Scotrail seated sleeper

[pennine]

Hi there, I was just wondering if anyone could tell me more about the seated coach on the Caledonian Sleeper. The reason I ask it because I have spotted a nice cheap advance fare from Aberdeen to London on it, and as someone who has never on this service (or be able to afford a ALR anytime soon), this will be a golden opportunity to try it. Would it be recommended?

Cheers

 

[Yew]

Be quick and look for a bargain berth would be my suggestion. 9am Friday is around when they are released.

 

[alexjames]

I have never been on it but I speculate that your prospects are largely dependent on how talented you are at sleeping in transit mode. Practice make perfect here. Best I've ever done is Staines (LHR T5) to somewhere near Minsk on a plane. Took me about 35 years of flying as a passenger to reach that standard tho'. Sleepimg through take off is the measure of achievement. Depriving yourself of sleep on the night before will assist plus, I'm told, ingestion of mood altering drugs beforehand will also help.

But you might miss some glorious scenery on the way.

 

[sonic2009]

The man at Seat61.com has a page on the Sleeper for you to read if you wish.

http://seat61.com/CaledonianSleepers.htm#.UWMryvWE7IU

 

[jopsuk]

You get a reclining "first class" style seat- but as far as I know the lights aren't dimmed significantly. I've only ever taken a bed...

 

[callum112233]

I was looking at the Scotrail website recently and it seems the bargain berths section is gone?

Callum.

 

[Yew]

I was looking at the Scotrail website recently and it seems the bargain berths section is gone?

Callum.

They come up on the regular webTIS system now, just search a journey and a BB fare will pop up if its available.

 

[Royston Vasey]

I have never been on it but I speculate that your prospects are largely dependent on how talented you are at sleeping in transit mode. Practice make perfect here. Best I've ever done is Staines (LHR T5) to somewhere near Minsk on a plane. Took me about 35 years of flying as a passenger to reach that standard tho'. Sleepimg through take off is the measure of achievement. Depriving yourself of sleep on the night before will assist plus, I'm told, ingestion of mood altering drugs beforehand will also help.

But you might miss some glorious scenery on the way.

I can beat that. 11pm departure from New York, snoozed before takeoff. Woke up for takeoff up to drinks service. Got a drink, was asleep before I opened it. Woke up when they served coffee in the morning over Ireland somewhere, downed it, immediately back to sleep, woke up with a bump on landing at Heathrow. Scared the hell out of me!

The perfect flight!

 

[Liam]

Hi there, I was just wondering if anyone could tell me more about the seated coach on the Caledonian Sleeper. The reason I ask it because I have spotted a nice cheap advance fare from Aberdeen to London on it, and as someone who has never on this service (or be able to afford a ALR anytime soon), this will be a golden opportunity to try it. Would it be recommended?

Cheers

I have used it on a number of occasions, both the Aberdeen North and Southbound and the Edinburgh and Glasgow Northbound. You get a first class style seat in a 2+1 setting. Try to get a single seat, IIRC they are numbers 9, 12, 15 etc. You get an eyemask, but only once have I been on and the lights have been shut off.

You can use the buffet, but cannot sit in the lounge car. Buffet is open all night, but you might have to give the attendant a wee shout to wake her up..

The Aberdeen portion is usually the quietest seated coach of the four which leave London, Southbound Fort William passengers join at Edinburgh, Northbound they travel on the Inverness portion.

I have, a few times, taken off my shoes and curled up across a double seat. It's surprisingly comfortable, but I was probably so tired I could have slept on the floor. I'm also only 5'10", which probably helps.

 

[work-traveller]

For me, part of the reason I've traveled on the sleeper has been the saving of time and the relatively low cost of a nights accommodation. On this basis I wouldn't ever go for a seat on the sleeper, as I know I wouldn't get any sleep. There's not much difference in the advance fare for a birth and that for a seat, so it has always struck me as a false economy. This aside from the fact of being able to use the lounge car.

Bargain berths are still available, but the handy look-up calendar was removed a few months back. Nobody at ScotRail can explain why it was removed, as it's clearly a retrograde step. Anyway, main point is you'll know if a bargain birth comes up as it will be < £60.

 

[4SRKT]

For me, part of the reason I've traveled on the sleeper has been the saving of time and the relatively low cost of a nights accommodation. On this basis I wouldn't ever go for a seat on the sleeper, as I know I wouldn't get any sleep. There's not much difference in the advance fare for a birth and that for a seat, so it has always struck me as a false economy. This aside from the fact of being able to use the lounge car.

Bargain berths are still available, but the handy look-up calendar was removed a few months back. Nobody at ScotRail can explain why it was removed, as it's clearly a retrograde step. Anyway, main point is you'll know if a bargain birth comes up as it will be < £60.

OTOH the seated coach means you don't have to run the risk of sharing a phone box sized cabin with a stranger, something I'm not prepared to do.

If travelling end-to-end I sometimes go on the cushions to avoid this (if leisure travel). For work I use the sleeper to get from the North of England to Perth, but travel from Crewe on to Montrose (in Winter) or Blair Atholl when it's light in the mornings to get a longer kip (no need to be in Perth at 05:30!). This obscure origin/destination combo seems to pretty much guarantee solo occupancy. On that logic if going end-to-end I would suggest booking to Carrbridge, Stonehaven or Spean Bridge. At Stonehaven you'll have to wait for the next train (warning: may be a Voyager...), but at the other two just move along to the seated coach and buy a single from the grip. From my experience of the seated coach on tge West Highland you won't even have to do thus as the grip will be nowhere to be seen. Note: I haven't done that move, but have used the Fort Bill portion several times with tickets and have never been gripped.

 

[Optimo]

Hi there, I was just wondering if anyone could tell me more about the seated coach on the Caledonian Sleeper. The reason I ask it because I have spotted a nice cheap advance fare from Aberdeen to London on it, and as someone who has never on this service (or be able to afford a ALR anytime soon), this will be a golden opportunity to try it. Would it be recommended?

Cheers

Um I'd go with the other poster who suggested a bargain berth. I've gone from London-Aviemore on the seated sleeper and would not do it again due to effectively being unable to sleep in transit (I can sleep on planes/Eurostar ok, but couldn't on this train). Other passengers on telephones(!) other passengers boarding at all hours (at around 1am at one station iirc), and being woken at Edinburgh Waverly in the wee hours as the station lights are blinding, and the station itself is noisy.

Could not wait to get off.

Pay extra and relax.

 

[reb0118]

Picture of seated area here:-

 

[pennine]

Many thanks to everyone for their feedback! The reason I asked obviously is that when people talk about the sleeper its always berths, and I had a pretty good idea about them. Just seeing an advance fare at £24 from Aberdeen to London in the seated part I thought I could kill two birds with one stone, being able to do the sleeper as I've wanted to since I was little, and not have to wait to save up for a ALR.

 

[RochdalePioneers]

At the end of the coach the seats are arranged into bays of 2 or 4. If someone is on the seat opposite there is a problem as only 1 set of legs fits into the small gap between the seats.....

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[reb0118]

.........If someone is on the seat opposite there is a problem as only 1 set of legs fits into the small gap between the seats.....

Unless you are intimately acquainted with said legs ~ or would like to be!