Caledonian Sleeper Review: Using the Sleeper Train in the UK

Sleeper trains! Jess and I are big fans, and we’ve taken them in a wide variety of countries. We’ve ridden all sorts of sleeper trains, from creaky old eastern European models through to the vintage Orient Express.

We’ve also ridden one of the UK’s sleeper trains a number of times. The Caledonian Sleeper is a service which links London, England, with a number of cities and towns in Scotland. In this post we’re going to share our experiences using the Caledonian Sleeper service to travel between England and Scotland.

There are some benefits and also some drawbacks to using this service, and we wanted to share them all so you can make an informed decision as to whether or not this might be the right option for you.

This will be based on our personal experiences travelling with the Caledonian Sleeper, which we have done on a number of routes, including between Edinburgh and London, and Inverness and London.

Initially we rode the Caledonian Sleeper thanks to an invite from the service operators, but we have also ridden the service a number of other times and paid for it ourselves.

First though, you might be wondering why the UK needs a sleeper train service. After all, the UK isn’t exactly that big. You can get from London to Edinburgh in under five hours by train, so why would you want a sleeper version?

Well, there are a few reasons.

First, you save on the cost of a hotel night by sleeping on a train from London to Scotland.

Second, you don’t waste precious exploration time stuck on a train – instead, you arrive bright and early in your destination, ready for a full day of adventure.

Third, unlike many train services in the UK, the Caledonian Sleeper service can be booked a whole year in advance, helping you figure out your transport well in advance.

And fourth – well, fourth, it’s kind of fun and certainly one of the more unique ways to travel in the UK!

In this post I’m going to share our Caledonian Sleeper review.

This post will cover the different classes available on board the Caledonian Sleeper, our review of the Caledonian Sleeper service experience between London and Scotland, and all the information you need to know about when planning a trip on the Caledonian Sleeper.

What is the Caledonian Sleeper?

The Caledonian Sleeper is a sleeper train service which operates a number of routes which link London with cities in Scotland, including Glasgow, Edinburgh, Inverness, and Aberdeen. Services run both ways six days a week, with the exception of Saturdays.

A sleeper train to Scotland has been running from London since the 1850’s, although the service has been updated a few times since then – with the most recent a major update coming into service is the 2020s.

It’s been running in its current name, the Caledonian Sleeper, since 1996, and in 2016, Lonely Planet named the journey from London Euston to Fort William the best sleeper train journey in the world.

 

What Sleeping Options Are There on the Caledonian Sleeper?

As of 2021 there are four main options for travel on the Caledonia Sleeper. These are a Sleeper Seat, Classic Room, Club Room and Caledonian Double.

Please be aware that the Caledonian Sleeper service was fully upgraded in 2019/2020, with entirely new carriages.

We have travelled on both the newer and older services, and we have updated the post to reflect the new products and experience, which is much improved.

Previously there were three options for travel, a sleeper seat, standard sleeper room and first class sleeper room. None of these were en-suite or offered a double room, and there was no WiFi or proper power outlets (although there were USB outlets).

The new trains are far more luxurious, with upgraded sleeper seats as well as en-suite sleeper rooms and even a double en-suite room option for couples. There are also fully accessible rooms, as well as WiFi throughout.

Here are the current options for accommodation on the Caledonian Sleeper.

 

1. Sleeper Seat.

The Sleeper Seat is generally the most economical way to travel on the Caledonian Sleeper. These are reclining seats in a 2 + 1 arrangement, which are similar in layout to first class seats on a normal British train.

As you will be sharing with other people in the same carriage, this is likely to be the least comfortable option, and you won’t be able to lie flat.

There’s a counter-service, but the lounge / dining car (called the Club Car) is off limits to sleeper seat passengers. All Caledonian Sleeper Seat passengers receive a sleep kit which comes with earplugs and an eye mask. Seats also feature a tray table, access to lockable storage, Wi-Fi, charging points and an individual reading light.

 

2. Classic Sleeper Room

The Classic Sleeper Room is an excellent option if you actually want a lie-flat bed and some privacy – especially if you’re travelling with a friend or as couple or family.

If you are travelling as a group or family you can book interconnected rooms for access to the adjacent room without having to go into the corridor.

The sleeper rooms accommodate two people, with two bunks on the walls – one above the other. If you are travelling on your own you will have the whole room to yourself. Note that on the old service you would have to share with a stranger but this is no longer the case.

