Gran is right the staff on the night service are a level up from daytime. Great service, they look after you well. And thats going back many years on the night train.
Did the Night Rivieira around 5 years ago from London for a football match against Truro City and paid for the upgrade to a berth. I was woken up at 3am to be told that we’d broken down, were still at Reading, and had to cross over to a standard HST replacement where I then had to sleep on the carpet underneath tables until Truro. Fortunately, I got my entire return journey fee back and a free return journey from Paddington to anywhere on the (at the time) FGW network. Used it for Torquay away the following season
I caught a sleeper from Cologne to Munich. My wife and I shared a cabin with four complete strangers (all of whom were already in bed when we boarded). Wound up with a nasty cough after that night.
I did the London-Inverness one a few months ago which wasn’t too bad. Bit bumpy and noisy but otherwise OK. I also have done the Calais-Narbonne one which was quite the experience!
Do the Caledonian Sleeper. London-Invernes, Aberdeen or Fort William. Obviously it goes to Edinburgh but you miss half the experience if you get off there.
There's something magical about getting on a train and traveling hundreds of miles while the world flies by as you sleep. Definitely on my bucket list!
The "Night Riviera" rolling stock has been refurbished to a very high standard indeed. It's just a shame that the Lounge Car doesn't offer a proper hot meals service featuring such Cornish delicacies as Starry-Gazey Pie … or even Tiddy Oggies!
You both really do great train videos together. No other pair quite like you. It’s always a perfect mix of curiosity, expertise, whimsy - and just plain fun.
I remember waking up early going London>>>Aberdeen. Got some lovely views as we crossed the Firth of Tay. The views from the cliff tops were spectacular as well.
Just saw the Daily Telegraph story where the male newlywed went to upgraded business class and the wife didn't: what a plonker! Good to see better manners here :)
Hi Just wanted say a big thank for all the videos, only found your site by chance, brilliant job both. I remember steam trains shutting at the end of our garden when I was boy, we really do our railways for granted. Regards Rick Leicester
As someone who travelled up to Scotland every year on a sleeper to visit grand parents I can recommend them. I always found the gentle rocking of the train along with the muffled clanks and squeaks rather soothing. One of these days I'll cough up for a first class cabin and travel up to Inverness again. It's such a shame that they're disappearing in Europe. I've also used Canadian sleepers which are a little different but still very comfortable.
Sleeper trains look like a lot of fun - I’ve not been on one since I was 13 and my grandparents took me on a train tour on a special sleeper that went London - fort William and whilst we slept in the train, the sleeper carriages remained at fort William and the rest of the train (with us!) visited Mallaig and Oban.
At McDonald's a woman went in with a baby but then 5 minutes later only the baby came out. Apparently Jimmy Saville also went to McDonald's the same day
Greetings from Australia. Did that trip in March last year and was upgraded to First on the day train down and upgraded again to a single cabin on the sleeper back. Loved every minute of it.
They sometimes do, I mean, if you can give your customers more comfort by having them occupy an empty cabin, why not? In the end, it will pay off by having happy customers who will spread the news. It's not as if they are loosing money on it, those empty cabins are hauled with the train anyway.
I did the Night Ri I era in April. Long pause at Reading where I fell asleep after looking out the window at the Reading station sign. Awoke, looked out of the window cos we were stopped again and it said Plymouth! Wonderful nights sleep.
I travelled on this sleeper twice before the refurbishment and it does look better now but i imagine that this is now second best to the new Caledonian Sleeper with ensuite and double beds etc.Would love to see the North East South West sleeper reinstated which was the most heaviest used by passengers before it was axed when BR was privatised.
I’ve ridden the Auto Train from Wash DC to Orlando, Florida. It takes about 14 hours if all goes well. They offer a Roomette (similar to yours) or a bedroom (sleeps 3 and has a shower). PreCovid they offered a dining car with free supper and breakfast. And of course your car follows along in its own train car. Interesting that the car costs the most to take aboard. This past March it was difficult with the Covid restrictions. I really love the trip and it saves some 900 miles of driving. A sleeper car is worth the experience. Thanks for sharing.
I did the Swedish Rail Polar Circle sleeper from Narvik to Stochholm. They have an onboard shower at the end of the carriage. It was cheaper thsn flying and saved a night's hotel costs.
A brand new ATS to kick off the weekend AND a special bonus “Vicki Explores”. This is the kind of video which highlights RUclips’s lack of a “love it” button 👍👌. Great stuff as always, guys.
