of Europe.

When I arrived in London, I was glad that I got to experience what first class is like. It was enjoyable, but in my opinion it was overpriced for what it offers and the perks were limited in range, especially the snack options.