Scott Manson was equally impressed by the Night Riviera train from Paddington to Penzance and the Caledonian Sleeper from Euston to Scotland, before one “shot themselves in the foot”
Scott Manson pitted two overnight sleeper rail services against each other(Image: Planes, Trains, Everything/YouTube)
A travel vlogger who put two overnight sleeper train services to Penzance and Glasgow head-to-head has declared a definitive victor. Scott Manson decided to test out the Night Riviera service running from London Paddington to Penzance, alongside the Caledonian Sleeper departing London Euston for Scotland, with routes ending in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Inverness and Fort William.
He said: “Now, I’ve got a personal favourite, but that’s not very scientific. But in this video, I’ve got a checklist of 36 things, and I’m going to be doing a like-for-like comparison to find out what the best train service actually is.”
Speaking on his YouTube channel Planes, Trains, Everything, Scott outlined how his “two nights, two sleeper” challenge would involve taking the Riviera initially, before heading back to London to board the Caledonian the next evening.
He stopped at the departure lounge where he encountered a “very friendly” man, then climbed aboard his first service pulling out at 11.45pm. Scott described his cabin as “spotless” and was able to tick off items from his checklist, which included a sink, soap, a towel and bottled water.
Scott remarked that he was “impressed” with the onboard crew, highlighting that he’d been offered the chance to reserve a morning shower, an invitation he gladly took up. Additional features included a bin, a shelf, and an upper berth, though he wasn’t “too impressed” with how narrow the single bed was.
Scott had come prepared with a tape measure to check the precise measurements – 25in wide and 74in long – though he observed the upper bunk provided a width of almost 29in. He proceeded to reveal the Wi-Fi wouldn’t work on his mobile, and drew attention to a din emanating from overhead, which he characterised as a “racket”.
Come morning, Scott admitted he’d endured a “rough night” without any proper sleep, though he did enjoy a coffee and bacon roll in his cabin. He spoke favourably of the “comfortable” mattress and “lovely” pillows, yet remarked that the previous evening’s “racket” generated “more noise” than the train. On the whole, however, he characterised the journey as otherwise “enjoyable”.
Upon reaching Penzance, Scott grabbed a shower and spent time in the locale while awaiting his 2.15pm return service to London. Before long, he was back at Euston, where he noted his ticket didn’t grant him entry to the Caledonian departure lounge, marking it down.
His subsequent sleeper likewise departed at 11.45pm. After locating his compartment, he started drawing comparisons, awarding the Caledonian a point for welcoming staff and acknowledging the inclusion of a basin, soap, towel and water.
Turning his attention to the bed, Scott whipped out his tape measure once more, this time recording a width of 25 inches and a length of 72, “maybe” 73. He then highlighted that the ladder to the upper bunk sat in the centre of the bed, branding it one of his “pet hates”.
Additional facilities included two mirrors — one full-length — a do-not-disturb sign and coat hangers, though he pointed out a “couple of stains” on the carpet. A meal menu was available, but unlike the Riviera, breakfast was not included in the price.
He also worked out that, on a per-mile basis, the Caledonian came out as the more affordable option.
As the journey got underway, Scott commented that there was no internet or water, soap, hand dryer or power in the toilet. In the morning, he noted that he had a “pretty decent sleep”, but the temperature control hadn’t worked.
Upon arriving in Glasgow, Scott branded the Caledonian journey “not great”, saying: “Two carriages, the toilets had no power in them whatsoever. No flushing, nothing. No heating in the cabin and zero internet access. Did we get an apology or an explanation? No.”
He continued: “So, the train manager made an announcement half an hour out of Glasgow just reminding everyone to take their stuff and get ready for disembarkation, but not an acknowledgement, not an apology or anything for the lack of power.
“I’m almost tempted to contact public relations at Caledonian Sleeper just to see what they can say, because I thought, at least acknowledge it and at least apologise, because it is a world-famous service.”
He then revealed the verdict, stating: “So, who won? Well, back at London Euston, I was doing a quick tally, and I didn’t want to tell you the results, but it was a draw at that point.
“And I thought, ‘You guys are going to kill me’, because I promised you an ultimate winner, not a draw. I thought, ‘What are we going to do here?’ But Caledonian Sleeper totally shot themselves in the foot.
“The final score was Night Riviera 27, Caledonian Sleeper 23. And it was mainly because of what happened last night.”
Scott later added that he’d contacted the Caledonian Sleeper service, and was ultimately offered £40 in compensation.
