Sleeper trains London-Scotland, any good/worth doing?

[Teaboy]

Terminal 5 is the best terminal I have been to in the world tbf. That being said getting through immigration control is fucked at the moment.

 

[Badgers]

I would always try to get the train first. I can see both sides of the arguement but it is the best form of transport by far.

 

[Spymaster]

...And then there's the Central London to Heathrow travel time, arrival and check in (recommended minimum of one hour), the flight time, landing, airside to baggage reclaim, followed by Glasgow Airport to Central Square.

All of which takes about an hour (half hour check-in). Even if you spend thirty odd quid on the Heathrow Express you'll still likely come out ahead.

 

[Spymaster]

.. and Heathrow is a shit hole

Nonsense. It's a great place.

 

[Spymaster]

I must have dreamt all those stories of baggage handlers stealing goods and airlines losing suitcases then.

Hasn't happened to me in 40-odd years of flying (save for BA sending my luggage to Madrid once instead of Barcelona, but then taxiing it to my hotel that evening).

 

[Teaboy]

Nonsense. It's a great place.

tbf Terminal 3 is a fucking dump.

 

[19sixtysix]

And where do you get £75 returns from booked the day before like I booked the sleeper last week. Plane is twice the price and I have one month flexible return. Just tried BA leaving on latest plane tomorrow which would not give me my evening in london

 

[Spymaster]

And where do you get £75 returns from booked the day before like I booked the sleeper last week. Plane is twice the price and I have one month flexible return. Just tried BA leaving on latest plane tomorrow which would not give me my evening in london View attachment 18552

Ah , well if you're going at short notice the train is likely to be cheaper, but standard return with notice is about £75.

When I travelled to Edinburgh regularly a carnet of 9 return flights with BMI was a shade over £700, iirc. You just checked in online, turned up, stuck your ticket through the gate like at a train station and off you went.

 

[19sixtysix]

Nonsense. It's a great place.

It ceased to be an airport many years ago and has become a shopping mall full of useless crap and piss poor resturants.
I loath the place with passion.

 

[editor]

Hasn't happened to me in 40-odd years of flying (save for BA sending my luggage to Madrid once instead of Barcelona, but then taxiing it to my hotel that evening).

Those stories certainly exist.

So how many reports have you seen about people having their baggage stolen on sleepers to Scotland then? Any?

 

[Spymaster]

And where do you get £75 returns from booked the day before like I booked the sleeper last week. Plane is twice the price and I have one month flexible return. Just tried BA leaving on latest plane tomorrow which would not give me my evening in london View attachment 18552

Dunno which site you used. Next day:

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London Glasgow

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GLA 22:35 Direct 1h 20m

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£116​

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includes taxes & fees​

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[editor]

Nonsense. It's a great place.

I bet you love the journey there too, eh?

 

[19sixtysix]

Ah , well if you're going at short notice the train is likely to be cheaper, but standard return with notice is about £75.

When I travelled to Edinburgh regularly a carnet of 9 return flights with BMI was a shade over £700, iirc. You just checked in online, turned up, stuck your ticket through the gate like at a train station and off you went.

I do like plane travel but I just find Glasgow so much better by train now. I did london glasgow shuttle every friday evening back in the late 80s. Arrive at 5:59 for 6:00 plane. Run through airport with bags and take everything on swapping ticket for John Doe boarding pass bumping off standby passengers as we went

 

[geminisnake]

think half the fun is suppose to be waking up pulling through the stunning scenery of the highlands.

You weird english types!! Bloody trees and mountains, you can see them anywhere!

I'm with Spy on this I'm afraid. Flying is cheaper and for me less stress/boredom/painful.

 

[19sixtysix]

Next day:

You expect me to be that organinsed to book two days in advance

 

[quimcunx]

Why did you even respond to him

OP wasn't asking about planes he was asking about trains and now we've got this fucking tedious discussion yet again.

 

[Spymaster]

So how many reports have you seen about people having their baggage stolen on sleepers to Scotland then? Any?

People being robbed or worse while they slept on trains? It's actually happened to me!

Up to you if you want to risk it.

 

[kittyP]

You weird english types!! Bloody trees and mountains, you can see them anywhere!

I'm with Spy on this I'm afraid. Flying is cheaper and for me less stress/boredom/painful.

I can't see any mountains anywhere near here....

Tbh, I don't mind flying.
Internally in this country though I find the train much less stress.

Where are you Gem?

 

[editor]

The OP is asking about trains so who gives a fuck about stinking planes.

 

[Spymaster]

I bet you love the journey there too, eh?

15 minutes on the LHR Express?

Totally painless.

 

[editor]

People being robbed or worse while they slept on trains?

That's not what I asked you, you slithery, greasy, amorphous ball of weasely arguments.

 

[19sixtysix]

15 minutes on the LHR Express?

Totally painless.

Except for the cost. It is a fucking ridiculous price for a 15 minute journey.

 

[editor]

15 minutes on the LHR Express?

Totally painless.

Ah yes. Britain's most expensive railway.

 

[Teaboy]

Blimey, this is heating up.

Why go on the sleeper to Glasgow surely the normal day time trains take less than 4 hours?

 

[Teaboy]

Ah yes. Britain's most expensive railway.

I think at one point (don't know if its still the case) it was cost per mile the most expensive in the world.

 

[Spymaster]

Except for the cost. It is a fucking ridiculous price for a 15 minute journey.

Agreed. But as I said even if you add the cost of that to the plane fare (bought in advance) chances are you're still quids-in. A normal single on the Caledonian to Glasgow is £99.60!

A hundred quid for a berth shared with someone of dubious provenance, for an overnight journey and a sink and towel in the morning!

Is this a joke!?

Fares
London to
Edinburgh & Glasgow London to
Inverness, Aberdeen, Fort William
(per person) 1st class
1-bed
sleeper
2nd class
2-bed
sleeper Reclining
seat 1st class
1-bed
sleeper 2nd class
2-bed
sleeper Reclining
seat
Advance one-way - From £56.70 From £26 - From £63.60 From £35
Normal single one-way (off-peak) £138.10 £99.60 £58.30 £158.50 £116.60 £72.50
Normal single one-way (peak dates) £187.90 £141.50 £87.10 £214.50 £173.70 £106.40

 

[Spymaster]

Why go on the sleeper to Glasgow surely the normal day time trains take less than 4 hours?

Because it's "fun" and "romantic"!

 

[Teaboy]

Agreed. But as I said even if you add the cost of that to the plane fare (bought in advance) chances are you're still quids-in. A normal single on the Caledonian to Glasgow is £99.60!

Yeah but you can't hide in the shitter of a 737.

 

[Spymaster]

Yeah but you can't hide in the shitter of a 737.

Fair play to you, you've hit upon the only upside of taking the train.

You can hide in the bogs!

 

[editor]

Because it's "fun" and "romantic"!

See: thread title. It says 'sleeper trains'. No one gives a fuck about your filthy polluting plane habits.