Haha I think that’s above average for sleep time on the Caley sleeper!!! And to cover the windows, that makes no sense eh! Great journey though, and we’re on it tonight!
Just saw Pitlochry on the scrolling stops... I love Pitlochry, fond memories of Atholl Palace every year as a kid, and with the wife as part of our honeymoon 💕
There used to be a service which went from Brighton to Glasgow! Accepted the challenge, and went with my 2 daughters and a foster son! What an amazing journey! Mainly up the West coast, absolutely brilliant! Even better as was when having a "Family Railcard ", meant that children travelled for £1!.
One of the best sleepers is the evening commute from London to the home counties. You get to sleep wedged in like a sardine and standing up, and if you're very lucky you'll get a seat with another tired commuter resting their head on your shoulder.👍
Scott, you're right, it seems every UA-camr has done this one - but yours is honest and not beguiled by Serco's publicity into calling it luxury. While it all looks colourful, it's not comfortable. The lounge car seats have bright warm colours - but they're as soft as a park bench. They make a big song and dance about the food - but the breakfast is microwaved. I found the upper berth really uncomfortable - I tossed and turned all night trying to find a position where I couldn't feel the hard base of the berth (although my partner in the lower berth didn't experience this. Interesting that you found the lower berth good). And yes, it is pricey. We had a cabin with shower. Many will say compare the cost of a daytime train plus a London hotel. But if they do, they should remember this isn't comparable to a hotel room - it's more like sleeping in a cupboard. OK, the old sleeper was cramped too - but I have to say it was a more pleasant experience. We'll stick to day trains for any future travel to London. By the way, when you're in Inverness again, a much nicer cafe is Artysans, slightly closer to the rail station, and run as a social enterprise.
Excuse me, but this is false. The longest train journey isn't London to Inverness. It's clearly Edinburgh to Edinburgh via the Fife circle during rush hour; it certainly feels like it. 😉
I have done this journey many times with the present operator. It is a very good operation. The food from North to South (Inverness to Euston) was superb. The staff are lovely. I will continue to use it for business and personal use and I will pay the premium for a double bed occasionally. The price Vs a 10hr plane journey is very favourable.Personally, first time I used it, I slept like he did. in fits and starts. After that, I sleep like a baby every time. it's very comfortable.
If this trip is on your 'bucket list' I'd suggest Euston to Fort William in mid June. It's light from 4am and you can watch the scenery along the West Highlight line. Need to travel at least Club so you have access to the Euston First Class lounge and the Club Car for dining.
I have travelled regularly on the sleeper train for over 20 years and there is so much to recommend it. I used to love it because you could avoid the ghastly airport check in queues and the trains always arrived on time. True, the old trains didn't look that special but you got a decent sleep and the service was familiar and mostly friendly. The new trains were supposed to be an upgrade but almost everything about them is Worse.
I had fantastic journey on the Caledonian this past summer, agree the cabin is small for just a solo traveler, would have been tight with two people! Glad to see you enjoyed this trip. Love your content.
Hi Scott! Just wanted to say I'm a new viewer, but loving the channel - including the more insightful tidbits into the more technical aspects. Talking about route lengths was a topic I'd never thought be of interest, until now haha! Safe travels!
Scott😊 I have happy memories of an overnight train journey from London to Scotland in early 1989, when I was a young man. Like you, I travelled from London Euston to Inverness. Good to see that that service still exists in this day and age 😊
Used the mk3 coaches a few times with work always s bound, early 2000s. The ticket was: lounge at Waverley and Euston, a solo cabin, voucher for the bar, (enough for a nightcap and oatcakes), comfort pack with eyeblinds, tooth care etc, bacon roll breakfast, then 1st class ticket north bound on the lner, class 91 ex kings x with evening meal and wine. Was a bargain for the business! Then you could sell the comfort pack on ebay too!!!
@@alexmcwhirter6611 Wealthy tourists and pricks on expense accounts, not many regular Scots using it now, they can feel all warm and fuzzy knowing they are funding it through their taxes however.
Had a fantastic journey on caladonian sleeper from London to Glasgow, all the staff aboard were lovely and helpful, me and my wife would do it again without hesitation, good to leave the car at home ,without having to drive down south , probably the first train journey in 30 year's 😊😂
Hi Scott great video. I did same journey myself in 2016 with my late wife We slept all the way to the beginning of the highlands. I was railway staff so we got a priv rate. It was £21 each. Tickets bought at local station in Aldershot. Its was the old sleeper stock,so comfortable. 😊
I also travelled Standard solo on the one occasion I've so far travelled on the Mk 5 sleepers. I'm pretty sure those cabins are even smaller than the equivalent Mk 3 ones they replaced - it's as if there's an inch or two shaved off everything - even the corridors feel tighter. I had great difficulty opening my suitcase in such a tight space and it took a considerable while to work out how to remove the fixed ladder so that I could get it under my bed. If I travel by sleeper again it will have to be in a more accessible cabin!