Hello There, great Video thank you for producing this, it's good to see that you had an enjoyable experience on the Sleeper, it certainly looks like a comfortable and unique experience. Cheers Peter :)
Cool video Geoff and Vicki and it looks great after the refurbishment and I remember when you went on this before in 2017, your so lucky to be asked to go to all these places and trains. A new series for 2020 All The Toilets and I wonder if people thought Vicki was a bit strange going in the toilet with a camera lol.
I'm planning a trip to Cornwall once the pandemic is over, I live in Australia, but was born in Truro and have lots of relatives there, haven't been back since 2016. I actually really like the idea of taking one of these sleeper trains to Truro from Paddington. I think after a ~24 hour flight in an economy seat, having a proper bed and my own room for the train ride to Truro would be amazing! Just got to hope that there's an international flight that roughly syncs up with it.
I took the Caledonian Sleeper train last August when I was there between London and Inverness. That was a nice trip too. Over here I've taken "The Canadian" across Canada (4 day sleeper).
Is anyone else viewing this out of curiosity sparked by the novel "The Sleeper" by Emily Barr? I'm re-listening to the audiobook after 8 years. I love books with drama involving train travel. Those "door is unlocked/ locked" messages on the mirror in the bathroom. sorry, the toilet is awesome.
The upgrade looks really smart and good to see they've upgraded the facilities at Penzance. I'm ashamed to say I've never been on the sleeper despite living just half an hour from Penzance. I'll do it one day.
Man. I did an Amtrak sleeper for two nights from Washington DC to Denver via Chicago and it was straight out of the 80s. Yeah the seats were big and comfortable but a far cry from what i saw in here.
I did one in India, it was definitely not as relaxing and I was knackered the next morning. I sleep better in Economy on a plane (even on cheap airlines) than I slept in that sleeper. No private rooms or anything, just a carriage with like 12 beds and some curtains. Also, no bunny, and no free tea or coffee. :(
It's almost as if you're about to do it all over again...by the way, Caledonian Sleeper are getting brand new carriages for their trains which will probably enter service later this year or early next; any chance of you hopping aboard? Also, what did Vicki not have at 4:48? (I'm guessing moquette)
@@Bungle2010 a switch with two positions. Locked and unlocked. All these problems stem from the fact that there is a single lock/unlock button and not a switch.
@@Bungle2010 The reason Vicki made such a deal about it is because of the problems of people have been having where they believe it to be locked when it wasn't. In ideal cirumstances yes everyone should be able to work it out. But desperate for the loo? mistakes are made. The super clear sign is meant to avoid this happening. However, in my opinion this is treating the symptom and not the cause. Here is links showing how this has been a problem: zarino.co.uk/post/virgin-train-toilets/ www.reddit.com/r/britishproblems/comments/2dd89h/the_way_to_lock_the_door_on_the_virgin_trains/ www.reddit.com/r/CasualUK/comments/9op7au/does_anyone_else_not_trust_these_train_toilets/ metro.co.uk/2018/03/14/man-beaten-opening-train-toilet-door-without-realising-woman-using-7387054/
I have done the journey Paddington to Redruth/Hayle/Penzance both ways many many times, and gave very fond memories of those journeys. Not surprising as I lived in Cornwall through the 70s. I've only once done the Riviera sleeper and that was in 2005 my first visit to Cornwall in 24 years. I enjoyed it it wasn't quite as luxurious back then, and I didn't get much sleep having spent most of the night in the first class Lounge. Some of my best journeys along the route were when I went on the early morning 'mail train' from Redruth with a travel warrant when working at RNAS Culdrose. On the first day of summer leave the last three carriages on that first train were all reserved for Mr S Hawk (HMS Seahawk), that was basically to keep the riotous rabble of off duty service personnel, and NAAFI girls, separate from the more sedate paying passengers. Good times 😁
Cheers for the all important height review, Geoff! I'm 6'5.5" so according to your recommendation I should be just fine! :D Genuinely, though, I've always worried that I'll struggle for space in a cabin, but maybe I'll give it a crack!
Super to get access and watch this AtS sleeper special which made me smile. No mention of dinner..🍽️🍽️ I'm guessing you have loads of comments with relation to the Waltons tv programme. Goodnight for real
Train leaves Paddington at 23:45 and arrives at Penzance at 07:53 Monday to Friday. Leaves Penzance at 21:45 and arrives at Paddington at 05:23 Monday to Friday.
