Sleeper Trains to Scotland

[hatz]

I want to go on a sleeper train! It sounds so exciting, and so much more comfortable than the normal way I sleep on trains (hanging upside down off the seat, far more comfortable than it sounds!). I want a bed though!! They should do them on buses too....

 

[Cobbles]

I didnt think Britain was big enough to warrant having sleeper trains.

They just run the train excrutiatingly slowly so that you can relish every jerk thump and squeal. Just as you finally get used to the lumpy mattress and noise, you get shunted into a siding for the night.

I've also been on a sleeper in Vietnam - a much better mattress but a rat woke me up in the middle of the night. In India I've done a sleeper night where the beds alternated between across the carriage and along the carriage - that wasn't bad.

The best had to be Rovos Rail from Cape Town to Victoria Falls where there's only 3/4 compartments per carriage, all ensuite (complete with shower) and the two singles lined up along the length of the compartment were converted into a double bed.

Much better than some old 70's pile of trash with a few new logos.

 

[beeboo]

Well I completed by sleeper train voyage last night

Got a sleeper berth all to myself (which was just as well as it was quite tiny and would have been a touch intimate to share with a stranger!). But was very neat and almost Japanese in it's maximisation of every last bit of space.

Got settled in and the wandered (down the very narrow corridors) to the lounge car - which is cool. At least 2 decades out of date, but comfy chairs, glass tables, at-table service etc. Just like the Orient Express! (probably, erm, maybe..?). Got a whisky and a bit of food (much nicer than you might expect and very reasonably priced)

Lolled about in the lounge for a bit, then off to bed (regretting passing up the opportunity of taking another whisky with me).

Had a reasonably good nights sleep - woken up by jolts when the train came to a stop, but otherwise the train motion was quite soothing.

And breakfast was a coffee and a box of mini-pastries brought to door by a nice smiley gentleman.

I've taken a load of photos, only up-loaded this one so far:



More to follow.

I *heart* the sleeper train!

 

[trashpony]

I've taken a load of photos, only up-loaded this one so far:



More to follow.

I *heart* the sleeper train!

 

[HackneyE9]

Not boasting...ahem...but did two in a week last October. Alerted by that Save Penzanzce Sleeper campaign, did the Cornwall to visit our mates (fortunately the live right next to the station), then did London-Berlin (via Brussels). The Deutsche Bahn was, naturally, state of the art brand new German technology, with ensuite shower/toilet and top notch bedding etc.

The Great Western was interesting left-over BR carriages from the seventies. Still not bad, and a hell of an experience both times. The Brussels/Berlin overnighter had a all-night restaurant car. Can't beat the feeling of rattling across MittelEuropa in the middle of the night with dinner, a bottle of wine, your missus, and the beds just a carriage away. And yes, I think we did join the six-feet high club...

 

[beeboo]

A few more photos!

Dinner (pate with soda bread and a large whisky = £5.50!)


Breakfast


The loooong narrow corridors

 

[trashpony]

And yes, I think we did join the six-feet high club...

Can I just point out that the entire carriage could probably hear?

I had to put earplugs in on my way back from Penzance - because the bloke in the next compartment was having phone sex

 

[HackneyE9]

Ahem...took the precuation of going Dutch. Well, it was probably going through the Netherlands at that point. At any rate, it was on the slightly better sound-insulated Deutche Bahn train.

 

[etnea]

I'm getting the sleeper up to Scotland tonight
It's been AGES since I last took a sleeper train, last one was in Thailand I think. I'm getting pretty excited now, despite being a work trip I get sleeper, then hotel, then sleeper again and then I get a full day of weekend on Saturday cos I get in at an unholy hour of the morning.

 

[D]

thread blast from the past

I am thinking of taking the Caledonian Sleeper from London to Edinburgh in August (they're only selling bargain tickets through the 1st of August now). Apparently, you can book a spot for a bike free of charge.

I will have to watch the website fastidiously because I imagine those tickets vanish in no time during the Fringe period.

 

[christonabike]

We did this ^^^ but London to Glasgow, it was great fun

Decent beer in the bar, coffee or tea brough to you when you wake up

Ace

 

[Crispy]

Sparrow and I took the sleeper to Venice earlier in the year and we're going to Barcelona on it soon. If you're careful about when you travel, it's not massively expensive - although the plane is still loads cheaper of course. But it's fun, better for the environment, and it's great waking up to see unfamiliar geography, followed by arrival right in the middle of town

 

[Cloo]

I like them - only done twice, though. Once Bouloigne to Bologna when i was a kid, and more recently Prague-Poprad (Slovakia) in March. Twas fun!

 

[teuchter]

I am thinking of taking the Caledonian Sleeper from London to Edinburgh in August (they're only selling bargain tickets through the 1st of August now). Apparently, you can book a spot for a bike free of charge.

I will have to watch the website fastidiously because I imagine those tickets vanish in no time during the Fringe period.

I'd be surprised if you get one of the bargain berth tickets during festival time, but you never know.

I can repeat what most other people have said that the sleeper is the way to go!

The Edinburgh / Glasgow train is ok and fun just for the experience of doing the sleeper train, but nothing special in terms of what you see from the train.