Also another fact about the Caley Sleeper is that it's the longest passenger train in terms of coaches. The train from Euston comprises of 16 coaches where it splits into 4 sections of 4
Nearly right! There are two trains. The Lowland (for Glasgow and Edinburgh) and the Highland, which has three sections, not four (Aberdeen, Inverness, Fort William). The sections are not of equal length, the longest being for Inverness, but when they are combined they do indeed make the longest passenger train consist in the UK.
@@markwringe2826 I remember on Realtime Trains once, a 22-coach Pendolino was supposedly going to do the run from London to Manchester. I think there would be severe issues for both ends! An 18-coach Pendo is slightly more plausible, perhaps not via Macclesfield though!
Took a trip from Inverness to Berlin .Caledonian Sleeper to Euston,Euro Star to BrusselsInt,BrusselsMidi to Koln,Koln to Berlin. two hiccups on the way meant a broken down shuttle in mid tunnel 1 hour and an overnight stop in Aachen this was due to some lunatic having an issue in Koln station and the authorities closing the station until things got sorted.
Oh for goodness sake let's get down to brass tacks!!!! Never mind "this journey is 4 sleepers longer". Great video, makes me want to go to Inverness and have a full Scottish breakfast right now!! Nice one Scott 👍
Went on the Caledonian sleeper in April, on my way back from a concert in London I travelled down with a friend (on Easyjet) so it was a real hustle and bustle Contrast that with our trip back up. Chilling for a couple of hours in the Euston lounge Leisurely making our way to the train and boarding. I’ll say the room was tight of course. But to us the room wasn’t the reason we were on it, it was the bed, and once we clamoured into the bunks we were fine! The En suite toilet was really nice to have (didn’t use the shower though) Of course we hung out for an hour or so in the club car before bed, and our breakfast in the morning was lovely! Also saved my neck too, I hadn’t realised at this time that Sunday busses to my house were completely cancelled, so if we had flew back on the Sunday, I would’ve had to get a (very expensive) taxi back home otherwise
Wow, they don't serve breakfast on the train any more? Service sure has declined.... I stayed at the Royal Highland Hotel right next to the station and ate at Hootananny pub. Brings back memories!
Interesting video. I would love to do this journey. I did the Paddington to Penzance sleeper journey a few years ago and loved it. It was actually one of the best night's sleep I have ever had anywhere.
Used to do that run 40 years ago ! Spring was best .. Woken for "Breakfast" going over Slochd... Pine trees and Snow after the squalour of London.. Dropping down past Raigmore into Inver-snakie...and then NORTHWARDS ! Stupid to over-paint Windows.
When I used this service I got off at Aviemore. The issues I found were having to go South to Euston to go North, another stop Just South of Birmingham would have been useful, the corridors are so narrow a wheeled canvas bad was too wide to wheel along and with a camera backpack as well it was a challenge to get to the cabin, the the sleeping across the train was interesting as every braking and acceleration has you rocking about and made me travel sick, beds in the direction of travel would be much better. I had a toilet as part of the cabin fortunately. I was on my own but even so there is no room for your bags unless you use the second bed, if there were two of you it would be very tight, climbing over the bags to get to the toilet. It was a good service but could be a lot better and I think I will drive when I go back later this year.
hey scot, where you stood on the water in inverness behind you there was also a nice hotel in appertements, i did that with a group trip greetings from wietze braem from adinkerke, belgium
Hi Scott doing the Inverness ' journey in a few weeks time 'but going via East Coast main line 'track works other West Coast main line ' extra hour on the train for an 12 hour 30 minutes trip !
Done the old Caledonian sleeper in 2004 falkirk to Glasgow Queen St to Fort William to euston and return berth to myself £76.also done edinburgh to penzance,settle to Carlisle.think longest journey is aberdeen to penzance
Wonderful video, Scot. I am so happy that you did this route and with your own unique spin, as always. Happy and blessed New Year to you (is it too late to say that?)
