Caledonian Sleeper Train- but can you have a good amount of sleep on this train?

Hello from Euston Station, where (as of 7am on a Saturday morning) I currently am after a night on the Caledonian Sleeper. 

The main pull for me was to see what it was like to actually sleep on a train without having to share a compartment with strangers like I did on the Serbia-Montenegro route last year. Whilst the scenery on that train ride was undoubtedly going to be better than a sleeper train ride in complete darkness like mine was last night/this morning, the prospect of not being woken up for a border check on the Caledonian was appealing.

After I left my "five hour" hotel room last night, the train had conveniently just turned up to the platform- some service, hey? I wanted to maximise my time on board, and intended to hit the sack as soon as I boarded. Anyways, I boarded and unsurprisingly, like most of the YouTube videos I'd watched beforehand about the experience, the corridor was narrow!- the same could be said about the room itself. Nevertheless, it did feel plush. I'd booked the "Club en-suite" room, which gives you a private room, bunk bed, shower-come-toilet, complimentary breakfast, and, theoretically, (cough Glasgow Station), lounge access.

Upon arriving in the room, you're also given a complimentary tartan eye mask, and earplugs (though I'm not sure whether they were tartan!). The company undoubtedly acknowledge that you may require some assistance when it comes to sleeping on the train. I stuck to my usually reliable eye mask and earplugs However, my bid for an early night was corrupted by my stomach, as I thought it would be good to test out the dining car before bed. I merely had a bag of crisps, and some water, but could tell that there was a touch of je ne sais quoi about the whole shebang, because the crisps were served on a plate, and water came from a tin can. 

My midnight snack and the dining car

Anyways, conscious of the need for shut-eye, I returned to my room, feeling sleepy, and optimistic about getting a decent night's sleep. The room was a touch too warm for my liking, but there was a temperature control, so you could adjust it accordingly. I took bottom bunk, for convenience, obviously, with nothing but the top bunk ladder preventing me from rolling out. This didn't bother me too much, but I had a pillar on the other side, which was protruding a little too much for my liking, thus feeling a touch claustrophobic. To add to this, it did feel like I had someone shaking my bed from underneath when the train was in transit. And whilst my mattress, pillows and bed linen were all very uncomfortable, I felt that I would have a better chance of sleeping by going top bunk (definitely not a case of channelling my inner diva by wanting to create additional washing for the cleaners!).

Not even my earplugs could block out the noise of the train outside, and with about five hours (something about that duration!) until my alarm was to go off, I was not optimistic that I'd be getting a sufficient amount of sleep. I ended up waking up at about 5:35am, tired, but, it did make for a pleasant change seeing that time instead of 3am, which was what I was expecting. 

I used the shower element of the shower-come-toilet compartment that was attached to my room. I did have to keep on pushing the lever to keep the shower running, but it was warm, and the shampoo/conditioner and shower gel on offer was nice and fragrant. Although note to self, remember to make sure the door is properly shut! I've attached a Youtuber-esque video to show the layout of the room, so you'll be able to see its quirky layout for yourself. Make the most of it, as I'm not doing another one- that is unless a TV company thinks I have the panache to put me at the helm of a travel series! 🤣

I then headed (in hindsight, stupidly, without my room card to the dining car for my pre-ordered breakfast. I'm quite easily pleased when it comes to breakfast- a simple cereal will do, but this is the Caledonian Sleeper, and you had five options: Scottish breakfast, bacon butty, veggie sausage butty, pancake with fruit and vegan yoghurt, and porridge. All of which would not have been at the top of my breakfast agenda, but I opted for the pancake option. By this time, we'd already arrived at Euston, but didn't need to disembark until an hour later. There were quite a few exotic fruits on offer, and the pancake was more than palatable with a bit of jam on it (and I say that as someone who doesn't typically do a lot of pancake-dabbling). I returned to my room, after being let back in, and finished packing up.

Breakfast!

Bleary-eyed, I headed to the lounge at Euston, which had some free cereal, and showering facilities available. I overindulged in free orange juice, and went about my business before doing some Countdowning in London.

So, overall, although I may sound like a negative ninny, I would do it again. It wasn't cheap-I'd paid £216 in total (breakfast included), and that was with my imminently-expiring "16-25 Railcard" discount, but if you're travelling as a couple, then I would recommend getting separate suites if you want a good night's sleep. Not that I'm a couple's counselling expert, but you are out of each other's way, and you get a bit more space for your money (as it was tight enough with just myself and two bags!). By going on the Sleeper, you can also vaunt your eco-credentials by using sustainable long-distance transport, which is becoming ever important in a climactically-changing environment. I hasten to add, if you want to bolster your chances of a decent night's sleep on-board, don't have a nap beforehand, even if you are shattered!