Caledonian Sleeper

[Fred26]

I'm thinking of booking myself on this for next week (going to Inverness), but I've got a couple of questions first;
How busy is it likely to be this coming Sunday?
Has anyone on here travelled without a berth and just a seat? What's it like?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

It'll probably be difficult getting a booking at just a few days notice, at least at a reasonable price, but it's worth a try.

As for seated versus berth, let's put it this way... I'll always pay the extra to get a berth...

 

[Fred26]

Yeah, I thought as much. It's a long trip - I've never been on a train for that long before.

I'm staff so a reasonable price isn't a problem, but the notice may be. Is it always busy?

 

[CarterUSM]

Yeah, I thought as much. It's a long trip - I've never been on a train for that long before.

I'm staff so a reasonable price isn't a problem, but the notice may be. Is it always busy?

It is certainly busier on a Friday and Sunday, but you should still manage to be accommodated.

 

[87031]

Sunday is traditionally one of the busier nights but at this time of year im not sure if thats the case, as for the seated accomodation i wouldnt bank on the greatest nights sleep but its much cheaper if you book in advance rather than last minute. And then theres the dilemma of sharing with a stranger if your on your own or paying £140 for 1st class as opposed to £103 for sharing. If your going on your own its aworth paying the £140 which includes a breakfast as well. Although if you are looking at say this Sunday the 31st you would pay £189 for 1st class! or £64 seated. The Scotrail site can give you the info you need
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
You could also try a Bargian Berth which are limited but £49 would get you from Euston - Inverness either this Sunday or the following week but you would be likely to be sharing a berth this way

 

[4SRKT]

It'll probably be difficult getting a booking at just a few days notice, at least at a reasonable price, but it's worth a try.

As for seated versus berth, let's put it this way... I'll always pay the extra to get a berth...

In my case I'd rather have the berth as long as I wasn't sharing with a stranger. I'd rather go on the cushions than take that risk TBH. It's not as though the seating is like it was on sleepers back in the day, i.e. normal mk IIa/b/c TSOs as used on daytime trains. These seated coaches are great.

 

[Fred26]

Well as I say, I'm staff, so it won't cost that much. I've spoken to our travel department and am told that there are two fares for staff - either £25.80 or £38.40 dependant on how far in advance it's booked. That's for a standard berth. I'm not eligible for discounted first class travel.

Thinking about it, it doesn't have to be Sunday that I travel. I was throwing around a few ideas last night and considered taking the Highland Chieftain to Inverness on Sunday (because I can do that for free at weekends). If I'm going to pay for the sleeper though, it doesn't matter which day I travel.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

In my case I'd rather have the berth as long as I wasn't sharing with a stranger. I'd rather go on the cushions than take that risk TBH. It's not as though the seating is like it was on sleepers back in the day, i.e. normal mk IIa/b/c TSOs as used on daytime trains. These seated coaches are great.

I do usually pay for single occupancy, but to be honest I've never had any problems on those occasions whetre I have shared; the mythical "drunken Scot" so beloved of the press when they want to have a pop at the Sleeper is just that - a myth.

On one occasion southbound from Edinburgh I found myself sharing the cabin with a railwayman who had a fair few interesting stories to tell

 

[jopsuk]

The couple of times I've been on the sleeper as an adult I've shared a cabin and not had any problems.

However,
A: I'm Scottish
B: before boarding I'd been to the pub for a couple.

So, um...

 

[4SRKT]

It's not just drunks I'd be concerned about, Scottish or otherwise, but having to share with anyone else in a compartment that is actually not much bigger than a phone box sounds rubbish to me. I got lucky the one time I went by having it to myself, and having seen the size of the compartments would only book in them now if I was travelling with someone I knew. Otherwise I'd be on the cushions.

I can't help imagining a scene where I'm in the bottom bunk, half asleep, when a naked stranger swings his legs over the side of the top bunk before jumping down, and his meat and two veg are swinging around just inches from my nose. <shudders>

Even worse, just imagine if one were to score in the lounge car, and then have nowhere to bring the lucky lady. How frustrating would that be?

 

[route101]

Yeah i wouldnt one anyone to share ! Much rather go in the seated coach .Its not that bad .