We did this a few times around 2005-2007 when Scotrail were doing 'Bargain Berths'. They were still using the old MK3 stock and the whole thing wasn't being marketed so heavily as now, to be honest it seemed like a bit of a hidden secret. Anyway, the cost for two people Euston to Inverness one way: £38. 😆
I did the same trip about 10 years ago and for a sleeper it cost me £48 If you had a berth then you could use the dining car a meal of neeps and tatties and a small bottle of wine cost me £20. All in all a fantastic experience and would love to do it again but only if the price went down
Nice to see you doing UK trips again. As for the breakfast, just so-so, personally Premier Inn is my go to for reliable large all you can eat breakfast bur each to their own 😊
Best all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast I've ever experienced, in the UK anyway, was at the Crowne Plaza next to the SECC in Glasgow. Sure, the Premier Inn brekkie ain't bad, but it's nowhere near as good as the aforementioned.
I've had the pleasure of the "Caledonian Sleeper " several times.. in a seat and in a Club solo.. In fact 2moro evening I'm travelling down to London from Edinburgh however in the dreaded seat.. we shall see how it pans out
Caledonian Sleeper Euston to Inverness: 444 miles (712 km), journey time 11h30mn. Meanwhile in France: TGV Paris-Bordeaux, Wednesday January 25, departure Paris 9:11 am - arrival Bordeaux 11:14 am, 630 km, journey time *2h03mn* price 39 euros... Wednesday 1st February, departure Paris 9:11 - arrival Bordeaux 11:14mn, 630 km, journey time *2h03mn* price 19 euros...😜
Good video, well done. What I've never understood about sleepers is that the beds run across the room. So when the train brakes you feel as if you might fall out from the top bunk. Much better to have the bed running lengthwise so this problem wold never occur! ps. No proper "Scottish" breakfast ever has beans in it or hash browns. 😉
I also once visited Inverness station and also had something very important to do. To cremate my younger brother. Can't say I remember much about the city apart from asking directions from what I expected were two locals yet turned out to be two cockneys ( Londoners ) working on a contract plus the Bed & Breakfast I booked failed to serve breakfast!
good old Charlies Cafe at the bus station, real close to the train station. get the bus to london, from right outside Charlies. Ex Sneekie living in Christchurch NZ. Nice video. thankyou
Hmm. London Euston - Fort William sleeper is longer by journey time (12hrs 45 minutes). There’s also a Dundee to Penzance XC service which is surely longer too
That cabin looked pretty tight. They could have made them a load bigger. It would also be nice to see en-suite bathrooms as well, especially for the price.
Nice journey but I think the best route on which to sample the Caledonian Sleeper is Euston-Fort William. It might be a few less miles but it takes longer allowing you to enjoy breakfast in the Club Car whilst on the stunning West Highland line. As a bonus you then need another trip along the West Highland Line to get back to Glasgow, albeit on a Class 156!
...and the award for "Biggest number of reply guys correcting something that's already been explained" goes to... Scott from Planes, Trains, Everything. I salute you!
Many years since I have done that sleeper journey which I did many times, mostly having to share with a stranger. One lady traveller chain smoked through the night! That's how long ago it was.... As a non smoker, I was kippered. PS Never knew that about the antlers.
i live in glasgow my self and to be honest , ive always wanted to go to london to board the train all the way to inverness or fort william where ever i decided get off spend a night n head back to glasgow. sounds pointless i know but would love to do just to say ive been on the caledonian sleeper :) great video btw :)
You mentioned Serco running the train and being a bit expensive well they also run Northlink Orkney and Shetland ferries from mainland Scotland. The ferry service they provide from Scrabster to stromness is more expensive then an independent competitor from gills bay. Serco operates Northlink ferries under contract for the Scottish government.
Considering you're getting accommodation, travel and breakfast (at least the ticket included breakfast when I did it), and the length of the journey £152 is pretty reasonable I think.
I thought the 5 point antler in its 3 + 2, is supposed to represent the three destinations on the 'Highland Beds' (Fort William, Inverness and Aberdeen) and the two destinations on the 'Lowland Beds' (Glasgow and Edinburgh). But I like the geographical west to east that you did. I have done all 5 of these more times than I can count, both for work and leisure. I also did the Euston to Stranraer Harbour Boat Train sleeper back in the 1980s, and the various Nightrider trains, including when the Glasgow train was routed via Dumfries.
So I did the same accommodation (classic solo) from Euston-fort William in November 22, one of the worst nights sleep ever due to the sound of wheelflats on the coach and the room being too hot despite turning the temperature down to its lowest, woke up in a pool of my sweat which was uncomfortable to sleep in. Think I got maybe 2 hours sleep as I was being constantly woken up. I know a lot of people like sleeper trains but this is the wrong way to do it, horrible rolling stock and I wish I had the money when I was a bit younger to do the mk3s as I heard they were a lot better than the horrible mk5s I could not wait to get off the train at fort William to get some needed highland fresh air too
It might seem pricey but in the grand scheme of things, it's an hotel room and a train fare. There are cheaper and more expensive CS options available. I've not done the CS and it is one of my bucket list items.
