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All aboard the Caledonian Sleeper train to Scotland...

It's the most civilised, romantic, time-effective & environmentally-friendly way between central London and the heart of Scotland, for a stress-free weekend in the Highlands or business meeting in London.  Every night except Saturday night, Caledonian Sleeper trains link London with towns & cities all over Scotland, arriving in time for breakfast...

On this page...

What's the sleeper like?   Video guide   Virtual tour

The Caledonian Sleeper trains are miniature travelling hotels, with 1 & 2 bed sleeper compartments & a lounge car.  There are also reclining seats. 

The Caledonian Sleeper waits to leave London Euston on its 500 mile journey to the Highlands of Scotland.  The sleeping-car attendant greets you at the door to your sleeper and checks you in.  Fares start at just £59 per person including a bed in a 2-berth sleeper and morning tea or coffee.		Single-berth sleeper (= first class).  Shown with washbasin closed & blind up.  More photos.  Panorama photo.

Two-berth sleeper (= standard class).  Shown with washbasin open & blind down.  More photos.		The lounge car, with the only real leather sofas on any British train.  Pull up a chair & enjoy haggis, tatties & neeps (£5), a half bottle of red (£5.50) & a night cap of Glenfiddich whisky (£4) before retiring to your sleeper.  More photos.  Panorama photo.

The sleeper compartments are compact but cosy, with an upper & lower berth in standard class or just one lower berth in first class, and a washbasin with hot & cold running water.  The beds come with a fluffy duvet, fresh clean sheets & plump pillows.  A complimentary toiletries pack contains soap, flannel, toothbrush, toothpaste & razor, and a small bottle of mineral water is provided for each passenger.  Morning tea or coffee is included in the fare and (in first class or for £4 extra in standard class) a light breakfast, served by your steward in your compartment at the time you specify.  There are toilets at the end of the corridor in each sleeping-car (which can be used even when the train is at a station), and there's a lounge car with leather sofas, tables & chairs and steward service of wine, beer, spirits, soft drinks & light meals.  The Caledonian Sleepers offer almost 'cruise train' facilities, indeed they are the only regular trains in Britain featuring leather sofas, complete with coffee tables & table lamps.  The Caledonian Sleeper trains also have economy reclining seats, although the lounge car is for sleeper passengers only (and at busy times, for first class sleeper passengers only, although I've yet to see this be enforced).  The Caledonian Sleepers are all non-smoking.  They're run by ScotRail and are crewed by Scottish staff.  A little bit of Scotland that visits London six nights a week.  Incidentally, ships have 'cabins', the correct term for a room on a train is 'sleeper compartment'.  More information & photos.

Bed sizes:  The lower berth is approximately197cm (6'5") long & 67cm wide.  The upper berth is around 192cm (6'3") long & 67cm wide.

Caledonian Sleeper timetable...

Two sleeper trains leave London for Scotland every night except Saturday nights and 24, 25, 31 December:  The Highland sleeper has three portions, one for Perth, Aviemore & Inverness, one for Dundee & Aberdeen, and one for the West Highlands & Fort William.  These three portions split up around 04.30 at a service stop in Edinburgh.  The Lowland sleeper has a portion for Edinburgh & a portion for Glasgow, which split at Carstairs.  Each portion of each train has one lounge car, up to six sleeping-cars and one reclining seats/baggage car (with bike spaces), except for the London-Fort William portion which consists of just two sleeping-cars.  Another lounge car & a seats/baggage car are coupled to the two Fort William sleepers when they are detached from the main train at Edinburgh - Reclining seat passengers between London & Ft William must switch cars when this happens.  Please double-check train times for your dates of travel at either www.thetrainline.com, www.scotrail.co.uk/caledoniansleeper/timetables.html or www.nationalrail.co.uk.