I was sitting here thinking what were the arrival times...... then you popped up and supplied the answer :) I would have thought Geoff would have taken a shot of the clock upon their arrival...... so many thanks :)
@@borderlands6606 I don't believe they kick you off immediately, so it's a nice leisurely wakeup, get dressed, head to the lounge and use the showers, grab breakfast and read the papers before grabbing the tube elsewhere and starting work.
Good info, thanks👍🏻These Dep/Arr times, along with the stops, should’ve been posted by Geoff!! Unusual of him to miss small details, but a good vid anyway👍🏻
@@michaelgask I love them (apart from the bit in Tampere where they smash the Turku and Helsinki trains together!) when they make sense for me, which sadly isn't too often nowadays. Ex's family were in Turku, so we'd get the night train back - and since it gets into Oulu before 8am, we'd book all the way up to Rovaniemi to get a lie in and still have time for a shower. We'd spend the day up there undoing the stress of a family visit before getting the evening train home (with a quite civilised dinner on board). The bog/shower thing is genius, even if it's just a wall swinging across; I can't believe all these camper van conversions haven't cottoned on to it yet. And there can't be too many sleeper compartments in the world with a dedicated place to strap your skis to the wall :) Also, putting your car on the train is still a thing here, with several car carriers on the back of the sleeper train, so the whole thing feels like a proper adventure. Just remember to bring duct-tape for the annoying yellow digital clock by each bunk. Grrrr. Oh, and a light jacket to throw over your arm if you plan on smuggling a beer out of the restaurant car, which I'm told is illegal...
@@6yjjk Thanks for these details... I've only been to Finland once, and then only to Helsinki, but I LOVED it... and this sounds like the germ of an idea to get back there. 🔥Kiitos.
A bit different to the 1979 journey with Mark 1 sleepers, but hell, that was a fun trip! Can't wait to get back to the UK to do both this, and the Caledonian. Not cheap trips, but worth it just for the experience.
Well that’s improved since you started all the stations! TV show was The Walton and if you don’t fancy a sleeper to Cornwall try the afternoon Pullman. Worth every penny😄
I’ve only ever used sleeper trains in Russia, on these trains you sleep like a baby despite the topical train sounds and even shunting in the train during the night as coaches are added or taken off. The reason for sleeping a so well is that Russians bring tones of food, beer and vodka. Travelling a sleeper train is made into such a social occasion your lights are out the moment you hit the pillow :)))
You NEED to see if you can get on the NEW (Not upgraded 😉) Caledonian Sleeper when they finally enter service. I would love to see a video of it, and you two deserve to try a brand new one. Great video you two, thanks.
I used the sleeper regularly when I lived near Truro, it was scrapped for a while but thank goodness it was reinstated and now enjoying a renaissance. Maybe its time to introduce a new sleeper service connecting the far south west with the north and Scotland?
Nice video, I would make some jokes about Vickie Explores the toilet but I do not want to waste (sorry) those jokes on a wonderful video, but with all the jokes and puns to one side, it is a wonderful video, I did the sleeper once before but didn't get much sleep since I was sitting in a chair all night but one good thing was Exeter St Davids when you get an hour you can walk around the station and take photos without anyone there :p
It looks like a wonderful experience. One thing I can't understand is why there would be sleeper car service for only a 5hr trip. I write to you from the U.S. Although, I've never done sleeper service I think here for us it's very hard to get sleeper service options for any trip less than 7 hrs. So the fact that you have O/N service for a relatively short trip is interesting.
Having being dumped in Bordeaux at 0630 on a TAA service, with the cars locked up until 0900, and absolutely nothing open, that lounge with showers and hot coffee looks genius.
Great video again Geoff and Vicki. Please can you do some digging with your contacts and try and get an update on exactly when the Cally Sleeper to Inverness will finally get their update, looking forward to trying it out.
I spent the same evening in a sleeping bag on the concourse of Manchester Piccadilly for Railway Children. Looks great though, the Night Riviera is one of my to-dos!
What, exactly, do you mean by "can more or less read" Cornish? Surely you either can, or can't, with nothing in between? In what ways does written Cornish differ from written Welsh?
@@DaveSuperThomas A very similar vocabulary and grammar rather like Breton as it's from the same branch of Celtic languages. The spelling is different (there is no 'V' in Welsh and we have the dd, ll, rh combinations which are actually single letters in Welsh without having their own character (look up Welsh Scrabble) but you can get the gist of what's written. I found the same thing in Brittany. It's vaguely like Spanish and Portuguese. Similar enough to follow the sense but different at the same time.