You get a sleep kit with eyemask and ear plugs, and the room also has a sink, towels, bedding, standard AC and USB power outlets.

You are also able to access the lounge car, subject to space (priority is given to club class passengers), which has a range of seating options as well as a drinks and meal service. Breakfast is not included but is available for a fee. You can see an idea of available on board meals here.

The room doesn’t have a toilet, but individual ladies and gents toilets are available at the end of each carriage.

There are also no showers in these rooms, but showers can be found at many of the stations along the route – there’s a small fee to use these.

The Classic Sleeper Room grants access to the Club Car where dining and drinks are available. However, be aware that priority access to the Club Car is given to guests in Club Rooms or the Caledonian Double.

 

3. Club Room

If you’re looking for a more luxury hotel-like experience for your overnight train between London and Scotland, or are travelling alone and really value your privacy, consider the Club Room.

This offers similar sleeping arrangements to the Classic Sleeper Room, in that it’s a twin bunk.

However, you also get an en-suite facility which has both a toilet and a shower, although note that the toilet has a bench cover over it, so you effectively shower over the toilet. Still, it’s nice to have your own private toilet and shower on board.

As well as all the amenities included in the standard sleeper room, including WiFi and power points, you also get access to the station lounges at departure and arrival stations, as well as a free hot or continental breakfast, which you can enjoy either in your room or in the Club Car.

You also have priority access to the Club Car on the train.

In terms of the lounge access, we have used the lounge at both London Euston and Inverness. Both had free refreshments, which included soft drinks, coffee or tea, and snacks (think cookies and pretzels). Alcoholic drinks were available for purchase. The Euston lounge is on platform one, and is open to both arriving and departing passengers. It’s the flagship lounge and is very comfortable.

The Inverness lounge is a lot smaller, and was actually full when we tried to access it. Thankfully, the Caledonian Sleeper has an arrangement with a nearby hotel, so you can get free coffee or tea over there if the Inverness lounge is full, which is what we did.

Both lounges had free WiFi access as well as power sockets.

 

 

 

 

 

4. Caledonian Double

The ultimate in luxury, the Caledonian Double offers all the same amenities and facilities as the Club Room, but with a double bed instead of twin bunks.

If you’re traveling as a couple, or simply want a more comfortable solo sleeping experience, this is going to be a great option. That said, do bear in mind that the train moves around, so some might prefer the single bunk bed so as not to bump into your partner all night.

Again, you get breakfast included, your own private en-suite toilet and shower, complimentary toiletries, station lounge access, priority boarding, priority club car access, Wi-Fi, charging points etc.

 

Caledonian Sleeper Review

Jess and I have travelled on both the overnight “lowland sleeper” route, from Edinburgh to London, and the “highland route”, specifically from Inverness to London. We have actually taken the lowland route a number of times in both directions, and the highland route once.

The lowland route is one of the shorter journeys available on the Caledonian Sleeper, lasting around eight hours. It operates between London and Glasgow/Edinburgh.

The highland route is a longer service. We took it from Inverness to London Euston, which took around 12 hours when we did it. It also operates from Fort William and Aberdeen, with various stops through Scotland as it works south.

 

Lowland Sleeper Experience

First, I’ll cover our Lowland Sleeper experience. We have done this a number of times in both directions, so I’ll provide an overall summary of this experience from Edinburgh to London.

In Edinburgh, which was where we started our journey, the train is available for boarding from 11pm, and the train itself departs at 23.40. We traveled in the original train and had a sleeper cabin, and we got on board in plenty of time to take advantage of everything the train had to offer.

On arrival our rooms were allocated and our breakfast order was taken. After popping our luggage in our rooms, we headed to the lounge car to try out an evening meal from the options available.

This was actually very good (and reasonably priced!), even though the galley on the original train was restricted to sandwiches and microwaveable meals (the new service now offers a much improved menu selection).

Then, ready for bed, we headed back to our cabins. Cabins do lock, but when we travelled only the steward had the keys, so to get back into our cabin we had to find our carriage steward (this has changed with the new service, and all guests have their own keycard for room access).

Back into our cabins, we got ourselves ready for bed, I plugged my phone into one of the available USB ports, and went to sleep.

I’m pleased to report that we both slept well on the train down to London, although certainly we appreciate this won’t be an experience for everyone.

