London - Penzance (Night Riviera Sleeper Train)

Rail

The Journey

What better way to travel between London and Cornwall and Devon than by train. The Night Riviera Sleeper Train runs between London Paddington and Penzance six nights a week, offering guests a choice of seated accommodation, or comfortable solo or twin cabins.

The overnight journey allows passengers to arrive in either London or Cornwall refreshed and ready for the day ahead.

Night Riviera Sleeper Train

The Night Riviera Sleeper service, operated by First Great Western, is an overnight rail service that runs between London and Penzance. It is one of the last two remaining sleeper services that operate within the UK (the other being the Caledonian Sleeper between London and Scotland). Two trains are run each night (one in each direction), six nights a week.

The Night Riviera service follows only one route, between London Paddington and Penzance, calling at other destinations en route such as Reading, Exeter and Plymouth.

Accommodation:

Passengers travelling on the Night Riviera service have three accommodation choices; a solo cabin, a twin cabin or a reclining seat. Solo cabins offer a lower berth, with basin, designed for single occupancy. These cabins have an in-built entertainment system (Volo TV) - but remember to bring headphones, as purchasing these from the lounge car will cost you £2.50. Twin cabins offer bunk-style beds, designed for dual occupancy. These cabins do not have any built-in entertainment system. The seated carriage offers passengers large, reclining (First Class-standard) seating (seated passengers are not permitted to sit in the Lounge Car).

All berths come with blankets and bedding, and a toiletries pack is provided (containing soap, flannel, toothbrush, toothpaste etc). All cabins have a basin with running water, but toilet facilities are share, with two found in each carriage.

It is possible to book sleeping compartments that are inter-connected.

Luggage & Facilities:

There are no strict limits on the amount of luggage each passenger can take aboard the Night Riviera service. As the sleeping accommodation is relatively compact, you can only really fit a couple of medium sized suitacases in the luggage racks provided. Alternatively, bulkier items may be placed in the Guard's Carriage, although you won't have access to them for the duration of the journey.

Bicycles

The Night Riviera Sleeper has space for bicycles in the Guard's Van. They can be transported free of charge, but you will need to book a space in advance (telephone First Great Western on 0845 678 6980) as there is limited room.

Disabled Passengers

There are no wheelchair-accessible sleeping compartments on the Night Riviera Sleeper service. There are however, disabled-friendly spaces in the seating carriage if required.

Entertainment

Solo cabins have an inbuilt entertainment system known as Volo TV. The system offers passenger a range of film, radio and television programmes, available free of charge. The sleeping compartments do not have power sockets, so make sure you charge your portable devices in advance (or in your origin station's First Class Lounge).

Toilets & Showers

There are no showering facilities available on-board the Night Riviera Service. Instead, passengers may use the First Class facilities available at London Paddington station, where showers are available. Toilets are available on-board each train, but are not en-suite.

Food & Drink

There is buffet counter on board each train, serving a range of hot and cold food and alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. All passengers receive a complimentary breakfast including cereal, tea/coffee and fruit juice. The Lounge Car operates on all services, complete with comfortable chairs and tables for use solely by passengers with sleeping accommodation.

Travelling with Pets

Only registered assistance dogs may travel in the sleeping compartments. Dogs housed in suitable pet carriers may travel in the guard's van. Contact First Great Western for more information.

First Class Lounge

Night Riviera passengers may make full use of the First Class Lounge at London Paddington. This offers passengers complimentary drinks and snacks, and power points for charging mobile devices. Shower and toilet facilities are also available.

Timetable

The Night Riviera Sleeper Train runs six days a week (Monday - Friday and Sunday), once a day in either direction. If you don't want to travel overnight, there are around 9 direct daytime services a day between London and Penzance, with connecting services available to/from Bristol and Birmingham.

Station	Mon-Fri	Sun	Station	Mon-Fri	Sun
Boarding from	22.30	22.30	Boarding from	21.05	20.45
London Paddington	23.45	23.50	Penzance	21.45	21.15
Reading +	00.37	00.37	St Erth	21.55	21.25
Taunton	02.35	-	Camborne	22.07	21.38
Exeter St Davids	04.11	04.35	Redruth	22.14	21.45
Newton Abbot	04.33	04.56	Truro	22.27	22.00
Totnes	-	-	St Austell	22.45	22.18
Plymouth	05.43	06.28	Par	22.54	-
Liskeard	06.08	07.09	Bodmin Parkway	23.06	22.35
Bodmin Parkway	06.22	07.23	Liskeard	23.21	22.50
Par	06.37	07.38	Plymouth	23.51	23.20
St Austell	06.46	07.46	Totnes	00.20	23.48
Truro	07.06	08.06	Newton Abbot	00.33	00.01
Redruth	07.18	08.20	Exeter St Davids	01.06	01.06
Camborne	07.26	08.27	Taunton	01.36	-
St Erth	07.41	08.45	Reading *	04.00	04.02
Penzance	08.00	08.59	London Paddington	05.43	05.06

+ Picks up passengers only.
* Sets down passengers only.

Customers travelling to London Paddington may remain on-board the train until 07.00.

Price

On each sleeper train, there are two types of berth available, in addition to reclining seats; solo berths (single occupancy) and twin berths (double occupancy). Tickets can be bought as a package (ticket + berth reservation) or supplement (berth reservation for people that already have tickets).

Tickets for this route go on sale 12 weeks in advance, and tend to be popular, so book early for best prices and availability.

Ticket and Berth Reservation:

If you haven't bought your train ticket yet, you can purchase an inclusive 'ticket and reservation' fare, which covers both your travel and accommodation. The best fares are available when you book in advance, and the prices rise as tickets are sold.

Route	Berth	Single	Return
London - Plymouth	Solo Berth	from £49	from £98
London - Plymouth	Twin Berth	from £69	from £138

Berth Reservation Supplement:

If you already have a normal 'anytime' or 'off-peak' ticket to London/Cornwall, or a valid railpass, you may use your existing ticket and just pay a supplement to sleep in a cabin. This is ionly possible if your ticket does not require you to catch a specific train (i.e. 'Advance' tickets).

Berth	Single	Return
Solo Berth*	£50	£100
Twin Berth*~	£35	£70

* - Per person
^ - Per cabin
~ - You could alternatively request two adjoining solo berths, at a cost of £50 each.

Discounts

Children under the age of 16 travel for 50% of the adult fare, and children under the age of 5 travel for free but don't get their own berth. Railpass holders may travel as long as they pay a supplement to cover their accommodation.

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