@Thomas McDonald - Dorothy "Dolly" Pentreath of Mousehole (1692-1777) was the last person raised from birth to speak only Cornish, but she did learn English later in life.
reminds me of long distance sleepers that i did across India when i was back in my twenties. then there was only one choice of food for breakfast lunch and dinner, vegetable thali with rice and chapatis and no liquor on board.......but go stand or sit in the open doorway when the train was moving to smoke a joint or two.
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
I've never seen anyone rock a Thrasher sweater better than Nan right there
DeSaxofoonVanPeter im the 300th liker
Thrasher Nan is my new favourite All The Stations cast member
Janssen McCormick me too, and I can tell you she lives up to the rep👌
Yes granny in a thrasher hoodie!
wonder what she thought of this month's cover
David Webb I’ll show my gran this!😂
@@zennorrosez Aha YES! Can't believe you actually met Geoff and Vicky! Send my love to granny Thrasher!
@@zennorrosez Thanks for the personal reply too!
Pff.. I bet she can't even fit a skateboard up her ass, can't stand poser grannies
Big up my Gran for her words of wisdom❤️ lovely to meet you two xx
Zennor Rose great to meet you Zennor! Hope your Gran is recovering well!
Big up your nan, rocking a Thrasher hoodie!
Gran is right the staff on the night service are a level up from daytime. Great service, they look after you well. And thats going back many years on the night train.
Your nan is awesome! I hope she's doing well!
Did the Night Rivieira around 5 years ago from London for a football match against Truro City and paid for the upgrade to a berth. I was woken up at 3am to be told that we’d broken down, were still at Reading, and had to cross over to a standard HST replacement where I then had to sleep on the carpet underneath tables until Truro. Fortunately, I got my entire return journey fee back and a free return journey from Paddington to anywhere on the (at the time) FGW network. Used it for Torquay away the following season
Class 57 locomotive on the front end. You were lucky to get as far as Reading before it broke down. Or ran out of fuel. Or both.
A sleeper train - any sleeper train - definitely on my bucket list.
Or for an experience you'll really remember, get an overnight train in Vietnam.
I caught a sleeper from Cologne to Munich. My wife and I shared a cabin with four complete strangers (all of whom were already in bed when we boarded). Wound up with a nasty cough after that night.
Was on the bunnies, too :-)
I did the London-Inverness one a few months ago which wasn’t too bad. Bit bumpy and noisy but otherwise OK. I also have done the Calais-Narbonne one which was quite the experience!
Do the Caledonian Sleeper. London-Invernes, Aberdeen or Fort William. Obviously it goes to Edinburgh but you miss half the experience if you get off there.
There's something magical about getting on a train and traveling hundreds of miles while the world flies by as you sleep. Definitely on my bucket list!
Very nice, GWR always seems to have a touch of class about its services
The "Night Riviera" rolling stock has been refurbished to a very high standard indeed. It's just a shame that the Lounge Car doesn't offer a proper hot meals service featuring such Cornish delicacies as Starry-Gazey Pie … or even Tiddy Oggies!
From the people who brought you 'Snakes on a Plane', now bring you 'Bunny on a Train'
Followed by rabbit droppings in my bunk.
@@erik_griswold They're raisins, try them!
Do you remember ‘Bomb on an underground train’?
@Barry Scott 7th July 2005
You both really do great train videos together. No other pair quite like you. It’s always a perfect mix of curiosity, expertise, whimsy - and just plain fun.
Not anymore split up
The best part of any night sleeper experience, the windows at the rear of the train!!
I remember waking up early going London>>>Aberdeen. Got some lovely views as we crossed the Firth of Tay. The views from the cliff tops were spectacular as well.
Ah... Loved the Waltons reference ! Night John-Boy!
3:35 That right there is the secret to a healthy relationship 😎
4:48 Did you censor yourself?
My favourite Vicki Explores ever!
LET THE SECRET OUT!
Got it he says maquette
Just saw the Daily Telegraph story where the male newlywed went to upgraded business class and the wife didn't: what a plonker!
Good to see better manners here :)
What - saying yes to the misses to everything - mmm, not so sure! 🤕😾🤕
Nice video guys! “To the sleepers!”. I love sleeper trains.
I’ll never get bored of these videos. Keep them coming!
Hi
Just wanted say a big thank for all the videos, only found your site by chance, brilliant job both.
I remember steam trains shutting at the end of our garden when I was boy, we really do our railways for granted.
Regards
Rick
Leicester
As someone who travelled up to Scotland every year on a sleeper to visit grand parents I can recommend them. I always found the gentle rocking of the train along with the muffled clanks and squeaks rather soothing. One of these days I'll cough up for a first class cabin and travel up to Inverness again. It's such a shame that they're disappearing in Europe. I've also used Canadian sleepers which are a little different but still very comfortable.