Trains move around and make noise as they travel, and whilst the earplugs certainly help, it’s really down to the individual as to how you will sleep.

I would also add that to get the most sleep you should arrive as soon as the train is ready for boarding, having eaten beforehand, and just head straight to bed.

On this journey our train arrived into London at just after 7am, and as we wanted breakfast in the lounge car, we had to be up by 6.30am to take advantage of that. A wake-up call was available, but we just used my phone alarm.

We woke with my alarm and headed for breakfast. We were particularly impressed by breakfast – Jess had Scottish smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, whilst I went for the full highland breakfast. Then, finding ourselves already in Euston, we offloaded and started our London adventure.

Our return trip was similar, with the exception that on the journey north, the train from London to Edinburgh can be boarded at 10pm, meaning you can get a bit more sleep should you wish – or just enjoy a dram of whisky or two in the lounge car.

It still doesn’t leave until just before midnight, so if falling asleep whilst the train is moving is a problem for you, getting on board a little bit earlier might be the best option.

We were also a little disappointed on our northern version of the trip that an issue with food delivery meant that the highland breakfast wasn’t available.

Jess again availed of the smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, and I went for the bacon bap, which was excellent. It was also particularly nice to have breakfast in the dining car as we headed into Edinburgh, as the scenery on this part of the journey is really lovely, and is an excellent way to start getting excited for your Scottish adventure.

 

Highland Sleeper Experience

We took the Highland Sleeper service from Inverness to London on the new train, which came into service in 2020.

When we took it, track works meant it was running to a slightly different timetable, with a Sunday evening departure at 8.25pm and an arrival into London Euston at 8.45am. We actually preferred this slightly later arrival as it gave us a bit more time to relax on board.

We booked the Club Room. We had actually hoped to try the Caledonian Double, but despite booking many months in advance, these were already all sold out.

So as a tip, be aware that rooms sell out very far in advance. Our train was actually fully booked when we travelled. We travelled in April 2024, and the room cost us £430 for two people. That included breakfast, lounge access at both ends, and priority access to the dining car.

Our train was due to depart at 8.25pm from Inverness, with the Club Lounge open from 6.30pm and boarding from 7.45pm. We headed to Inverness train station at 7pm, but were disappointed to arrive and find the fairly small lounge across the road from the station was already full.

The very nice lady did however give us tea/coffee vouchers for a nearby hotel, and also let us avail of snacks from the lounge.

We went over to the hotel and waited for half an hour, and then headed to the station where we waited until 7.45pm. One tip, if you are travelling on a busy service like we were and you intend to eat on the train, we’d advise getting in line early.

It takes a while to board everyone onto the train because everyone has to be checked in (much like a hotel). There is also limited dining car room, and while Club sleepers get priority access, it can fill up quickly if the service is full.

We were actually the first to board the train, and after dropping our bags in our room we headed to the restaurant to secure a table. As you can see, we got one with no problem, although it filled up within a few minutes of us sitting down.

The dining car has been noticeably upgraded in the new trains, with a much-improved seating experience as well as a better menu.

We put our breakfast order in, slightly disappointed to learn that the highland breakfast wasn’t available. This seems to happen regularly, and is a bit disappointing because it was delicious the one time we were able to have it!

We had the choice of breakfast in our room or in the Club car, and we opted for the Club car as it gave us a slightly wider choice of breakfast options.

We also ordered dinner of course, as that was what we were primarily there for.

The food focuses on Scottish themed dining, and so obviously we had to order the haggis, neeps and tatties. We also had a nice glass of red wine as well as a delicious clootie dumpling for dessert. Overall the food was excellent and the staff were very friendly.

By the time we ate the train was well underway, having departed on time from Inverness. After dinner we headed back to our room where we used our bathroom (having our own bathroom was a big upgrade from our previous experience), got ready for bed, read a bit, and then went to sleep.

The beds are bunk style in the room we had, with each bunk bed having its own USB power outlet and reading light. There are also some UK style 240v power outlets in the room.

We then went to sleep. I can highly recommend using the provided eye mask and ear plugs. Whilst you can turn the lights off in the room of course, there are emergency lights and lights around the light switches that can’t be turned off for obvious reasons.

So if you are sensitive to light when sleeping, you will definitely want to wear the eye mask.