Hi Scott, great video, although I remember you once said about toilet tours..'i don't do them!' we've booked EUS to FTW and return on it in June and hopefully see more out of the windows.😊 🏴
How about trying Australian train travel? The train travel on the 'Indian Pacific,' from Perth on the Indian Ocean in the west to the Sydney on the Pacific Ocean in the east (or vice-versa) is a 65 hour trip of 4,352 kms. Or, train travel on 'The Ghan', from Adelaide in South Australia to Darwin in the Northern Territory (or v.v.), a 54 hour trip of approx. 3,000 kms.
The wife and I took it to Inverness and back in October 21. £600 return in a double with shower but the compartment is so tiny only one person can get undressed at a time, also you can’t sit up in the top bunk so getting in and out of it is incredibly difficult. Also no hot water, no shower head and incredible rattle all the way back to London so no sleep plus no use of the First Class lounge in the morning at Euston on return . Staff were brilliant but sufficient problems for us to get a 200 quid refund. Never again! I would rather get LNER from Kings Cross during the day.
Great video Scott, I liked the clips at the end that were ruined by announcements. When I film I often get barking dogs! I might do a whole film of Barking Dogs
Well at least the Breakfast in Inverness looked a lot better than the one on the ferry at £16. I have always wanted to try that but I am on a power chair and I am scared that I would get stuck. Is it easy accessible for wheelchair users? Can I charge the chair in the cabin over night?
Haha I think that’s above average for sleep time on the Caley sleeper!!! And to cover the windows, that makes no sense eh! Great journey though, and we’re on it tonight!
Just saw Pitlochry on the scrolling stops... I love Pitlochry, fond memories of Atholl Palace every year as a kid, and with the wife as part of our honeymoon 💕
There used to be a service which went from Brighton to Glasgow! Accepted the challenge, and went with my 2 daughters and a foster son!
What an amazing journey! Mainly up the West coast, absolutely brilliant! Even better as was when having a "Family Railcard ", meant that children travelled for £1!.
Those were the days 👍
Ah brought the seeds along for £1, and that's everything that's wrong with society. Pay for your kids and stop taking subs.
Cross country used to go to Brighton, there was also a Poole to Glasgow
A brilliant take on this classic route! Thanks Scott, keep on, your channel is mega!
One of the best sleepers is the evening commute from London to the home counties. You get to sleep wedged in like a sardine and standing up, and if you're very lucky you'll get a seat with another tired commuter resting their head on your shoulder.👍
Which can be nice... unless their BO suggests they're soap dodgers.
Scott, you're right, it seems every UA-camr has done this one - but yours is honest and not beguiled by Serco's publicity into calling it luxury. While it all looks colourful, it's not comfortable. The lounge car seats have bright warm colours - but they're as soft as a park bench. They make a big song and dance about the food - but the breakfast is microwaved. I found the upper berth really uncomfortable - I tossed and turned all night trying to find a position where I couldn't feel the hard base of the berth (although my partner in the lower berth didn't experience this. Interesting that you found the lower berth good). And yes, it is pricey. We had a cabin with shower. Many will say compare the cost of a daytime train plus a London hotel. But if they do, they should remember this isn't comparable to a hotel room - it's more like sleeping in a cupboard. OK, the old sleeper was cramped too - but I have to say it was a more pleasant experience. We'll stick to day trains for any future travel to London. By the way, when you're in Inverness again, a much nicer cafe is Artysans, slightly closer to the rail station, and run as a social enterprise.
Surely the longest train journey in the UK is Aberdeen to Penzance. However the return journey only goes back as far as Dundee for some reason.
Hi Terry, the Aberdeen-Penzance isnt currently running, so at time of shooting the video, EUS-INV was the longest.
Excuse me, but this is false. The longest train journey isn't London to Inverness. It's clearly Edinburgh to Edinburgh via the Fife circle during rush hour; it certainly feels like it. 😉
Definitely it takes forever lol 😂
Hahahahha
😂😂😂😂
@@sophxxx9995 You know it!
Sorry you're both wrong. According to records the longest journey is crosscountry Aberdeen to Penzance
Arriving in Inverness just in time for the train to THURSO in the far north of jockland . The scenery on the Far north line is absolutely stunning .