The Austrians at ÖBB are trying to revive them, luckily, and there's some momentum for a renaissance for night trains in Europe.
Sleeper trains look like a lot of fun - I’ve not been on one since I was 13 and my grandparents took me on a train tour on a special sleeper that went London - fort William and whilst we slept in the train, the sleeper carriages remained at fort William and the rest of the train (with us!) visited Mallaig and Oban.
3:26 That heads or tails is like football in school. "- Heads or tails? Great. Now what do you want?" Loved it! You 2 are the best!
I have always been puzzled by baby change facilities. Why do parents always come back out with the same baby?😀
It's better than as the saying goes......"throwing the baby out with the bath water"
My baby is usually the superior baby so I leave the other baby there for people with substandard babies..
At McDonald's a woman went in with a baby but then 5 minutes later only the baby came out.
Apparently Jimmy Saville also went to McDonald's the same day
🔥
😂😂😂😂😂 true, also if I go in there why do I never come out with a baby?
Greetings from Australia. Did that trip in March last year and was upgraded to First on the day train down and upgraded again to a single cabin on the sleeper back. Loved every minute of it.
They sometimes do, I mean, if you can give your customers more comfort by having them occupy an empty cabin, why not? In the end, it will pay off by having happy customers who will spread the news. It's not as if they are loosing money on it, those empty cabins are hauled with the train anyway.
I did the Night Ri I era in April. Long pause at Reading where I fell asleep after looking out the window at the Reading station sign. Awoke, looked out of the window cos we were stopped again and it said Plymouth! Wonderful nights sleep.
I miss taking trips on night trains - always such great fun.
I travelled on this sleeper twice before the refurbishment and it does look better now but i imagine that this is now second best to the new Caledonian Sleeper with ensuite and double beds etc.Would love to see the North East South West sleeper reinstated which was the most heaviest used by passengers before it was axed when BR was privatised.
Brilliant. Wish we had more of these in Canada.
what's wrong with Via and their trains that might arrive within 24 hours after the scheduled departure :'(
Funnily enough you actually do have the more modern Mark 4 sleepers that we were meant to get :-)en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nightstar_(train)
Right and I'd be happy with 70mph once in a while.
I’ve become hooked on watching Sleeper service videos on RUclips so this popped up on my list today. Great fun review, liked and subbed 👍🏻🚂
What a super video - I'm down that way later this year and will certainly consider the sleeper this time.
Perhaps you could make a video compilation of your journey to share with the rest of us!
You guys are super cute! 💕 Vicki explores...All the Toilets...All of them! Really loved this! 😍
I’ve ridden the Auto Train from Wash DC to Orlando, Florida. It takes about 14 hours if all goes well. They offer a Roomette (similar to yours) or a bedroom (sleeps 3 and has a shower). PreCovid they offered a dining car with free supper and breakfast. And of course your car follows along in its own train car. Interesting that the car costs the most to take aboard. This past March it was difficult with the Covid restrictions. I really love the trip and it saves some 900 miles of driving. A sleeper car is worth the experience. Thanks for sharing.
Nice! cabbed 57602 a while ago when GWR were running the 57's with 3 Mk3's to keep up driver hours
I did the Swedish Rail Polar Circle sleeper from Narvik to Stochholm. They have an onboard shower at the end of the carriage. It was cheaper thsn flying and saved a night's hotel costs.
Gotta do a sleeper sometime in my life. Thank you, great video you two!!!
A brand new ATS to kick off the weekend AND a special bonus “Vicki Explores”. This is the kind of video which highlights RUclips’s lack of a “love it” button 👍👌. Great stuff as always, guys.
Have not been on the Night Riviera Sleeper. A great video. Thank you very much.
I lol'd when you stopped at Reading because I was watching this whilst there 🤣
The rooms certainly look nice in the GWR sleeper
Planning on taking this in the fall, been looking forward to the new train
Very nice editing, great production quality.
Hello There, great Video thank you for producing this, it's good to see that you had an enjoyable experience on the Sleeper, it certainly looks like a comfortable and unique experience. Cheers Peter :)
Cool video Geoff and Vicki and it looks great after the refurbishment and I remember when you went on this before in 2017, your so lucky to be asked to go to all these places and trains. A new series for 2020 All The Toilets and I wonder if people thought Vicki was a bit strange going in the toilet with a camera lol.