Overall, we both slept pretty well. Sleeping on a train is not for everyone as there is a fair bit of movement and background noise, but we did alright. We definitely preferred the longer train journey as it meant we got more sleep, being able to go to bed a little earlier than on the Edinburgh train.

We got up at 6.45am for the 7am breakfast service (the latest time available).

We both had bacon rolls and coffee for breakfast, which we enjoyed as the train rolled towards London.

We arrived a few minutes late into London Euston at 8.50am. The train arrived onto Platform one, and as we were too early to check into our hotel, we stopped at the Caledonian Sleeper lounge, which is conveniently located on Platform one.

Here we availed of the free coffee, WiFi and restrooms before heading on to our hotel. It’s definitely the nicest Caledonian Sleeper lounge we have tried and it wasn’t busy with morning arrivals as presumably most people had somewhere else to be! However we think it’s worth popping in on your arrival for a free hot drink if nothing else.

 

How Much Does the Caledonian Sleeper Cost?

As an indication, prices for the Caledonian Sleeper London to Edinburgh start from around the following:

• £48 for a Seat
• £145 for a Classic (single occupancy), £175 for a Classic (double occupancy)
• £205 for a Club (single occupancy), £250 for a Club (double occupancy)
• £335 for a Double (single occupancy), £400 for a Double (double occupancy)

Price for the Caledonian Sleeper from London to Fort William start from around the following:

• £53 for a Seat
• £195 for a Classic (single occupancy), £235 for a Classic (double occupancy)
• £245 for a Club (single occupancy), £300 for a Club (double occupancy)
• £395 for a Double (single occupancy), £470 for a Double (double occupancy)

Prices for the Caledonian Sleeper vary depending on time of year and the specific journey you book. You can check the prices for your specific journey online here.

 

Things to Know About the Caledonia Sleeper

Here are a few things to keep in mind when planning your Caledonian Sleeper adventure from London to Scotland (or vice versa).

 

Train arrival times

The lowland trains to and from Edinburgh and Glasgow arrive early into their respective destinations. This is great for giving you lots of time to sightsee, but if you are travelling with luggage you will have to factor that in as you’ll have to find somewhere to leave it.

Many hotels will let you leave luggage if you arrive early for no additional fee, otherwise you may have to look at left luggage options. For example, this site provides Baggage services at a number of stations in the UK.

 

WiFi on the Caledonian Sleeper

The Caledonian Sleeper has full WiFi coverage. However, as this is a moving train, expect speeds to vary and for WiFi to drop out in areas of low signal or when passing through a tunnel.

 

Food / Drink on the Caledonian Sleeper

For travellers in one of the sleeper rooms, the Caledonian Sleeper Club Car has a range of drink and meal options including full dinners and breakfasts. Room service is also available.

There is a counter service available to guests in the sleeper seats for snacks and refreshments.

 

Pets on the Caledonian Sleeper

Pets are welcome on board the Caledonian Sleeper. Assistance dogs are free, whilst all other pets have a charge of £30 room cleaning fee at time of writing. Note this is per room rather than per pet. Up to two pets can travel per room.

Pets are not allowed in the seated carriage, on beds or in the Club Car.

 

Power on the Caledonian Sleeper

Power is available is the form of standard three-pin AC power outlets as well as USB sockets for each room. Power points are also available at each seat in the Comfort Seats.

 

Toilets / Showers on the Caledonian Sleeper

For travellers in the Comfort Seats or Classic Rooms, toilets are available at the ends of each carriage, but there are no onboard shower facilities.

Caledonian Double and Club Rooms feature an en-suite shower and toilet.

A number of stations offer Caledonian Sleeper passengers the option to shower either on departure or arrival. This is free for travellers in the Caledonian Double or Club Room, while there is a small fee for standard sleeper and sleeper seat passengers.

Stations with showers are London Euston, Glasgow, Edinburgh Waverley, Fort William, Inverness and Aberdeen.

Toilets are located at the end of each carriage, and unusually for a UK train, can be used when in a station.

 

Accessibility on the Caledonian Sleeper

The new Caledonian Sleeper trains have a number of fully accessible rooms. These include twin and double accessible rooms. The Club Car also has dedicated wheelchair space, and the Seated Coach also has a dedicated wheelchair space.

Accessible rooms feature an in-room lowered sink, large floor space to accommodate wheelchair turning and two emergency alarms. Read more about the accessible rooms on the Caledonian Sleeper and how to book them here.

