Caledonia Sleeper Train from Euston
 

We will be taking the Caledonia Sleeper train from London Euston to Edinburgh Waverly. The train does not leave until 23:50. What is the earliest we can get on the train?

We will have a day trip from London that day and will return to London at 20:00. We are trying to figure out what we can do and where we can go before our train that evening.

Are there places at Euston to sit and wait (like an airport)? We've never taken a train so we do not know what to expect.

Thank you for any help!

We've never taken a train so we do not know what to expect.>

I've taken it a few times and we could board the train about an hour early but not guaranteed of course.

Euston is a huge station with cafes, snackbars, etc like most stations. I'd head right over there when returning to London

- maybe some folks have more recent experiences taking that train - mine was several years ago-

We've never taken a train so we do not know what to expect.>
For things about trains in general check www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

See: http://seat61.com/CaledonianSleepers.htm

You should be able to board at 23:00, and you can use the first class lounge from 21:50.

Have you looked at the website?

https://www.sleeper.scot/station/london-euston-station

Thanks for all the links. I will go check those out.
As it stands right now we're not booking first class.....are we able to pay for access to the First Class Lounge? Or are there places near the train station to lounge at with our luggage?

Thanks! Now I am off to go to the links you all posted.

A word of warning: Euston is probably the least pleasant of the big London stations with the fewest places to sit and wait. While I'd always happily spend an hour or more at St Pancras, Euston is more of a trial - and it's currently in a state of upheaval as they try to improve it. Last time I was there, the public toilets were in portable cabins on a far-away platform. There are now a couple of restaurants and some seating on the indoor top balcony, and a Ritazza coffee shop on the main concourse level that is light and bright, and there's a decent pub called The Euston Tap, but most of the cafes and restaurants are outside the station with wooden picnic tables. And I'm not sure how many places are open late.

So while generally London's big Victorian railway stations are pleasant places to while away a bit of time, Euston is a grimy miserable 1960s place.

I can recommend the award-winning Great Nepalese restaurant for a great curry, https://www.great-nepalese.com - it's in Eversholt Street, alongside the station.

For Italian, http://ginodacamporestaurants.com/my...euston-station is excellent, on the mezzanine level overlooking the station concourse.

Man in Seat 61- what about the question about using 1st class Lounge with payment? any waiting rooms at Euston?

I think you might be able to use a first class lounge with a payment but need to know that these are not anything like the first class lounges in airports. They are essentially just a nicer waiting room than what's available to general passengers. Not worth the money IMO.

I have used theEuston first class lounge. It has comfortable seats, wifi, power sockets and free hot drinks but yeah, it's not like an airport lounge.

Also at busy times they won't let you in unless your train is due in the next hour or so. I saw someone turn up to use the lounge two or three hours ahead of his train being turned away because it was so busy.

They are essentially just a nicer waiting room than what's available to general passengers.>

I've used the first-class lounge at Euston (had a first-class Britrail Pass) - well was going to use it and once in thought why - free coffee and tea and work stations for laptops and some seats- rather be at a cafe.

Does anyone know if there is a 2nd-class lounge at Euston -Man in Seat 61?

The first class that we are considering is a Caledonian Sleeper train. I realize that we'd have more space, but is it worth it for the extra price? 110 pounds more than standard class.

Did you read this?

http://www.seat61.com/CaledonianSlee...n_Sleeper_like

<<<Does anyone know if there is a 2nd-class lounge at Euston -Man in Seat 61?>>>

There is no second class lounge. People cram onto seats around the concourse, a few seats upstairs or head for one of the cafes and make a coffee last a long time! Or sit on the floor....

It is slowly getting better but it remains the grimmest of the big London terminals, IMO. (I catch a lot of trains there...)

Is Euston our only option for the Caledonian? Or are there other stations we could choose?

I have posted the link to seat61 twice. Why don't you use it??? It has the timetable. As does nationrail.co.uk.

I have read that link....but I am unfamiliar with the area. I do see that Watford Junction is another option - but to get there we'd have to go through Euston first.

Thanks for the link.....I did read it but all of this is new to me so sometimes asking more questions helps.

>>Is Euston our only option for the Caledonian? Or are there other stations we could choose?<<

Yes - Euston is it. It is not at all practical to catch it anywhere else.

I think you are unnecessarily worried about Euston. (though they are supposedly going to tear it down and completely rebuild it in the near future)

I won't argue with Gyhtson as the station is pretty much as he says, but it is still okay. Barely. I suggest you have a late dinner, late snack, drink or just a dessert and coffee at one the places man- in- seat - 61 suggested. Both are open late. Linger a while then make your way to train as soon as you can board.

Your concerns about what to do through much the evening is the reason I've never been interested in the overnight train.

OR -- there are a TON of places to eat/drink at St Pancras which is a reasonable walk from Euston.

110 pounds more than standard class.>

IMO no -I was in first and saw second -quite a difference but IMO not to justify that much more- you will sleep equally well or poor in either class- first class I got breakfast in bed gratis.

Having a private compartment is a big deal however.

You are not sitting in regular seats are you - but a proper berth in a private or shared compartment?

I slept in regular seats once and it was terrible- reclining seats that barely reclined.

so at least get a private double.

The standard class berth are beds which we can lay down in. I don't know how well we'll sleep, however it'll be more sleep in that than it would be in a slightly reclined chair!

Another question - I did read on one of the websites posted above that they do the ticket and passport check after we get on. Do they actually take our passports and return them at the end of the journey? Or do they simply view the passports and we keep them in our possession? I don't want to give someone my passport.

What passport check? It is a domestic train.

It was in one of the links (above) that I was reading. I've read several pages. Maybe it was referring to the trains that go from France to Spain (or the like).

So we won't have to have our passports out and/or taken?

I know some of my questions seem really dumb tut all of this is new to us so I am sorry for the dumb/silly questions.

There won't be a passport check on a train from England to Scotland. It's all the United Kingdom - you're not leaving the country.

And yeah, Euston is the only viable place to catch it. I didn't mean to make you worried about it; the station is perfectly safe & all. Just not a place you'd want to spend the evening (unlike St Pancras Station, which has a champagne bar and the genuine elegance of old-fashioned rail travel.)

>>I've read several pages. Maybe it was referring to the trains that go from France to Spain . . . <<

Nope -- no passport check there either. Both are in Schengen. There IS passport control for the Eurostar between Paris (or Brussels) and London - but in the station, not on the train. Just like at an airport.

There won't be a passport check on a train from England to Scotland. It's all the United Kingdom - you're not leaving the country.>

for the time being.

>>for the time being.<<

or ever . . .