 

[Fred26]

For twelve hours? Sounds bad.

 

[scotsman]

Anyone find the tiny male and female toilets a bit pointless? Anyone else just prefer a single, larger toilet?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Yeah i wouldnt one anyone to share ! Much rather go in the seated coach .Its not that bad .

It's all night with the lights on these days; they stopped running with lights out in the seated section about 15 years ago ( at which point I switched to using the berths ).

The "dimmer night lighting" in the seated portion now is a joke - it's still a lot brighter than the tungsten lighting in a Mk 1 was...

 

[4SRKT]

It's all night with the lights on these days; they stopped running with lights out in the seated section about 15 years ago ( at which point I switched to using the berths ).

The "dimmer night lighting" in the seated portion now is a joke - it's still a lot brighter than the tungsten lighting in a Mk 1 was...

They provide blindfolds though, and the lights aren't ridiculously bright.

 

[route101]

Ive only done the berths but the seated coaches do look comfortable. Ive slept on megabus and turkish nightbuses .

 

[CallySleeperKid]

Although it costs a lot more, and in my opinion too much, it is well worth going first class if you can afford to do so.

The extra space in your cabin and the bonus of a connecting door if you are travelling as a couple is good, especially if your like me and wake up in the wee hours and want to take some pictures of the snow capped mountains and the sun rising, while your other half wants to sleep until a reasonable hour!

If you can grab a bargain berth and there is 2 of you travelling then its superb value, but if not you should spoil yourself with first class. I understand there is a new hot breakfast option of an airline style full cooked (microwave) breakfast, which has to be an improvement on the hot bacon bap, but I am yet to try it.

The toiletry bag in first class is handy, as well as the lounge car vouchers you get with your tickets, which cover you with a nice single malt before bed. You also can get a seat in the lounge car if it is busy, as it can be first class only during busy times.

If you can afford to pay the extra for first class then do so.

 

[4SRKT]

Believe me, the seated coaches on the Caledonian Sleeper are so far ahead of trying to kip in a Mk IIa TSO on the Edinburgh/Glasgow > Inverness or Edinburgh > Bristol sleepers back in the day that there's really no comparison.

 

[Aictos]

Although it costs a lot more, and in my opinion too much, it is well worth going first class if you can afford to do so.

The extra space in your cabin and the bonus of a connecting door if you are travelling as a couple is good, especially if your like me and wake up in the wee hours and want to take some pictures of the snow capped mountains and the sun rising, while your other half wants to sleep until a reasonable hour!

If you can grab a bargain berth and there is 2 of you travelling then its superb value, but if not you should spoil yourself with first class. I understand there is a new hot breakfast option of an airline style full cooked (microwave) breakfast, which has to be an improvement on the hot bacon bap, but I am yet to try it.

The toiletry bag in first class is handy, as well as the lounge car vouchers you get with your tickets, which cover you with a nice single malt before bed. You also can get a seat in the lounge car if it is busy, as it can be first class only during busy times.

If you can afford to pay the extra for first class then do so.

Agreed, I'm thinking of doing Euston to Euston via Inverness, Kyle of Lochalsh, Skye, Mallaig, Fort William sometime next year, as to the lounge they really do serve some fantastic food and malts!

 

[gordonthemoron]

as I regularly (i.e. at least once a month) share 6 berth couchette compartments, I can't see what all the fuss is about sharing

 

[MCR247]

People in England/Scotland are just unsociable

 

[CallySleeperKid]

Agreed, I'm thinking of doing Euston to Euston via Inverness, Kyle of Lochalsh, Skye, Mallaig, Fort William sometime next year, as to the lounge they really do serve some fantastic food and malts!

That was the original plan when I first decided I was going to try the sleeper a few years ago, although the other way round, was also going to include the Jacobite and a night in Kyle, but it never happenned, but I will do it one day.

 

[4SRKT]

as I regularly (i.e. at least once a month) share 6 berth couchette compartments, I can't see what all the fuss is about sharing

It's not a 'fuss', I just don't want to do it.

That was the original plan when I first decided I was going to try the sleeper a few years ago, although the other way round, was also going to include the Jacobite and a night in Kyle, but it never happenned, but I will do it one day.

