Sleeper Train from London to Edinburgh

I recently travelled by train with my husband from our home on the south coast of England to Edinburgh. This is a very busy time for us, so we decided to travel on the sleeper train from London to Edinburgh. Apart from saving time, we thought it would be more fun than flying - and it was.

We left home on a Friday evening. My husband went to his office in the morning, and returned home at the usual time. We had time for a quick fish and chip supper, eaten from the paper it was wrapped in (saved doing dishes) before walking with our cases to our local train station.

At the station, we boarded a train to London. We had to change once on the way to Victoria station. This involved going up and down stairs with our cases, but we could have found the lift (elevator) if necessary.

From Victoria, we used the Underground train to reach Euston station. Our train tickets included use of the Underground, so we did not have to waste time buying special tickets. There were not many people on the Underground on a Friday evening, so crossing London was not at all difficult. Our cases were not very large, so we had no trouble using the escalators at either Victoria or Euston station.

Our train to Edinburgh was due to leave Euston at 11.20. We were able to board about 30 minutes before the scheduled departure. This gave us plenty of time to find our reserved cabin, and to make use of the bar on the train.

The bar was (to us) quite glamorous, in a 1960s, retro-style. (Actually, it had probably not been remodeled since the 1960s.) There was a waiter, which really was glamorous, accustomed as we are to self service. We could not resist treating ourselves to a half bottle of champagne.

The sleeping cabin on the train was small, but met our needs. It was furnished with 2 narrow bunks (one above the other), a wash basin with a lid that closed, giving more storage space, and a ladder for the upper bunk. There was just enough storage space for our luggage.

Each bunk had a reading light, and there was also a light for the cabin. The window had a dark blind, which could be secured in the closed position.

The carriage had a steward, who asked whether we would like tea, coffee or juice in the morning. He told us that he would knock on the door to wake us shortly before the train arrived at Edinburgh.

The only deficit in the arrangements was that the toilets were at the opposite end of the carriage from our cabin. There were separate facilities for men and women (a single cubicle, with wash basin), and they were very clean.

After finishing our champagne in the bar, we settled down into our bunks. As the cabin was so small, we had to take turns undressing, and organising our clothes for the morning. (We wanted to look presentable on arrival in Edinburgh.) There really was just enough room for one of us to move about.

The bunks were narrow, but the pillows were comfortable, and the temperature was acceptable. Each bunk was furnished with 2 light-weight blankets.

It took a little while for me to become accustomed to the noise of the train, but once I settled to sleep, that was it. I slept through the train dividing at Carlisle (some carriages went to Glasgow) and did not wake until we were very close to Edinburgh.

As promised, the steward woke us shortly before we arrived in Edinburgh, brining cups of tea, and a breakfast box each. The breakfast consisted of small muffins, and something that resembled yogurt. It was pleasant, but small.

We were allowed time on the train at Edinburgh to get organised before leaving, Edinburgh being the final stop.

When we got off the train, we carried our cases up a flight of stairs and found a taxi rank. There was no wait for a cab, and we were soon at our hotel, where we had a cooked breakfast and read the newspaper.

This was probably the most stress-free journey we have taken in months. We did not have to sit in the car in stationery traffic, nor stand in line for a security check. We agreed that it was actually fun - something we had almost forgotten was possible when travelling.

We paid a total of £313.20. This was the door-to-door cost, and included the sleeping cabin. (We paid extra for the champagne). We could have travelled back home by train on the tickets, but without the sleeping accommodation.

I have just looked on the Internet to see what it would cost for 2 return airfares, and the quoted price was £208. Of course, it might have been possible to get cheaper air tickets - the price seems to vary from hour to hour.

However, by travelling overnight on the train we saved the cost of a hotel room.

It was also a brilliant use of time, which is always at a premium for us.

When we planned this trip, we decided to go to Edinburgh on the train, and fly home, because I was scheduled to attend a meeting at 4pm on the day of our return. Booking the train tickets, my husband discovered that a return ticket cost only £1 (yes, one pound) more than a single. The tickets are valid for 30 days, and can be used by another person.

As members of our family who live in Edinburgh were about to have a holiday that involved flying from Gatwick, we gave them our return train tickets. This represented a significant saving for them.

If you are interested in making the rail journey, you can find details of train tickets at www.firstgroup.com/scotrail

On the morning of our return, we had a substantial breakfast at our hotel, and then set out on foot to find the place where the bus to the airport should stop. This proved more difficult than we anticipated, as the bus stop had been temporarily moved.

Edinburgh is in the process of having a tram system constructed. This should be excellent when it is complete, but a lot of the city centre roads are dug up at present!

We did eventually find the bus stop, and get the correct bus to the airport in good time for our flight.

In fact, we had a lot more time that we expected, as the flight was delayed by more than 2 hours. This meant that I would not be home in time for my meeting at 4pm!

The flight itself was good, as it was an exceptionally clear day and I sat by the window. I was able to see Blackpool and Liverpool from the air.

When we landed at Gatwick, there was a delay because no gate was available, and then we had to wait for steps to be delivered to the plane. All this was tedious. Fortunately, I had borrowed a very long book.

From Gatwick, we got a train home. We had spent most of the day travelling, and had done nothing useful, and not much that was fun.