How likely am I to sleep in one of the seats?

Preston to Inverness

How many drams are you prepared to drink at the bar?

How many drams are you prepared to drink at the bar?

A small hip flask may be packed, have decent earplugs, any tips for an easy journey?

Ah, apologies Rider, just Reg being tongue in cheek as usual. But a few drams would surely send you off nicely to the land of nod.

Actually, for an avid train user I've never "done" the Caledonian Sleeper. Well not the modern incarnation anyway. I really must get round to it. Got a mate on Skye who I really must go and visit. But I'd say earplugs (and eyes mask) would be the first thing to pack though. Same as my bivvies . Plugs/masks given free to seat passengers it says.

Various people suggest trying to get a compartment/seat in the middle of a coach, rather than over the bogies at each end - supposedly a bit smoother.

Mate of mine did it recently and had a good time - they splashed out on a double room..

He did say the drams helped .

Envious!

Do enjoy overnighting on a train, such a good way to travel.

Need to do one in the UK at some point

riderdown wrote: ↑Mon Jul 03, 2023 6:18 pm How likely am I to sleep in one of the seats?

Preston to Inverness

I’ve done this in France in seats and bunks. TBH you might be just as good in seats if you can shut out the others around you. I’ve had 2 sleepless trips in bunks down to shagging( yes really) and snoring. I suspect a lone cabin is quite pricey.

Edit: not me shagging

I did London to Inverness. Train itself is fine, seats reasonable. Despite that I didn't sleep a wink, and was very uncomfortable. Not helped by someone loosing it at 1 in the morning! Day 1 of the Badger Divide was a struggle but i did have 10 hours sleep that night

Should at

Inside no9, series 2 episode 1…

voodoo_simon wrote: ↑Mon Jul 03, 2023 8:16 pm Inside no9, series 2 episode 1…

It's not the Crystal Maze, you know?

I’ve done it a few times. My top tip is to have something to use as a pillow between your head and the window. A quilt or down jacket helps with the illusion that you’re in bed. I never get a great night’s sleep but enough to make it bearable. Cabins are so expensive now that I’m never going to afford one.

I must admit that the new seats aren’t as easy to sleep in as the old ones; but I do manage to sleep on the train quite well. I wake up a fair bit but in between I definitely sleep enough to feel reasonable at the end of the journey. Having something like a coat or sleeping bag to lean on is definitely helpful. If the train isn’t full you can stretch out on two seats which obviously helps.

Find someone with a cabin who is having drams in the bar to help them sleep.
Chat em up
Free cabin bed and a shag, bonus!

Don't forget to be so energetic that dave cannot sleep through it ( even with ear plugs)

Did it from London to Edinburgh a few years ago and it would probably have been fine except the biggest person I've ever seen in my life, no joke, had booked the seat next to me. I ended up sleeping on the floor in the vestibule. Not the strangest place I've slept on a train.

gecko76 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 07, 2023 1:39 pm Not the strangest place I've slept on a train.

Well plainly you can't leave us dangling like that.....

Lopburi to Chiang Mai for Songkhran. Train was packed, to the extent I was hanging out of the door with one hand along with a soldier and a sailor. At the next stop they climbed up onto the roof so I duly followed. Woken by a ticket inspector next morning who was happy I had a ticket but would prefer I sat inside, by which time it was much less busy.

On the roof, blimey. Yep, that definitely wins the 'strangest' prize

I tried the seats once and couldn't sleep. There was a group of people drinking and laughing all night. I used the cabins the next two trips and I slept like a baby.

This is where riderdown now tells us they are the train driver

This is where riderdown now tells us they are the train driver

I wish, I'd be able to afford a room if I was