 

Overall Caledonian Sleeper Review

I’m now going to go through the positives about the Caledonian Sleeper service, as well as some things to be aware of when taking this service.

Good things about the Caledonian Sleeper

There’s lots to like about the Caledonian Sleeper. Here are some of the good things:

• The service offers a comfortable way to travel between Scotland and England, combining transport and accommodation in one. Instead of wasting time traveling in the day, you can make the most of your time by traveling through the night and maximise sightseeing time in the day.
• If you compare the cost of travel and a night’s accommodation, the Caledonian Sleeper can be a cost-effective way to travel between England and Scotland
• Unlike a flight, the train gets you into the heart of the city. There also aren’t any liquid restrictions you need to worry about, and your luggage isn’t weighed or anything like that.
• You can book your travel very far in advance, and most options are refundable up to a certain time before travel should your plans change.
• The staff are super friendly, making for a positive experience overall.
• The food on board is good (with the caveat that there can be availability issues sometimes).

 

Things to be Aware of with the Caledonian Sleeper

The Caledonian Sleeper experience isn’t all positives. There are some things to be aware of.

• Trains can be late. On one of our trips from London to Edinburgh our train was significantly delayed and then actually cancelled near Glasgow. We all had to be decanted into buses for the onward journey, which was quite inconvenient. Of course, this is often beyond the control of the Caledonian Sleeper, and can occur with any transport option.
• Sleeping on a train is not for everyone. The beds are very comfortable, but the train moves a fair amount and there is quite a bit of noise from the track and wheels. The train also stops and starts through the night. Whilst ear plugs and an eye mask are provided, you may or may not have as good of a night’s sleep as you hope compared to a hotel bed.
• Arriving early into a city sounds great in theory, but can provide logistical challenges as you will have to figure out what to do with your luggage. We’d advise heading straight to your hotel and dropping of any luggage if you are overnighting in your destination city, and then heading out to explore. Having a plan is key to a good experience.
• The same issue can be said for departing as well as arriving. Departing a city late in the evening will require you to figure out what to do with your bags. Most hotels will let you leave a bag with them, but if you are staying in an Airbnb or similar, you will want to consider luggage storage options.
• The service can be very popular, so you will need to book well in advance if you want to guarantee a particular room type.

Overall, we’d definitely recommend you consider the Caledonian Sleeper for your transport needs when visiting the UK. You’ll save the cost of an overnight stay, won’t lose time travelling in the day, and will experience one of the world’s great sleeper train journeys.

 

Further Reading

As you can see, we thoroughly enjoyed our trips on the Caledonian Sleeper. Hopefully you found our review helpful.

As well as this review, we have lots of content and resources to help you plan your trip to the UK, as well as some other train related experiences. Enjoy!

• Click here if you want to book a trip on the Caledonian Sleeper train service
• If you want to read more about our sleeper train experiences, look no further than our luxury voyage on the Orient Express from London to Venice. For a shorter luxury train experience in the UK, you can read about our journey on the Belmond British Pullman. Yes, we like trains.
• For your time in London, take a look at our Two Day London Itinerary to help you see all the highlights of London. There’s also a 1 day version if you’re short on time.
• London transport can be confusing. That’s why we wrote a guide to buying and using the London Oyster Card, and a guide to public transport in London to help you get around without spending too much money
• London’s also photogenic – check out our tips for finding the best Photography Locations in London
• And, to really save money in London, read our full review of the London Pass to help you decide if this can save you money on your visit to London
• Beyond London, we’ve got lots of experience in the UK as well. Take a look at our detailed itinerary for  two weeks in the UK, and the 1 week version, for inspiration.
• We’ve written a number of guides to Edinburgh, including a guide to visiting during the August festivals, the Highlights of Edinburgh, Hidden Gems in Edinburgh and a 2 day Edinburgh itinerary, to name a few
• We’ve also visited Glasgow of course – and put together a comprehensive Glasgow guide for you
• Heading even further north in Scotland, here are some ideas, including information on the epic North Coast 500 road trip, exploring the Highlands and Skye,things to do in Inverness, and even whisky tasting!

And that sums up our experience on the Caledonian Sleeper train service between London and Scotland! Have you ever considered travelling by overnight train in the UK? Have any questions for us? Let us know in the comments below!