Off-peak return: how do I use it on the sleeper?

[Eagle]

Okay, so I'm spending New Year in Scotland with my significant other :P Going up on Wednesday 28th and coming back Monday 2nd, and the off peak return between Salisbury and Edinburgh looks good at £94.30 with railcard for those dates.

I'm kind of planning to stay the whole day on Monday up there and getting the Lowland Caley (seated accommodation, because I'm cheap) back from Edinburgh at 23.40, connecting onto a SWT service on Tuesday morning. NRE is willing to sell me the ticket for this itinerary, and I'm wondering if I need to book a reservation with Scotrail or anything if I want to use it, or will NRE issue me with one, or what? And if I have a reservation and it turns out I want to travel back at another time is it okay to renege on the reservation because it's a flexible ticket?

(If you want to look at splitting for me, be my guest, I got nowhere. But for once I actually kind of need/want the flexibility of times and routes this ticket's got—and the knowledge it can't sell out :P)

 

[Glenmutchkin]

Reservations are compulsory for any of the Caledonian Sleepers so presumably it will come with your ticket. My daughter travelled in the seated coach in May this year and said that it was freezing.

 

[causton]

I believe you have to book through Scotrail to get the reservation - either do it when buying the ticket or call them up once you've booked it and they will give you a reservation hopefully

and yes, once you've booked a reservation you can just not turn up to it - can't imagine any other reason why last time I travelled EC the whole table I sat at was 'reserved' from York-Stevenage but nobody was sat in it

 

[Eagle]

and yes, once you've booked a reservation you can just not turn up to it

Yeah, I realized as soon as I'd posted how obvious that was

 

[LexyBoy]

the off peak return between Salisbury and Edinburgh looks good at £94.30 with railcard for those dates.

It's actually a Super Off Peak Return, the Any Permitted Off Peak Return is priced £166.65.

I'm kind of planning to stay the whole day on Monday up there and getting the Lowland Caley (seated accommodation, because I'm cheap) back from Edinburgh at 23.40, connecting onto a SWT service on Tuesday morning. NRE is willing to sell me the ticket for this itinerary, and I'm wondering if I need to book a reservation with Scotrail or anything if I want to use it, or will NRE issue me with one, or what?

NRE doesn't sell tickets, but I can't see why you wouldn't be issued with a reservation if buying through any other website just like any other train. If not, you'll be able to book a reservation from your starting station, or in Edinburgh. Scotrail do not charge for seat reservations IIRC so no problems adding the reservation later.

And if I have a reservation and it turns out I want to travel back at another time is it okay to renege on the reservation because it's a flexible ticket?

Absolutely fine! If you know you'll not be using the reserved service it would be a good deed to pop into the station and cancel it, so that someone else can have that seat - I think the seated sleeper can get quite busy.

There are no restrictions on the London-Salisbury leg BTW, you can take the first available train in the morning.

 

[dvboy]

Book the reservation sooner rather than later; ring up ScotRail telesales and tell them you already have a ticket for travel, and just want the sleeper reservation made in seated accom.

 

[34D]

Book the reservation sooner rather than later; ring up ScotRail telesales and tell them you already have a ticket for travel, and just want the sleeper reservation made in seated accom.

Or a bed. Overnight Seated coaches are an experience.....

 

[dvboy]

Or a bed. Overnight Seated coaches are an experience.....

The OP said he wanted seated accomodation.

 

[yorkie]

The OP said he wanted seated accomodation.

True. I guess 34D is trying to warn Eagle that the seated sleeper does have some issues (though doesn't expand on what they are), so for completeness I will confirm that the coaches are Mk2s with very noisy brakes. For some lucky people, that is no problem.

But for me, I get very little (if any) sleep on the seated sleeper. I got absolutely none when I did Fort William to York, but that was party because I was worried about missing my stop (it was booked to call that day).

The seats are relatively comfortable (as seats go), but again for me they just aren't anywhere near the experience of a bed.

It's been a while since I booked a seat, but when I last did it, the advice in post #6 to ring Scotrail and simply ask for a reservation worked for me. However they do have quotas so book as far in advance as practicable.

 

[scotsman]

I wouldn't like to do the seated sleeper if I didn't have to - it's not like the Riviera. The seats are set out in 2+1 with decent legroom, but are on a Mk2f BFO, meaning roaring to wake you up everytime they're applied

 

[dvboy]

The blindfold certainly helps.

If you're in one of a double seat you might find you can lie across them.

Don't expect it to be warm this time of year either!

I wouldn't be surprised if all reservations for Tuesday 3rd January have already gone.

 

[yorkie]

If you're in one of a double seat you might find you can lie across them.

Possibly, though I am not sure Eagle would fit. What's the width of 2 seats do you know?

 

[dvboy]

Possibly, though I am not sure Eagle would fit. What's the width of 2 seats do you know?

I don't know how tall Eagle is, probably not wide enough for myself at 6'2 but certainly last time I took a sleeper, shorter people managed it (some in a semi-foetal position and others with feet over the side).

 

[Intermodal]

I completely disagree with the thoughts about the seated sleeper posted in this thread. I've only done it once, Inverness to London, but the coach was warm, almost too warm, and it was quiet, the lights were dimmed and I got to lie across two seats with the mask on and slept quite well (after I finished window bashing at Edinburgh). The only thing I do agree with is yorkie's point about noisy brakes - very noticeable but not necessarily a barrier to sleep.

 

[dvboy]

Perhaps the heating was broken when I went on it.

 

[sonic2009]

Scotrail do provide blankets in the seated section. They are normally found on the racks.. Wool Ones too. kept me warm.

 

[bkhtele]

Would the sleeper supplement be £35 with the off peak ticket for a bed(shared in a birth)?

 

[34D]

I completely disagree with the thoughts about the seated sleeper posted in this thread. I've only done it once, Inverness to London, but the coach was warm, almost too warm, and it was quiet, the lights were dimmed and I got to lie across two seats with the mask on and slept quite well (after I finished window bashing at Edinburgh). The only thing I do agree with is yorkie's point about noisy brakes - very noticeable but not necessarily a barrier to sleep.

Thank you. May I ask when this was, and ask others whether the lights are still dimmed? I note that the riviera doesn't dim the lights at all (also 2+1, but IC70 seats with fixed armrests).

I did read the thread, however was trying to convey the warning that others have made about seated accom.

 

[Blindtraveler]

my own experience is its iether 2 warm or too cold and yes the breaks can be loud. a tipple or 2 beforehand is advisable and if the opp requires help in saucing this then post away!

 

[34D]

Indeed - well said sir. It would seem fully appropriate to sample the national drink of Scotland on this service (in single malt form, of course).

 

[Yew]

Indeed - well said sir. It would seem fully appropriate to sample the national drink of Scotland on this service (in single malt form, of course).

Glenfiddich 18 is rather good.

 

[Blindtraveler]

and the publicans near EDB Know this and are ready and willing to serve sleaper pacs. Any bar on market street harbours a good range of optics. glad to find another whisky fan or 2 on here!

 

[Eagle]

Indeed - well said sir. It would seem fully appropriate to sample the national drink of Scotland on this service (in single malt form, of course).

Or not, being as I'm strictly teetotal.


Anyway I got a reservation fine, as NRE redirected me to Scotrail's site to make my payment (yet another TOC site I've had to create a new account for...)