Always good when he can bounce things off Vicky, who is a good sport and adds a bit of humor to the video. Looks like a good product overall.
I love this video. Always find myself coming back to watch this.
What a lovely, lovely video... thanks guys!
Night sleeper train 一度乗りましたが良かったです。 車内が綺麗でしたね。食事も温かい。
部屋は狭くブルートレインみたいでした。 もう最高！
・・・部屋に洗面台あったんですね・・・
Great video, I want to go on one now! Loved Vicky Explores....The Toilets 🤣🤣
That looked like a really nice over-night trip, short video but still time for a "Vicki Explores" !!
Great Video. Slightly more upmarket than the Sleeper on the Renunification railway in Vietnam - now THERE'S an experience!
So weird literally booked onto this yesterday. Didn't realise it was this new 😂
Yep, enjoyed that. Thrasher gran, bunny, toilet explores, clean 57, comfy bar - yes, I can see myself planning a long weekend away!
4:44 Is moquette a censored word now!?
No but ‘another f***ing moquette’ is 😂
Oh, i swore i tought he said fuckload
@@tomstripreports for saying "whole new moquette"?
@@tomstripreports i dunno. Twitter's Tay ai program was pretty funny!
Moq off
For moqs sake
Moqing brilliant
Lots of great combos
I'm planning a trip to Cornwall once the pandemic is over, I live in Australia, but was born in Truro and have lots of relatives there, haven't been back since 2016. I actually really like the idea of taking one of these sleeper trains to Truro from Paddington. I think after a ~24 hour flight in an economy seat, having a proper bed and my own room for the train ride to Truro would be amazing! Just got to hope that there's an international flight that roughly syncs up with it.
After watching this video this is on my to do list thoroughly enjoyed the video
Loved the video. Looks like a great train ride.
I took the Caledonian Sleeper train last August when I was there between London and Inverness. That was a nice trip too. Over here I've taken "The Canadian" across Canada (4 day sleeper).
Is anyone else viewing this out of curiosity sparked by the novel "The Sleeper" by Emily Barr? I'm re-listening to the audiobook after 8 years. I love books with drama involving train travel.
Those "door is unlocked/ locked" messages on the mirror in the bathroom. sorry, the toilet is awesome.
The upgrade looks really smart and good to see they've upgraded the facilities at Penzance. I'm ashamed to say I've never been on the sleeper despite living just half an hour from Penzance. I'll do it one day.
Nice videos and excellent description about the journey
Absolutely Incredible Sleeper woohoo ❤
Man. I did an Amtrak sleeper for two nights from Washington DC to Denver via Chicago and it was straight out of the 80s. Yeah the seats were big and comfortable but a far cry from what i saw in here.
As sleek as those new seats looked in the video, the old Amtrak seats are sooo much cushier!
I did one in India, it was definitely not as relaxing and I was knackered the next morning. I sleep better in Economy on a plane (even on cheap airlines) than I slept in that sleeper. No private rooms or anything, just a carriage with like 12 beds and some curtains. Also, no bunny, and no free tea or coffee. :(
@@Fs3i amen to that we did 36 hours from howrah -chennai nuff said........
It's almost as if you're about to do it all over again...by the way, Caledonian Sleeper are getting brand new carriages for their trains which will probably enter service later this year or early next; any chance of you hopping aboard? Also, what did Vicki not have at 4:48? (I'm guessing moquette)
The new Caledonian Sleeper is due in May. They're currently all neatly parked in lines at Polmadie.
Sadly here in the Highlands we've got to wait until September!
The fact that a light up sign is required shows how they somehow uninvented the lock.
Good episode. Definitely want to try the Riveria!
@@Bungle2010 a switch with two positions. Locked and unlocked. All these problems stem from the fact that there is a single lock/unlock button and not a switch.
@@Bungle2010 The reason Vicki made such a deal about it is because of the problems of people have been having where they believe it to be locked when it wasn't. In ideal
cirumstances yes everyone should be able to work it out. But desperate for the loo? mistakes are made. The super clear sign is meant to avoid this happening. However, in my opinion this is treating the symptom and not the cause.
Here is links showing how this has been a problem:
zarino.co.uk/post/virgin-train-toilets/
www.reddit.com/r/britishproblems/comments/2dd89h/the_way_to_lock_the_door_on_the_virgin_trains/
www.reddit.com/r/CasualUK/comments/9op7au/does_anyone_else_not_trust_these_train_toilets/
metro.co.uk/2018/03/14/man-beaten-opening-train-toilet-door-without-realising-woman-using-7387054/
I have done the journey Paddington to Redruth/Hayle/Penzance both ways many many times, and gave very fond memories of those journeys. Not surprising as I lived in Cornwall through the 70s. I've only once done the Riviera sleeper and that was in 2005 my first visit to Cornwall in 24 years. I enjoyed it it wasn't quite as luxurious back then, and I didn't get much sleep having spent most of the night in the first class Lounge.