One glorious summer I got a total of 12 consecutive 37 hauled trains as I went:

Tuesday: Queen St > Crianlarich
Wednesday: Crianlarich > Oban > Crianlarich
Thursday: Crianlarich > Fort William > Mallaig > Kyle (boat) > Dingwall > Helmsdale
Friday: Helmsdale > Thurso > Helmsdale > Wick > Culrain
Saturday: Culrain > Inverness

(((((Freedom of Scotland)))))

 

[Aictos]

It's not a 'fuss', I just don't want to do it.



One glorious summer I got a total of 12 consecutive 37 hauled trains as I went:

Tuesday: Queen St > Crianlarich
Wednesday: Crianlarich > Oban > Crianlarich
Thursday: Crianlarich > Fort William > Mallaig > Kyle (boat) > Dingwall > Helmsdale
Friday: Helmsdale > Thurso > Helmsdale > Wick > Culrain
Saturday: Culrain > Inverness

(((((Freedom of Scotland)))))

Oh I get freedom of Scotland all right BUT only if First hold the franchise,

 

[4SRKT]

Oh I get freedom of Scotland all right BUT only if First hold the franchise,

Well, to be accurate I wasn't on a FoS. My travelling companions were, but I just opened 4 consecutive boxes on my pass. Those really were the days.

 

[Flying Snail]

as I regularly (i.e. at least once a month) share 6 berth couchette compartments, I can't see what all the fuss is about sharing

A communal type couchette with 6 people is a very different scenario to a private enclosed cabin with one stranger.

I would have no problem using couchettes but sharing a sleeper (with a same-sex stranger) is definitely not something on my to-do list.

 

[scotsman]

If it makes any difference, my mate turned up on the night and showed his First PRIV to the Guard - got single occupency free.

 

[Fred26]

After looking at my finances and my shift pattern, I've decided against the Sleeper this time round. I'm going to travel up to Inverness on Sunday 07 November on the Highland Cheiftain and stay the night there. On Monday I'm going up to Wick and back to Inverness for a second night. On the Tuesday I'm planning to go to Kyle of Lochalsh and back to Perth for my last night.
Coming home on Wednesday 10, I'm going from Perth to Edinburgh, Edinburgh to Carlisle, Carlisle to Preston, Preston to Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Piccadilly to Doncaster and, finally, Doncaster to Stevenage.

The reason I'm travelling such a long way round is because that way the travel won't cost me anything. Plus I get to travel a couple of routes I haven't before. All I'm paying for is the hotels which cost me £90.50 for the three nights, along with anything I buy on my travels.

I can't wait.

 

[Aictos]

After looking at my finances and my shift pattern, I've decided against the Sleeper this time round. I'm going to travel up to Inverness on Sunday 07 November on the Highland Cheiftan and stay the night there. On Monday I'm going up to Wick and back to Inverness for a second night. On the Tuesday I'm planning to go to Kyle of Lochalsh and back to Perth for my last night.
Coming home on Wednesday 10, I'm going from Perth to Edinburgh, Edinburgh to Carlisle, Carlisle to Preston, Preston to Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Piccadilly to Doncaster and, finally, Doncaster to Stevenage.

The reason I'm travelling such a long way round is because that way the travel won't cost me anything. Plus I get to travel a couple of routes I haven't before. All I'm paying for is the hotels which cost me £90.50 for the three nights, along with anything I buy on my travels.

I can't wait.

Sounds like you're going to have a great time, I can fully recommend the Lochalsh Hotel in Kyle of Lochalsh for a meal, don't have to be a guest there - I used it last year when I spent a long weekend based in Inverness but sight seeing in Wick and Kyle of Lochalsh then off home via Aberdeen.

 

[dk1]

Agreed, I'm thinking of doing Euston to Euston via Inverness, Kyle of Lochalsh, Skye, Mallaig, Fort William sometime next year, as to the lounge they really do serve some fantastic food and malts!

Yeah, we did that last year & also had a gastro treat on board. Scotch Broth starter, a Paninni & followed that with a Cheese Burger main. All washed down with two bottles of Chardonnay whilst thrashing accross Ranoch Moor. Served at-seat, on a plate, with cuttlery & side salad by the excellent Scotrail steward. Perfect!!