* = on Sundays from 31 March to 16 June, the Highland sleeper to Aberdeen/Inverness/Ft William will leave London earlier, at 20:28, and will not call at Watford, Crewe or Preston.  The Lowland sleeper to Edinburgh & Glasgow will also leave London earlier at 21:45 (boarding from 21:00), will not call at Watford or Carlisle, and will arrive Edinburgh 06:04, Carstairs 07:00, Motherwell 07:27 and Glasgow at 07:59

** = on Monday mornings from 31 March to 16 June 2013, the Highland sleeper from Ft William/Inverness/Aberdeen will not call at Preston or Crewe and will arrive London 08:57.  The Lowland sleeper will leave Glasgow at 21:40, Motherwell 22:06, Carstairs 22:23, Edinburgh 23:21, it will not call at Carlisle or Watford, and will arrive in London at 07:06.

You can remain in your sleeper until 08:00 on arrival at Edinburgh & Glasgow.

You can board your sleeper from 19:45 onwards at Inverness, from 22:45 (22:30 Sundays) at Edinburgh and from 22:00 at Glasgow.

No sleeper trains run on Saturday nights.

Weekend engineering work:  Sunday departure times often vary, so please double-check when you book.

London Underground map:  www.tfl.gov.uk/maps.

How much does sleeper travel cost?

Advance =  the cheapest ticket, only valid on the specific train you've booked, non-refundable, limited availability so book early to find the best prices.

Normal single = flexible ticket, valid any day, always available at that price even on the day of travel, assuming the sleeper isn't fully-booked.

Returns are twice the one-way fare, so you can mix & match an Advance fare one-way & an Anytime back, or sleeper train one-way & daytime train back.

If you're travelling alone, you can either buy a first class ticket which gets you a single-berth sleeper all to yourself, or you can buy a standard class ticket which gets you one bed in a shared 2-berth sleeper which you will usually share with another passenger of the same sex (which is naturally a lot cheaper than paying for a first class ticket and seldom any problem, it's been done this way for over a century).

If there are two of you, you can either buy two standard class tickets which gets you a 2-bed compartment with upper & lower berths, or if you have the money you can book two first class tickets and ask for two adjacent single-berth compartments with inter-connecting door making a mini-suite with 2 lower berths.

If there are four of you, you can book four standard class tickets and ask for two adjacent 2-berth compartments with inter-connecting door.

The Man in Seat 61 explains how to get the cheapest prices:  Book as far ahead as the 12-week booking horizon will allow, because Advance prices rise as departure approaches.  It can help to know that sleeper reservations are usually released each Friday morning (or sometimes afternoon) for the week 12 weeks ahead of the current date.  You're more likely to find the cheapest 'advance' fares if you travel mid-week than on Friday or Sunday nights, which are the busiest.  And obviously, June is busier than February or November.  Cheap fares are more plentiful on the lowland (Edinburgh/Glasgow) routes than highland (Inverness/Aberdeen) and are hardest to get on the Fort William route as this just has two sleeping-cars.

You can check fares at www.thetrainline.com or www.nationalrail.co.uk.

Children...

Children under 5 go free, although they don't get their own berth.  Cots can't be provided as there's insufficient room, but a Samsonite travel bubble fits on the floor for babies up to 18 months.  A 2- or 3-year old can sleep quite comfortably head-to-toe with an adult in the lower berth, if you can get the little so-and-so to sleep when he's so excited about being on a sleeper train, of course.

Children under 16 go for 50% of the adult Anytime or Advance fare in standard class.  There is no child discount on first class fares.

Railcard holders, BritRail passholders & passengers with normal rail tickets...

Railcard holders get a 34% discount on Advance fares & 10% discount on Anytime fares, in standard class.  There's a 10% discount on first class Anytime fares with a Senior, Family or Disabled railcard.