Some of my best journeys along the route were when I went on the early morning 'mail train' from Redruth with a travel warrant when working at RNAS Culdrose. On the first day of summer leave the last three carriages on that first train were all reserved for Mr S Hawk (HMS Seahawk), that was basically to keep the riotous rabble of off duty service personnel, and NAAFI girls, separate from the more sedate paying passengers.
Good times 😁
Cheers for the all important height review, Geoff! I'm 6'5.5" so according to your recommendation I should be just fine! :D
Genuinely, though, I've always worried that I'll struggle for space in a cabin, but maybe I'll give it a crack!
Guys! I just discovered you! I’m in love! Thank you for this channel!
Lovely. Whenever a nice elderly person says “like the old days” I think of how we can take the spirit of those days and rival it in the future.
Looks great! I must do the overnight bash to get some more winning class 57s!
Last summer, I took the train from Belfast to Derry/ Londonderry : it has spectacular scenery.
All you fans are in for a treat.
Great video. I was shocked at the state of the floor of the Paddington lounge.
Super to get access and watch this AtS sleeper special which made me smile. No mention of dinner..🍽️🍽️ I'm guessing you have loads of comments with relation to the Waltons tv programme. Goodnight for real
exactly a year before you got this train, I stood in Paddington station for 5 hours waiting for a friend. it was cold.
c o l d
im just about to go on my annual sleeper train from Sacramento to NYC. Takes three days. Better not be late as I need to catch my boat after that! lol
Fantastic video, made me smile a lot, especially the rabbit
Train leaves Paddington at 23:45 and arrives at Penzance at 07:53 Monday to Friday. Leaves Penzance at 21:45 and arrives at Paddington at 05:23 Monday to Friday.
I was sitting here thinking what were the arrival times...... then you popped up and supplied the answer :) I would have thought Geoff would have taken a shot of the clock upon their arrival...... so many thanks :)
5:23 seems an odd time to arrive in London. Nothing is open. Do you avail yourself of the Paddington posh lounge to crash out for an hour or three?
@@borderlands6606 I don't believe they kick you off immediately, so it's a nice leisurely wakeup, get dressed, head to the lounge and use the showers, grab breakfast and read the papers before grabbing the tube elsewhere and starting work.
Yup, you can board an disembark the train itself early/late (there are specific times), so you can sleep on board before departure or after arrival.
Good info, thanks👍🏻These Dep/Arr times, along with the stops, should’ve been posted by Geoff!! Unusual of him to miss small details, but a good vid anyway👍🏻
Come to Finland and try the sleepers here! Book an upstairs cabin and get an en-suite bog, with genius Transformers shower conversion :)
sounds fantastic!
@@michaelgask I love them (apart from the bit in Tampere where they smash the Turku and Helsinki trains together!) when they make sense for me, which sadly isn't too often nowadays. Ex's family were in Turku, so we'd get the night train back - and since it gets into Oulu before 8am, we'd book all the way up to Rovaniemi to get a lie in and still have time for a shower. We'd spend the day up there undoing the stress of a family visit before getting the evening train home (with a quite civilised dinner on board).
The bog/shower thing is genius, even if it's just a wall swinging across; I can't believe all these camper van conversions haven't cottoned on to it yet. And there can't be too many sleeper compartments in the world with a dedicated place to strap your skis to the wall :)
Also, putting your car on the train is still a thing here, with several car carriers on the back of the sleeper train, so the whole thing feels like a proper adventure.
Just remember to bring duct-tape for the annoying yellow digital clock by each bunk. Grrrr. Oh, and a light jacket to throw over your arm if you plan on smuggling a beer out of the restaurant car, which I'm told is illegal...
@@6yjjk Thanks for these details... I've only been to Finland once, and then only to Helsinki, but I LOVED it... and this sounds like the germ of an idea to get back there. 🔥Kiitos.
@@michaelgask Great news! Let me know if you have questions and I'll do my best to find answers. I've lived here for 7 years and plan on staying.
A bit different to the 1979 journey with Mark 1 sleepers, but hell, that was a fun trip! Can't wait to get back to the UK to do both this, and the Caledonian. Not cheap trips, but worth it just for the experience.