I have done this journey many times with the present operator. It is a very good operation. The food from North to South (Inverness to Euston) was superb. The staff are lovely. I will continue to use it for business and personal use and I will pay the premium for a double bed occasionally. The price Vs a 10hr plane journey is very favourable.Personally, first time I used it, I slept like he did. in fits and starts. After that, I sleep like a baby every time. it's very comfortable.
If this trip is on your 'bucket list' I'd suggest Euston to Fort William in mid June. It's light from 4am and you can watch the scenery along the West Highlight line. Need to travel at least Club so you have access to the Euston First Class lounge and the Club Car for dining.
I have travelled regularly on the sleeper train for over 20
years and there is so much to recommend it. I used to love it
because you could avoid the ghastly airport check in queues
and the trains always arrived on time. True, the old trains
didn't look that special but you got a decent sleep and the
service was familiar and mostly friendly. The new trains were
supposed to be an upgrade but almost everything about
them is Worse.
I had fantastic journey on the Caledonian this past summer, agree the cabin is small for just a solo traveler, would have been tight with two people! Glad to see you enjoyed this trip. Love your content.
You've become one of my favorite UA-cam video bloggers. Cheers from Toronto.
The longest journey in the uk is cross country from Penzance to Aberdeen
We love Aviemore, Inverness, Highlands, Outer Hebrides, we adore Scotland!
Love the videos. Getting excited to go back home in June. Can’t wait to get tucked into a good old Scottish real fast. Keep up the great work!
Hi Scott!
Just wanted to say I'm a new viewer, but loving the channel - including the more insightful tidbits into the more technical aspects. Talking about route lengths was a topic I'd never thought be of interest, until now haha! Safe travels!
Haha cannot get enough of these videos Scott. Laughing because of the outtakes.
Scott😊 I have happy memories of an overnight train journey from London to Scotland in early 1989, when I was a young man. Like you, I travelled from London Euston to Inverness. Good to see that that service still exists in this day and age 😊
Good video enjoyed this, thank you for sharing
Brilliant 👏.
I remember suggesting you do this as I live in Inverness
That breakfast looked a lot better than the one you had on the Stenaline ferry from Belfast to Glasgow!
Brilliant review of the Caledonian Sleeper keep up the good work I look forward to watching more of your future videos
Used the mk3 coaches a few times with work always s bound, early 2000s. The ticket was: lounge at Waverley and Euston, a solo cabin, voucher for the bar, (enough for a nightcap and oatcakes), comfort pack with eyeblinds, tooth care etc, bacon roll breakfast, then 1st class ticket north bound on the lner, class 91 ex kings x with evening meal and wine. Was a bargain for the business! Then you could sell the comfort pack on ebay too!!!
🤭 I often wonder if there are regular visitors on these services or if they're all UA-camrs! But I'm grateful for you doing one too Scott :)
Haha. Various travellers in fact ranging from wealthy overseas visitors (they book the better accommodation) to corporate users to parliamentarians.
@@alexmcwhirter6611 Wealthy tourists and pricks on expense accounts, not many regular Scots using it now, they can feel all warm and fuzzy knowing they are funding it through their taxes however.
Had a fantastic journey on caladonian sleeper from London to Glasgow, all the staff aboard were lovely and helpful, me and my wife would do it again without hesitation, good to leave the car at home ,without having to drive down south , probably the first train journey in 30 year's 😊😂
Hi Scott great video. I did same journey myself in 2016 with my late wife
We slept all the way to the beginning of the highlands. I was railway staff so we got a priv rate. It was £21 each. Tickets bought at local station in Aldershot. Its was the old sleeper stock,so comfortable. 😊
I also travelled Standard solo on the one occasion I've so far travelled on the Mk 5 sleepers. I'm pretty sure those cabins are even smaller than the equivalent Mk 3 ones they replaced - it's as if there's an inch or two shaved off everything - even the corridors feel tighter. I had great difficulty opening my suitcase in such a tight space and it took a considerable while to work out how to remove the fixed ladder so that I could get it under my bed. If I travel by sleeper again it will have to be in a more accessible cabin!
Very interesting, watchable videos.
Also another fact about the Caley Sleeper is that it's the longest passenger train in terms of coaches. The train from Euston comprises of 16 coaches where it splits into 4 sections of 4
Nearly right! There are two trains. The Lowland (for Glasgow and Edinburgh) and the Highland, which has three sections, not four (Aberdeen, Inverness, Fort William). The sections are not of equal length, the longest being for Inverness, but when they are combined they do indeed make the longest passenger train consist in the UK.
@@markwringe2826 I remember on Realtime Trains once, a 22-coach Pendolino was supposedly going to do the run from London to Manchester. I think there would be severe issues for both ends! An 18-coach Pendo is slightly more plausible, perhaps not via Macclesfield though!
