Today I’m reviewing the GWR Night Riviera Sleeper Train. One of only 2 sleeper trains operating in the UK. The route takes us from London Paddington Station all the way to the Western-most point in England, Penzance. It’s probably the comfiest way to travel down to Devon. But is it as comfy as the Caledonian Sleeper, the UK’s other sleeper train that runs from Scotland down to London? Read this review to find out! (you can also see my review of the Caledonian Sleeper First Class Cabin here). And don’t forget to check out my Youtube video below!
Booking
Booking the GWR Night Riviera is a bit complicated. First of all you have to go through the regular booking process for a UK train ticket. You’re bombarded with fare options ranging from Super Off-Peak to an Anytime Single which cost 3 times as much. I have a railcard so went for the cheapest £55 option.
Also, they seem to offer 2 sleeper options for some reason, but be sure to choose the one with zero changes. The option with 1 change is slightly shorter but stops in Plymouth to transfer onto a non-sleeper train.
Once you choose your fare type you’re then given the option for a standard seat or a cabin. The example below is just for a single person. But if you’re booking for 2 or more people you also get the option for a single or double cabin. A double cabin is much cheaper obviously compared to 2 single cabins.
Also worth noting, you still get a ~30% discount when using a railcard. So if you’re eligible remember to use one! And if you’re not eligible or not from the UK, then sorry, you’ll be paying full price.
The prices in the example below are for tickets in May are actually a lot more expensive than what I paid. I travelled in January and it cost £49.95 each for the base fare then a £46.5 supplement per person for the cabin. Since there were two of us sharing the cabin, it cost a total of £192.90 for 2 people (£96.45 each).
The Route
The route from London Paddington to St Austell would take us just under 7 hours (we actually arrived about 15 min before the scheduled 6:49am. They make stops at Reading, Taunton, Exeter and Newton Abbot to pickup/drop off passengers. Then all further stops except the final destination of Penzance are set down only. I.e. they only stop if you’re getting off.
Fun fact: since the route is 265 miles / 425km long and it look about 7 hours, that means we average a paltry 38 mph / 61 kph. Then again, a fair chunk of that time was spent sitting at stations, so it does actually move a bit faster.
The Train
Once we got moving, the first thing I noticed about the Night Riviera Sleeper is how smooth it is. In my admittedly limited experience with sleeper trains, this is definitely the smoothest and quietest. The Caledonian Sleeper for example is much louder and bumpier. So I managed to get a much better sleep on the Night Riviera.
There is a lounge car with a food bar where you can buy snacks and drinks. I did take a quick peek before departure, but it was so late that I didn’t bother buy anything. There are some comfortable places here to lounge about, plus a few dining tables. I just can’t imagine many people would be using this carriage since the train only operates overnight.
There are 2 toilets in each cabin and they are just normal train toilets. They were kept clean thankfully, but it was a bit disappointing. They didn’t even have showers on board which I think any good sleeper train should have. That being said, if you’ve booked a cabin that gives you free entry to the GWR first class lounge at London Paddington station. So you can access the showers there. Not the same as going on the train though.
The Cabin
One of the train attendants offered to show us how everything works. Plus there is a sign in the cupboard explaining how to convert the beds into a sofa. That was very helpful actually as I’m ashamed to say I couldn’t figure it out on my own. But it was so late that we didn’t bother turn it into a sofa and just decided to go straight to sleep after departure.
The best thing about the GWR Riviera Sleeper is the bed in my opinion. It’s probably medium firmness (my preference) and very comfortable. The width is also fine and it should be long enough for all but the tallest people. There are two fluffy pillows and a nice thick duvet. The bedding was all very clean and fresh. And they give each passenger a small hand towel.
The rest of the room uses space very efficiently. First of all there’s a very shallow wardrobe. Just about big enough to hang 2 coats in. There’s also a table which lifts up to reveal a sink. Then underneath that there’s a small bin for rubbish. Each bed also has a power plug, USB sockets and light switches, plus a reading light. There’s a second shelf level with the bunk bed which can be used as a bedside table and that’s also where you’ll find the temperature controls.
Speaking of temperature control, it’s not very good. We were travelling in January so it was around freezing outside. Despite that even on the coolest setting the room was still too hot for my liking. Also, in terms of amenities, they only provide a bar of soap. That’s in stark contrast to the Caledonian sleeper which provides a full amenity kit with loads of unnecessary creams and lotions. Not to mention the Caledonian Sleeper also has a shower in the room (even if it isn’t a very good shower).
Service & Food
Breakfast orders were taken by a friendly attendant during boarding. They will then deliver it to your cabin at a time of your choosing before departure. Plus they give it to you in a paper bag so you take it with you to eat later. I would suggest getting the food delivered at least 30-45 min before your scheduled stop. As in our case, the train was running about 20 min earlier. And since we chose for breakfast to be delivered 30 min before arrival we only had a few min to eat before getting off.
The choices were a bit limited: a sausage bap, porridge or ham & cheese croissant. And to drink you could choose from tea, coffee, orange juice or apple juice. It’s pretty standard UK cafe food, but it’s good enough for a very early morning breakfast.
The room also has 2 bottles of water waiting for your on arrival. And you can go to the lounge car for limited food and drink options. I briefly visited before departure and there was already a queue. Also, many of the food places in Paddington are closed around 11pm when this train departs. So if you want food, I recommend you to do what I did and go to the nearby McDonald’s.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the GWR Night Riviera Sleeper train is a great way to travel between London and Cornwall. The price is reasonable, especially if you’re using a railcard. The ride also felt much smoother than the UK’s only other night train, the Caledonian Sleeper. The bed and bedding were comfy and I got a relatively good night’s sleep. The staff were also very friendly and helpful, and breakfast is delivered to your cabin before arrival. The only downside is that there is no shower and no cabin option with a double bed (compared to the Caledonian Sleeper which has both).
More from me…
Please feel free to check out other related posts I’ve written:
- The Caledonian Sleeper Train – Glasgow to London in First Class!
- The Sofitel Luxembourg Review – Chic Business Hotel
- The Plaza Premium Lounge at London Heathrow Terminal 2
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