BritRail passholders or anyone with a normal Off-Peak, Super Off-Peak or Anytime train ticket between London & Scotland can travel in a sleeper by paying the sleeper supplement.  With a standard class ticket the sleeper supplement is £40.20 for a bed in a shared 2-bed compartment, or you can pay £57.20 and have sole occupancy of a 2-berth sleeper (ask for the 'Sleeper Solo' supplement).  The sleeper supplement is £20.10 for children under 16.  If you have a first class ticket or BritRail pass, you pay £45.50 for a bed in a single-bed compartment.  You'll need to pay this supplement and make the reservation at a station or by phone to ScotRail telesales, as you cannot book it online.

Bargain berths from £19...

A very limited number of bargain-basement sleeper tickets are sold for £19, £29, £39 or £49 at www.scotrail.co.uk.  Bargain Berths are only available in very limited numbers, usually mid-week & not on every date.  With a Bargain Berth ticket, you can only take children under 5 free if you occupy all the berths in a compartment.  You can only book these online at www.scotrail.co.uk, and an e-ticket is sent to you for either printing or downloading on your mobile phone.  Bargain berths on the Fort William route do exist, but are very rare indeed.  Unfortunately, ScotRail have now discontinued their separate Bargain Berths booking system which made it easy to see where the bargains were.  You now have to use their main booking system, on which the bargain fares will show up if they are available.  That makes them hard to track down, but you may find one by accident when booking a normal ticket.

How to buy sleeper tickets...

...online

...by phone...

• Call First ScotRail telesales on 08457 55 00 33, lines open 07:00-22:00 daily.  Bookings open 12 weeks before departure.

• The very cheap 'Bargain Berths' can only be booked online, only on the special 'bargain berths' page at www.scotrail.co.uk.  Ticket numbers are very limited.

...if you live overseas (in the USA, Canada, Australia etc.)

Overseas visitors to Britain often find the Caledonian Sleepers ideal for travel between London & Scotland.  It's a unique British experience and it saves a hotel bill, too.  Just book online using the booking form above, as www.thetrainline.com can now sell tickets to travellers from overseas at UK prices.  Bookings open 9-12 weeks before departure, you can't book before reservations open!  To book a sleeper, not just a reclining seat, make sure that the fare you choose has a 'bed' symbol next to it.  Tickets won't be sent outside the UK, so select the option to collect tickets from the self-service machines at London Euston station or any main British station you nominate.  You will just need your booking reference and the same credit card you used to make the booking.  If you have any difficulty booking online, you can also book via an international phone call to ScotRail telesales on +44 1752 675 670.  Phone lines are open 07:00-22:00 daily, UK time.  All major credit cards are accepted and you should ask to collect tickets at the station before departure or whenever you get to the UK.

Luggage, bikes, dogs & pets...

• Luggage:  There is room for small & medium-sized bags and cases on the luggage racks in your compartment, or on the floor if necessary, though very large suitcases can be placed in the guard's van. 
• Bicycles:  You can take bikes on the Caledonian Sleeper trains free of charge, placed in the bike racks in the guard's van.  A bike reservation must be made as the number of bike spaces is limited.  To reserve your bike, call ScotRail on 08457 55 00 33, lines open 08:00-22:00 daily.  Tandems aren't carried.  There is a separate guard's van with 6 bike spaces (only 3 spaces London-Inverness) in both the London-Edinburgh & London-Glasgow portions of the Lowlands sleeper, and in the London-Inverness & London-Aberdeen portions of the Highland sleeper, but not on the London-Fort William portion.  So if you're taking your bike to Fort William you'll need to transfer it at around 5am from the London-Inverness guard's van to the new guard's van attached in Edinburgh bound for Fort William.
• Dogs & pets:  You can take dogs or other pets on the sleeper, but your party must occupy all the berths in the compartment and a £80 dog charge (to cover special cleaning afterwards) is made for each journey.  To book your dog, call ScotRail on 08457 55 00 33, lines open 08:00-22:00 daily.  At least 48 hours notice is needed.  Guide dogs travel free.  Dogs aren't carried in the seats cars, only in the sleepers.
• Shotguns:  If you're travelling north for the grouse season for example, shotguns can be carried by special arrangement as long as you have the necessary licence and comply with the licence requirements for transporting shotguns.  You must have a single-berth cabin or be sharing with someone known to you.  Your firearm certificate must be shown on boarding.  To make arrangements, call ScotRail on 08457 55 00 33, lines open 08:00-22:00 daily
• Cars & motorbikes:  These sleeper trains don't carry cars or motorbikes.  Motorail between London & Scotland ceased in 1995.