@@Northerner_Transport_Hub That may be too lengthy. Remember the regional Eurostar sets were 14 cars (normal Eurostar Alstom set is 18 cars).
@Sleeper Train Fan really? Would be amazing to see.
Took a trip from Inverness to Berlin .Caledonian Sleeper to Euston,Euro Star to BrusselsInt,BrusselsMidi to Koln,Koln to Berlin.
two hiccups on the way meant a broken down shuttle in mid tunnel 1 hour and an overnight stop in Aachen this was due to some lunatic having an issue in Koln station and the authorities closing the station until things got sorted.
Oh for goodness sake let's get down to brass tacks!!!! Never mind "this journey is 4 sleepers longer". Great video, makes me want to go to Inverness and have a full Scottish breakfast right now!! Nice one Scott 👍
I just stumbled on your video, really insiteful. I'm doing this trip in a couple months, thanks for the intro.
A new video, what a treat on this grey, cold thursday evening!
Went on the Caledonian sleeper in April, on my way back from a concert in London
I travelled down with a friend (on Easyjet) so it was a real hustle and bustle
Contrast that with our trip back up. Chilling for a couple of hours in the Euston lounge
Leisurely making our way to the train and boarding.
I’ll say the room was tight of course. But to us the room wasn’t the reason we were on it, it was the bed, and once we clamoured into the bunks we were fine! The En suite toilet was really nice to have (didn’t use the shower though)
Of course we hung out for an hour or so in the club car before bed, and our breakfast in the morning was lovely!
Also saved my neck too, I hadn’t realised at this time that Sunday busses to my house were completely cancelled, so if we had flew back on the Sunday, I would’ve had to get a (very expensive) taxi back home otherwise
Wow, they don't serve breakfast on the train any more? Service sure has declined.... I stayed at the Royal Highland Hotel right next to the station and ate at Hootananny pub. Brings back memories!
Its also the longest train in length in the UK, so long that can only fit into 1 platform at London Euston
I hope you keep amassing subscribers Scott! Your Scotland videos make me miss home :(
Great video as alway's Scott
Thanks scott our well travelled scotsman glad you had a good journey
Interesting video. I would love to do this journey. I did the Paddington to Penzance sleeper journey a few years ago and loved it. It was actually one of the best night's sleep I have ever had anywhere.
Great video Scott! Loved the bloopers at the end lol! Keep up the videos!
Used to do that run 40 years ago ! Spring was best .. Woken for "Breakfast" going over Slochd... Pine trees and Snow after the squalour of London.. Dropping down past Raigmore into Inver-snakie...and then NORTHWARDS ! Stupid to over-paint Windows.
When I used this service I got off at Aviemore. The issues I found were having to go South to Euston to go North, another stop Just South of Birmingham would have been useful, the corridors are so narrow a wheeled canvas bad was too wide to wheel along and with a camera backpack as well it was a challenge to get to the cabin, the the sleeping across the train was interesting as every braking and acceleration has you rocking about and made me travel sick, beds in the direction of travel would be much better. I had a toilet as part of the cabin fortunately. I was on my own but even so there is no room for your bags unless you use the second bed, if there were two of you it would be very tight, climbing over the bags to get to the toilet. It was a good service but could be a lot better and I think I will drive when I go back later this year.
hey scot, where you stood on the water in inverness behind you there was also a nice hotel in appertements, i did that with a group trip greetings from wietze braem from adinkerke, belgium
I did Euston to Aberdeen in the same cabin back in November so a very similar experience to you
Hi Scot could you give us your top 10 if you haven’t done it already
Cheers
Hi Scott doing the Inverness ' journey in a few weeks time 'but going via East Coast main line 'track works other West Coast main line ' extra hour on the train for an 12 hour 30 minutes trip !
There is actually still a service with cross country. Leaves penzance at about 0925am and goes to Edinburgh
Done the old Caledonian sleeper in 2004 falkirk to Glasgow Queen St to Fort William to euston and return berth to myself £76.also done edinburgh to penzance,settle to Carlisle.think longest journey is aberdeen to penzance
Wonderful video, Scot. I am so happy that you did this route and with your own unique spin, as always. Happy and blessed New Year to you (is it too late to say that?)
We did this a few times around 2005-2007 when Scotrail were doing 'Bargain Berths'. They were still using the old MK3 stock and the whole thing wasn't being marketed so heavily as now, to be honest it seemed like a bit of a hidden secret. Anyway, the cost for two people Euston to Inverness one way: £38. 😆
Agree. Point is that a lot of money has been invested in the new CAF stock so Serco has to do serious marketing. But Cal Sleeper remains loss-making.