The London-Fort William sleeper, however, is without doubt the best train journey in the UK. And that recommendation is coming from a connoisseur of long-distance train travel.

(London-Inverness is also well worth doing).

On all the Scottish sleepers you can buy a can of beer in the lounge car for the very civilised price of £1.80.

And... if you are travelling at a quiet time, it's worth asking the attendant if there are any free cabins - if you're lucky they might accept a £10 "contribution" to let you have an empty cabin all to yourself....

 

[teuchter]

better for the environment,

Not that it's really in my interest to point this out or anything, but there is an argument to say that sleeper trains aren't that good for the environment, because you fit far less people into each carriage so you're hauling a much higher metal/person ratio about the place than with a normal train.

Some have claimed that the difference is enough to make it not much better than flying or driving: I've never taken the time to check this out properly but I'm always careful with the wording of any pro-sleeper train propaganda I fire in anyone's direction...



(Of course there are all sorts of counter arguments about sleeper trains being part of a wider system, which they help to encourage people to use, and so forth)

 

[D]

I might do Inverness-London, in fact, on the way back. Right now the plan is to do London-Edinburgh, hang out for the fringe, visit Glasgow, and then bike from Edinburgh to Findhorn.

I've got to investigate stuff because something I read said that you can only book a spot for your bike in person or over the phone, whereas the bargain tickets are only available online.

 

[quimcunx]

Got the sleeper to Edinburgh for the G8 thing a couple of years ago. It was good but they woke us as silly hour in the morning.

 

[Miss-Shelf]

I'm going paris to bologna in august to get to greece with my daughter

I'm excited

 

[Mr T]

i grew up using the sleeper train regularly to visit grandparents/cousins in fort william and inverness from london and it is a great way to travel. having since travelled on european sleepers in couchette cars, the difference is quite sharp. On the caledonian sleeper there are maximum 2 people in a cabin and it has a sink and hangers to hang things up etc which is quite civilised, the european couchettes are 4 people to a cabin with very little space at all and no sink.

you can of course get a sleeper on the continent that is like the uk one but costs a lot; also my parents always paid for the uk one! i've also travelled in the seated car of the caledonian sleeper, its like travelling in a first class seat because they recline and are 3 across rather than 4 on a day train, and you can still buy things from the buffet but can't sit in the buffet/lounge car. its not too bad and £30 cheaper than having a bed, but there have been the inevitable aussie loudmouth in the seated carriage each time which has been annoying but bearable.

going from paris-milan by sleeper in a couple of weeks (as part of london-metaponto trip) so will report back on how that goes!

 

[gaijingirl]

We're on the Caledonian sleeper again in two weeks time. My favourite way to travel (although the Cornish Riviera one is better).

 

[Badgers]

thread blast from the past again

Really like the idea of this adventure.
Should try and get it booked up soon, just keep putting it off.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Love a sleeper. Main downside is it's £40 each way for the dog to cover extra cleaning (I'd expect the mutt to leave a puddle of diarrhea for the price!) And cos the baby is now 5 she'd need a ticket and berth of her own and they don't do any cabin bigger than 2 berth, so 2 cabins required (with chance to share with a stranger).

 

[teuchter]

Really like the idea of this adventure.
Should try and get it booked up soon, just keep putting it off.

Which one are you planning on doing?

 

[Badgers]

Which one are you planning on doing?

Caledonian Sleeper I reckon, just need to spend some time working out budget, planning and timing. The link earlier in the thread is really useful and I like the potential 'James Bond' antics to be had as part of the journey.

 

[teuchter]

Caledonian Sleeper I reckon, just need to spend some time working out budget, planning and timing. The link earlier in the thread is really useful and I like the potential 'James Bond' antics to be had as part of the journey.

Yes, but there are five Caledonian sleeper destinations: Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Inverness and Fort William.

I would strongly recommend you take the Fort William one. The last bit of the journey is very dramatic and at this time of year the only one you'd have a chance of seeing anything in daylight.

I would say that the Fort William sleeper is the best single rail journey there is in this country.

 

[Badgers]

I would strongly recommend you take the Fort William one. The last bit of the journey is very dramatic and at this time of year the only one you'd have a chance of seeing anything in daylight.

Ah, sorry....

Yep, it was Fort William we were recommended by someone.

 

[davesgcr]

If you book 2 cabins - ask for adjacent ones and the attendant can unlock the connecting internal doors between them to give you a "suite" (well - a cramped one but you can communicate your snores if you want !)

 

[gaijingirl]

I think this is an old thread and I've prob said this before, but I've done this journey loads now - last time for £19.99. They have these "bargain berths" which go very cheaply indeed if you get them quick enough. Can't recommend this journey enough (although the breakfast on the Penzance Night Riviera is better).

 

[tom_craggs]

I cannot believe the deals you can get on this at the moment.

I have booked mine quite late so didn't get one fo the £19 tickets but London - Inverness for £39 in a sleeper is impressive enough! Significantly cheaper than driving, especiallly as the train home (just a standard day one this time) was only £28.

I would have paid more for sleeper - it is an experience I have only had in Asia before becuase I assumed I would not be able to afford it in the UK.

 

[silverfish]

Hurrah, I'm booked London-edinburgh this weekend!! any decent boozers round euston to kick off in