Station lounges...

• At London Euston, first class sleeper passengers may use the Virgin Trains first class lounge, located on the first floor above the food court, WiFi-enabled with complimentary tea, coffee & snacks.  There are free showers in this lounge, too.  However, children under 14 are not allowed in the lounge.  Refurbished in 2009, there is a pre-bookable meeting room, desks for working, a quiet room, and two PCs if you haven't brought yours along. 
• At Edinburgh, both first & standard class sleeper passengers may use the ScotRail first class lounge near platform 14 with complimentary drinks & refreshments.
• At Aberdeen, first class sleeper passengers may use the first class lounge next to the ticket office with complimentary drinks & refreshments & WiFi.  Open daily from 06:15 in the morning (09:00 Sundays) until the sleeper leaves at night.

Power sockets, showers, dinner before boarding...

• Dinner before boarding in London?  You'll find various food outlets inside and outside Euston station, including a station pub and Nandos just outside.  If you fancy a curry before boarding your sleeper to Scotland, I heartily recommend www.great-nepalese.co.uk, an inexpensive but award-winning Nepalese restaurant located at 168 Eversholt Street, down the side of Euston station, exit station and do a 180 degree turn to your left.  For something special, Marcus Waring's 'Gilbert Scott' restaurant is just 10 minutes' walk along the Euston road, inside the new St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, www.thegilbertscott.co.uk.  Or you can eat on the train, as the sleeper's lounge car serves a good hot plate of haggis, tatties and neeps.

• Power sockets:  There are standard UK 3-pin power sockets in the sleeper lounge car for recharging laptops & mobiles, located on the tables between the sofas.  In the sleeper compartments there is a 2-pin sockets above the window marked 'Shavers Only', which in practice can easily be used for recharging mobile phones or cameras if you have a standard European 2-pin adaptor.

• Showers:  There are no showers on the sleeper train itself, but shower facilities (for which a charge is made) are available in the customer toilets at Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness & Fort William.  For first class passengers there are free shower facilities at London Euston in the Virgin Trains first class lounge.  Showers are free for first class passengers at Aberdeen, Ft William.

Inter-connecting doors between sleeper compartments...

There is an inter-connecting door between each pair of adjacent sleeper compartments, normally kept locked shut.  But if there's two of you in first class, or four of you in standard class, ask for two adjacent compartments with an inter-connecting door.  Simply by unlocking the bolt on each side of the door, you can turn your two compartments into a suite with 4 beds in standard class (2 upper & 2 lower berths) or 2 beds in first class (2 lower berths).  You can work out which berth numbers have the connecting door like this:  Berths 1 & 2 have a connecting door with berths 3 & 4.  Berths 5 & 6 have a connecting door with berths 7 & 8.  And so on...

Wheelchair-accessible sleeper...

There's a wheelchair-accessible 1- or 2-berth sleeper compartment in each Caledonian Sleeper train, next to a wheelchair-accessible toilet.  Both the compartment and the toilet have huge sliding doors which open at the touch of a button.  Manual & powered wheelchairs are carried (maximum width 67cm/26 ins, maximum length 120cm/47 ins), but not mobility scooters.

Watch the video:  London to Scotland by Caledonian Sleeper...

On board the sleeper to Scotland...

The Caledonian Sleeper is not only a unique, traditional, environmentally-friendly and thoroughly Scottish way to travel between London & Scotland, you'll wake up to some great scenery on the northbound Highland sleeper, especially in summer.