£152 London/Inverness sleeper, not bad considering it costs £70 plus to travel from Dover To London. (Only about 80 miles)
Agreed. That journey would cost about twice as much on Amtrak.
I did the same trip about 10 years ago and for a sleeper it cost me £48
If you had a berth then you could use the dining car a meal of neeps and tatties and a small bottle of wine cost me £20.
All in all a fantastic experience and would love to do it again but only if the price went down
Nice to see you doing UK trips again. As for the breakfast, just so-so, personally Premier Inn is my go to for reliable large all you can eat breakfast bur each to their own 😊
Me too. I travel to Inverness frequently on the CS and walk to the Premier Inn just across the River Ness for a hearty breakfast.
Perhaps he prefers to give his money to help the local economy.
Best all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast I've ever experienced, in the UK anyway, was at the Crowne Plaza next to the SECC in Glasgow. Sure, the Premier Inn brekkie ain't bad, but it's nowhere near as good as the aforementioned.
@@limmoblack The local Premier Inn employs many local people...
@@scotbotvideos But do they do a 'pay for an adult and your two incredibly greedy teenage kids eat for nothing'?
ahhh, coffee at Charlies Cafe...my go to when im driving the X99 Thurso to Inverness
I've had the pleasure of the "Caledonian Sleeper " several times.. in a seat and in a Club solo.. In fact 2moro evening I'm travelling down to London from Edinburgh however in the dreaded seat.. we shall see how it pans out
Another fantastic video and the wee outtakes at the end
Caledonian Sleeper Euston to Inverness: 444 miles (712 km), journey time 11h30mn.
Meanwhile in France: TGV Paris-Bordeaux, Wednesday January 25, departure Paris 9:11 am - arrival Bordeaux 11:14 am, 630 km, journey time *2h03mn* price 39 euros...
Wednesday 1st February, departure Paris 9:11 - arrival Bordeaux 11:14mn, 630 km, journey time *2h03mn* price 19 euros...😜
Excellent video. Would love to do the sleeper to Inverness. Getting a window blocked by the logo is a downer though.
Good video, well done. What I've never understood about sleepers is that the beds run across the room. So when the train brakes you feel as if you might fall out from the top bunk. Much better to have the bed running lengthwise so this problem wold never occur! ps. No proper "Scottish" breakfast ever has beans in it or hash browns. 😉
Sleeping this way made me travel sick, good job there is a toilet handy.
Great video Scott! You are correct with the Aberdeen-Penzance. I rode it in October, it ran once in December but now isn't running until Mid March.
Service restarted on Jan 12th.
@@steveluckhurst2350 if you look at the timetable it's not running after the 12th until March now
@@SeanMidlandstransporthub whatever the timetable says, it's running now!
It’s running, but only Aberdeen-Plymouth currently. Still a longer distance than Inverness to Euston!
I worked headcode 1M10 many years ago, sleepers and motor rail on rear, a long train formation.
I also once visited Inverness station and also had something very important to do. To cremate my younger brother. Can't say I remember much about the city apart from asking directions from what I expected were two locals yet turned out to be two cockneys ( Londoners ) working on a contract plus the Bed & Breakfast I booked failed to serve breakfast!
Thanks
Thank you for your support. It's really appreciated... Scott.
good old Charlies Cafe at the bus station, real close to the train station.
get the bus to london, from right outside Charlies. Ex Sneekie living in Christchurch NZ.
Nice video.
thankyou
Hmm.
London Euston - Fort William sleeper is longer by journey time (12hrs 45 minutes).
There’s also a Dundee to Penzance XC service which is surely longer too
On my bucket list of trips to do
Years ago this service served coatbridge central cumbernauld instead of edinbugh
That cabin looked pretty tight. They could have made them a load bigger. It would also be nice to see en-suite bathrooms as well, especially for the price.
And then the fare would have to be many times more expensive. Some of the rooms do have en-suite showers/toilets.
Nice journey but I think the best route on which to sample the Caledonian Sleeper is Euston-Fort William. It might be a few less miles but it takes longer allowing you to enjoy breakfast in the Club Car whilst on the stunning West Highland line. As a bonus you then need another trip along the West Highland Line to get back to Glasgow, albeit on a Class 156!
Best in summer with long daylight hours.
@@alexmcwhirter6611 Yes, but also pretty good in autumn with autumn colours. I did it in February with snow on Rannoch Moor which wasn't bad either!
...and the award for "Biggest number of reply guys correcting something that's already been explained" goes to... Scott from Planes, Trains, Everything. I salute you!