Great video informative and fun as always Thanks. I promise myself to give it a go
Well that’s improved since you started all the stations! TV show was The Walton and if you don’t fancy a sleeper to Cornwall try the afternoon Pullman. Worth every penny😄
I have missed you guys
Vicki and Geof r gr8. I loved watching there trips on the trains, very entertaining.
Hello There, a really decent and nice overview overall. Cheers Peter Mc :)
I’ve only ever used sleeper trains in Russia, on these trains you sleep like a baby despite the topical train sounds and even shunting in the train during the night as coaches are added or taken off. The reason for sleeping a so well is that Russians bring tones of food, beer and vodka. Travelling a sleeper train is made into such a social occasion your lights are out the moment you hit the pillow :)))
Seems like a really nice experience!
I'm surprised they didn't give you one of the en suite rooms. 😅
The bunny was so cute!! 🐇
I've been on German and Austrian sleeper trains three times, but this looks so much more comfortable and luxurious than ours did
You NEED to see if you can get on the NEW (Not upgraded 😉) Caledonian Sleeper when they finally enter service.
I would love to see a video of it, and you two deserve to try a brand new one.
Great video you two, thanks.
There's a bunny rabbit and a granny in a Thrasher hoodie
What am I watching?
I used the sleeper regularly when I lived near Truro, it was scrapped for a while but thank goodness it was reinstated and now enjoying a renaissance. Maybe its time to introduce a new sleeper service connecting the far south west with the north and Scotland?
Those new perch seats in the buffet car really need lowering bit. And the angled seats need to swivel.
Not that I care when I'm driving the train. :-)
The GWR logo brought back from the 1930s is FANTASTIC!
Nice video, I would make some jokes about Vickie Explores the toilet but I do not want to waste (sorry) those jokes on a wonderful video, but with all the jokes and puns to one side, it is a wonderful video, I did the sleeper once before but didn't get much sleep since I was sitting in a chair all night but one good thing was Exeter St Davids when you get an hour you can walk around the station and take photos without anyone there :p
Will there be a new spin off Vicki explores the toilet in Ireland 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Depends on how much she has to drink in the pub.
"Vicki explores the bogs" or "For peat's sake"
It looks like a wonderful experience. One thing I can't understand is why there would be sleeper car service for only a 5hr trip. I write to you from the U.S. Although, I've never done sleeper service I think here for us it's very hard to get sleeper service options for any trip less than 7 hrs. So the fact that you have O/N service for a relatively short trip is interesting.
The Night Riviera Sleeper goes slow, it's an 8 hour 10 minute journey. I'm in the U.S. too, will be doing it the end of May.
Having being dumped in Bordeaux at 0630 on a TAA service, with the cars locked up until 0900, and absolutely nothing open, that lounge with showers and hot coffee looks genius.
Nothing like a sleeper in Winter! Especially a new one!
Great video again Geoff and Vicki. Please can you do some digging with your contacts and try and get an update on exactly when the Cally Sleeper to Inverness will finally get their update, looking forward to trying it out.
June 2019
I spent the same evening in a sleeping bag on the concourse of Manchester Piccadilly for Railway Children. Looks great though, the Night Riviera is one of my to-dos!
Great vid as always, but you might want to check the description. lol, I'm fairly sure that there are more than four sleeping berths.
Cornish on the train, good to see. It's so similar to my native Welsh that I can more or less read it.
What, exactly, do you mean by "can more or less read" Cornish? Surely you either can, or can't, with nothing in between? In what ways does written Cornish differ from written Welsh?
@@DaveSuperThomas A very similar vocabulary and grammar rather like Breton as it's from the same branch of Celtic languages. The spelling is different (there is no 'V' in Welsh and we have the dd, ll, rh combinations which are actually single letters in Welsh without having their own character (look up Welsh Scrabble) but you can get the gist of what's written. I found the same thing in Brittany. It's vaguely like Spanish and Portuguese. Similar enough to follow the sense but different at the same time.
Cymru am byth!
@Thomas McDonald - Dorothy "Dolly" Pentreath of Mousehole (1692-1777) was the last person raised from birth to speak only Cornish, but she did learn English later in life.
reminds me of long distance sleepers that i did across India when i was back in my twenties. then there was only one choice of food for breakfast lunch and dinner, vegetable thali with rice and chapatis and no liquor on board.......but go stand or sit in the open doorway when the train was moving to smoke a joint or two.
Vicki you've just hit on a new theme for a series of videos; "All the Snacks" - sampling all snacks provided at each station 😊😊😊