The carpeted sleeping-car corridor.  Just like a hotel corridor, but narrower, with compartment doors & berth numbers...		The beds have fluffy white duvets, fresh clean sheets & plump pillows.  On the bed are the complimentary ScotRail magazine, a fresh towel and (in first class only) a complimentary toiletries pack (soap, flannel, razor, toothbrush & toothpaste) & a room service drinks list.  Standard class passengers may ask for a complimentary toothbrush pack. The sleeper compartments are compact but cosy, with hangars for your clothes.  There are controls for the main light (dim/bright), blue night light, individual berth reading lights, attendant call button & air-conditioning temperature control.  Panorama photo.

A personal recommendation:  Haggis, tatties & neeps in the lounge car (£5.40) makes a great supper before retiring to one's sleeper as the train speeds north to Scotland - all served on proper china with metal cutlery.  Whisky & redcurrant sauce, anyone?  This glass of Adnam's ale (£3) went very well with it, or how about a glass of red?		There are power sockets in the lounge car for laptops & mobiles. In the sleepers 2-pin shaver sockets can be used with an adaptor.  The wee dram of Glenfiddich (£4.95)...		Breakfast in bed...  Next morning, there's a knock on your door as the steward brings your tea or coffee  (included in the fare).  In first class (and in standard class for an extra £4) you also get the light breakfast shown here...

Scotland to Paris or Brussels by sleeper+Eurostar

	How to buy tickets from Scotland to Paris... You can't buy through tickets online using the sleeper, but it's easy to buy tickets online for the sleeper & Eurostar separately. 1.  Buy your Caledonian Sleeper ticket using the online booking form above... 2.  Buy your Eurostar ticket separately at www.eurostar.com.  By all means take a later Eurostar southbound or an earlier Eurostar northbound, if these have cheaper seats available or if you'd like to stop off in London. Do a dry run on both sites first to check prices & availability.

Dinner in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen or Inverness, then lunch in central Paris next day, no airports, airlines or flights required!  Just take the Caledonian Sleeper train from anywhere in Scotland up to London Euston, it's just 10 minutes walk along the road to St Pancras then Eurostar will whisk you to central Paris or Brussels in 2 hours or so.

Edinburgh, Glasgow ► Paris & Brussels...

• Take the sleeper from Edinburgh or Glasgow to London, see above for times & fares.  The sleeper runs daily except Saturday nights, arriving at London Euston around 06:54-07:15.  It's just 10 minute's walk along the road from Euston to St Pancras, or take a taxi if you've lots of luggage.  Remember there's a 30 minute check-in for Eurostar.

• A Eurostar leaves St Pancras at 08:32 on Mondays-Saturdays arriving Paris Nord at 11:47.

• A Eurostar leaves St Pancras at 08:34 daily, arriving Brussels Midi at 11:29.  On Saturdays, leave St Pancras at 08:53 arriving Brussels at 12:03.

Aberdeen, Inverness, Fort William, Perth, Dundee ► Paris & Brussels...

• Take the sleeper from the Highlands of Scotland to London, see above for times & fares.  The Highland sleeper runs daily except Saturday nights arriving at London Euston between 07:43 & 08:03.  It's just 10 minute's walk along the road from Euston to St Pancras, or take a taxi if you've lots of luggage.  Remember there's a 30 minute check-in for Eurostar.

• A Eurostar leaves St Pancras at 09:01 on Mondays-Fridays arriving Paris Nord at 12:23.  On Saturdays, depart St Pancras 09:46 arriving Paris 12:47.

• A Eurostar leaves St Pancras at 09:53 daily, arriving Brussels Midi at 12:24.

Paris & Brussels ► Edinburgh, Glasgow...

• A Eurostar leaves Paris at 20:13 daily except Saturdays, arriving London St Pancras at 21:29.

• A Eurostar leaves Brussels Midi at 20:29 daily except Saturdays, arriving London St Pancras at 21:33.

• It's just 10 minute's walk along the road from St Pancras to Euston, or take a taxi if you've lots of luggage.