Thank you for this great video
Classic : using the bowl as a breakwater between the egg and beans. You MAY wish to mix them, but it's YOUR choice. Textbook.
Many years since I have done that sleeper journey which I did many times, mostly having to share with a stranger. One lady traveller chain smoked through the night! That's how long ago it was.... As a non smoker, I was kippered. PS Never knew that about the antlers.
Long one is from Euston to Fort Williams which is 13 hrs...
i live in glasgow my self and to be honest , ive always wanted to go to london to board the train all the way to inverness or fort william where ever i decided get off spend a night n head back to glasgow. sounds pointless i know but would love to do just to say ive been on the caledonian sleeper :) great video btw :)
You mentioned Serco running the train and being a bit expensive well they also run Northlink Orkney and Shetland ferries from mainland Scotland. The ferry service they provide from Scrabster to stromness is more expensive then an independent competitor from gills bay. Serco operates Northlink ferries under contract for the Scottish government.
Considering you're getting accommodation, travel and breakfast (at least the ticket included breakfast when I did it), and the length of the journey £152 is pretty reasonable I think.
I thought the 5 point antler in its 3 + 2, is supposed to represent the three destinations on the 'Highland Beds' (Fort William, Inverness and Aberdeen) and the two destinations on the 'Lowland Beds' (Glasgow and Edinburgh). But I like the geographical west to east that you did. I have done all 5 of these more times than I can count, both for work and leisure. I also did the Euston to Stranraer Harbour Boat Train sleeper back in the 1980s, and the various Nightrider trains, including when the Glasgow train was routed via Dumfries.
This geezer could put a glass eye to sleep
Awesome trip, amazing video, thank you
Longest journey from a British station is London to Bourg St Maurice in the Alps for skiers
Excellent video as usual. Very informative. Thanks.
So I did the same accommodation (classic solo) from Euston-fort William in November 22, one of the worst nights sleep ever due to the sound of wheelflats on the coach and the room being too hot despite turning the temperature down to its lowest, woke up in a pool of my sweat which was uncomfortable to sleep in. Think I got maybe 2 hours sleep as I was being constantly woken up. I know a lot of people like sleeper trains but this is the wrong way to do it, horrible rolling stock and I wish I had the money when I was a bit younger to do the mk3s as I heard they were a lot better than the horrible mk5s
I could not wait to get off the train at fort William to get some needed highland fresh air too
Artysans cafe near the train station in Inverness is lovely place to eat and all for a good cause. Great video.
Always looking forward to new videos Scott. Good stuff 👌🏼
I assume there are no refreshments offered on your ticket else I would have expected you to mention it.
It might seem pricey but in the grand scheme of things, it's an hotel room and a train fare. There are cheaper and more expensive CS options available. I've not done the CS and it is one of my bucket list items.
Penzance to Edinburgh is further and is running
Yeah, big choice, think what you missed at Watford Junction.
Great video.
The cabin in the train is enough for one person.
I miss Euston station I used to work there 🥰🥰🥰
Hi Scott, great video, although I remember you once said about toilet tours..'i don't do them!' we've booked EUS to FTW and return on it in June and hopefully see more out of the windows.😊 🏴
What’s the mileage for the 0820 Aberdeen to Plymouth service? Would have thought that is a contender?
How about trying Australian train travel?
The train travel on the 'Indian Pacific,' from Perth on the Indian Ocean in the west to the Sydney on the Pacific Ocean in the east (or vice-versa) is a 65 hour trip of 4,352 kms.
Or, train travel on 'The Ghan', from Adelaide in South Australia to Darwin in the Northern Territory (or v.v.), a 54 hour trip of approx. 3,000 kms.
Great video thanks - would love to do the same though horrified at the thought of it being managed by the Scottish Government.
The wife and I took it to Inverness and back in October 21. £600 return in a double with shower but the compartment is so tiny only one person can get undressed at a time, also you can’t sit up in the top bunk so getting in and out of it is incredibly difficult. Also no hot water, no shower head and incredible rattle all the way back to London so no sleep plus no use of the First Class lounge in the morning at Euston on return . Staff were brilliant but sufficient problems for us to get a 200 quid refund. Never again! I would rather get LNER from Kings Cross during the day.
Great video Scott, I liked the clips at the end that were ruined by announcements. When I film I often get barking dogs! I might do a whole film of Barking Dogs
Well at least the Breakfast in Inverness looked a lot better than the one on the ferry at £16. I have always wanted to try that but I am on a power chair and I am scared that I would get stuck. Is it easy accessible for wheelchair users? Can I charge the chair in the cabin over night?