The UK has two sleeper train services: the Caledonian Sleeper from London Euston to Scotland, and the Night Riviera from London Paddington to Cornwall. How do they compare for their basic cabins (aka Classic Room on Caledonian Sleeper)?
| Caledonian Sleeper (CS) | Night Riviera (NR) | Winner | |
 |  | ||
| Single price for 2 adults with railcard | £275 | £232.40 | NR |
| Website user experience | Confusing info about Room Supplements, buttons hard to see, lots of steps to get to order | Not immediately obvious what the options are for the service selected | NR |
| Accepts railcards? | No | Yes | NR |
| Journey time | 7h 33m | 8h 9m | – |
| Bikes | Free | Free | – |
| Dogs | £30 | £30 | – |
| Choice | Caledonian Double, Club Room, Classic Room, seat | Cabin, seat | CS |
| Breakfast included | Hot drink and oat bar | Hot drink, choice of bacon roll, fruit, croissant, cereal or porridge | NR |
| Lounge access | Yes, in Dundee, Leuchars and Perth (other lounges available for more expensive cabin types) | Free access to First Class lounge (with hot and cold drinks, snacks, fruit, pastries and shower access) in Paddington, Penzance, Truro | NR |
| Lower bunk size | 190x63cm | 193x62cm | NR |
| Washbasin | Yes, but no cover | Yes, with cover | NR |
| Amenity pack | Soap, towel, eye mask, ear plugs | Soap, towel | CS |
| Cabin tech | Reading lights, cabin lights, temperature control, UK plug sockets, USB ports, host call button | Reading lights, cabin lights, temperature control, UK plug sockets, USB ports, room service button | – |
| WiFi | Free | Free | – |
| Storage | Under lower bunk | Under lower bunk, tiny cupboard | NR |
| On-board dining | Dining car with full menu | Snacks and light bites | CS |
| Lounge/bar | Dining car is also bar, priority access for Club Room and Caledonian Double | Fully stocked bar, free snacks and non-alcoholic hot and cold drinks | NR |
| Comfort | Excellent mattress, but bumps and shunts during night (stops at 00:10, 05:07, 06:15) | Smooth journey (stops at 00:49, 02:37, 04:11, 04:32, 05:11, 06:12, 06:26, 06:33, 06:41, 06:49, 07:07) bunk ladder folds easily away for more spacious seating | NR |
| Dis/embarkation | Rooms available up to 1hr 20m before departure (they wouldn’t actually let me on until 5 mins before) and 30m after arrival. No lounge for basic cabins | Lounge available 2h 45m before departure, from Penzance to Paddington the train arrives at 05:04 but guests can stay on until 06:45 (and then use the lounge) | NR |
TOTALS
Caledonian Sleeper: 3
Night Riviera: 11
Watch a video of a Night Riviera sleeper train journey between Truro and London Paddington:
A Plan To Go 