• Take the sleeper from London to Edinburgh & Glasgow, see above for times & fares.  The Lowland sleeper runs daily except Saturday nights, leaving London Euston between 23:00 & 23:45 depending on the day. 

Paris & Brussels ► Aberdeen, Inverness, Fort William, Perth, Dundee...

• A Eurostar leaves Paris at 18:13 daily except Saturdays & Sundays arriving London St Pancras at 19:34.  On Sundays, leave Paris 17:43 arriving London 18:59.

• A Eurostar leaves Brussels Midi at 17:59 daily except Saturdays, arriving London St Pancras at 18:59.

• It's just 10 minute's walk along the road from St Pancras to Euston, or take a taxi if you've lots of luggage.

• Take the sleeper from London to Aberdeen, Inverness, Fort William, Perth or Dundee, see above for times & fares.  The Highland sleeper runs daily except Saturday nights, leaving London Euston between 20:00 & 21:30 depending on the day of the week.

Fares...

Sleeper from Scotland to London from £60 return in a reclining seat or from £120 return with a bed;  Eurostar from London to Paris or Brussels from £69 return.

Scotland to Amsterdam...

There are two good options for travel from Scotland to Amsterdam.  Option 1, take the Caledonian sleeper to London and Eurostar to Brussels as shown here, then the hourly InterCity train from Brussels to Amsterdam in around 3 hours, see this section on the UK-Netherlands page.  Or take a train from Scotland to Newcastle and the overnight DFDS Seaways cruise ferry from Newcastle to Amsterdam, see this section on the UK-Netherlands page.

	Above:  The London-Fort William 'Caledonian Sleeper' crossing windswept Rannoch Moor...

The most wonderful train in Britain?

Easily the most amazing train ride in Britain is the Caledonian Sleeper from London to Fort William, sometimes known as 'The Deerstalker'...

Why?  Imagine the convenience of a train that leaves rainy central London after work at 21:16 and arrives at Fort William in the glorious Scottish West Highlands at the foot of Ben Nevis (the highest mountain in Britain) at 09:54 next morning.  Imagine a trip where you go to bed as the train speeds through familiar London suburbs at 80mph, then wake up in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by mountains, streams and woods, sunlight streaming through the window, deer bounding away from the train, a diesel locomotive struggling to haul the two sleeping-cars and lounge car up the gradients and around the sharp curves of the scenic West Highland Line at 40mph.  Imagine a train that has almost 'cruise train' facilities - private sleeping compartments and a plush lounge - yet on which fares start at only £59 each way including a bed for the night & morning tea or coffee.

Fares start at £120 return sharing a 2-berth room or £299 return with a room to yourself (passengers travelling alone can opt to book a berth in a 2-berth room and share with another passenger of the same sex, if they don't want to pay the 1st class single berth fare).  Anyone who lives in London or the South of England but who loves the Scottish West Highlands should know about this train.  If you fancy a weekend away in the heart of the Highlands, this train makes it possible!  Book online using the booking form above.

To complete the experience, take the connecting train from Fort William to the end of the line at Mallaig, a small fishing port and ferry terminal for Skye.  This is one of the most scenic sections of line anywhere in the UK.  Or you could climb Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Britain - the main track up 'the Ben' starts just 15 minutes walk from Fort William station.

See the West Highland Line page for more information...

...Or watch the video waking up in the Highlands on the Caledonian Sleeper to Fort William.

Hotels in Scotland or London

For hotels in Scotland (or anywhere else for that matter), search all the main hotel websites at once using the Hotels Combined booking form below.

Adventure holidays in Scotland...

Hiking, walking, sea kayaking, canoeing & family activity holidays:  Wilderness Scotland...

Award-winning company Wilderness Scotland offers small group walking, sea kyaking, canoeing, hiking  & family activity holidays.  National Geographic list Wilderness Scotland as one of the 'Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth'.  They're the only Scottish company to hold AITO's 5-star Responsible Tourism award and were recently named Best Green Tour Operator at the World Travel Awards.