Cheap vs Luxury | Travelling London to Edinburgh on Lumo vs Caledonian Sleeper 

I always take the Sleeper when I’m travelling to Scotland - while I’m alive and working on the Railway I have to take advantage of my 75% discount 😎

Hallelujah an American who can pronounce Edinburgh! I'm not a fan of sleepers. For 15 years I travelled back and forth from Edinburgh to London to collect my son. I used the sleeper once. Same thing, I think I slept for 20 mins. Never did it after that.

I've taken the Caledonian Sleeper train twice (both times in the normal economy seat) and it's pretty good! As a tourist I think the biggest benefit of the Caledonian Sleeper vs Lumo is that going between cities I save SO MUCH TIME by traveling through the night on the CS that's "dead time" while traveling as a tourist. Instead of having to spend 1/3 of my normal day traveling during the day, I've gotten to spend the whole day in London/Edinburgh, leave the city late at night & sleep on the train, and then I'm up and refreshed(ish) to drop off my bags at my accommodation and spend another full day in a new city. Time (and vacation days!) are precious while traveling and if you want to stretch the time you have in the UK then the CS is definitely the way to go, even if it costs a bit more.

Thanks! I needed info re this. I luv how concise you are. No fillers and silly nonsense to extend ur videos. Just direct to the point. ❤❤❤

I LOVE sleeping on overnight trains. The sound and movement send me straight to the land of nod

I've used the sleeper a handful of times for getting to the highlands, and it is ideal in terms of timing, arrive and can start hiking immediately. It is optimal for point to point backpacking, such as the Minigaig, where the sleeper serves both villages at each end of the route. My issue with it is that it is overhyped. It is not a hotel on wheels, it is more like a backpackers hostel on wheels that you are paying city hotel prices for, and if you live outside London you have the additional cost of getting to Euston. It is far more cost effective to get a daytime train to your destination and stay overnight in a modestly priced B&B, and it will be more comfortable (you will sleep much better and get a decent breakfast and shower).

Oh that's weird. I loved the bumps and the noise on the sleeper. I think I slept better than I ever have. It was like being rocked to sleep.

Love taking sleeper trains. Always sleep well, even with the rocking and rumbling down the track. I think 27 years in the Royal Navy being on ships and at sea has the same sort of noises and the rocking of the ship over the waves, gives you a similar experience. So maybe I’m used to it. Would love to do the Orient Express. Great watch Jess.👍

When I lived in London, and wanted to go home for a visit, I always loved the convenience of the sleeper train. Even though I lived right by Heathrow, I preferred getting that late night train, not arriving on the other side out in the sticks and having to travel into town like you would a plane is a real benefit. For me I could do a full days work, and get the overnight train after and be in Scotland the next day without feeling like I lost a day travelling. Somehow though I did prefer the older sleeper trains to the new ones, some of the issues with the new trains have been ironed out but I still feel the older trains even though they were aging had a little more character.

My sister and I took the sleeper from Edinburgh to London back in 2019. We had the same room you did and yes, it was tight. We had to store one suitcase in the bathroom (which, of course, had to be moved if anyone needed the facilities.) I slept better than she did (and I had the top bunk) but it's definitely not a quiet ride. We did have breakfast in the dining car, which was a nice experience, in that we shared our table with a lady traveling solo for business. I'm glad to have had the experience (especially since our trains here in the US aren't nearly as affordable and accessible) but if I were to ever do it again, I'd want my own compartment.

I've done the lowlander too, it was a shock to open the blinds at Edinburgh to see a crowded platform of early morning commuters. Glad I was fully clothed!

Love the video thank you. Please keep more videos coming, would love to hear more about Scotland.

I love that you are doing a train comparison. I'm particularly interested in this one as I love night trains.

Great video, it's good to see the different options for trains!

Extremely informative video. Thanks for making it.

Oh this was helpful. I was just looking into both these train options. Great to get a shot of the cabin. Thanks!

Many Thanks for your wonderful information and Guides. People of good people like you who are willing to educate other first time traveller's that made us comfortable to travel anywhere in the world. Planning to travel to UK in October so watching your videos is quite 👌 interesting. I am enlightened by you. Many Thanks.

A very good and informative video, to the point. Great job 👏🏼

Wow! Good to know about Lumo, since I will be traveling from London to Edinburgh by train and it will save money since I will have to pay for Covid tests when I finally get to visit from U.S. in May 2022! Love your videos!!

What a great video, brilliantly presented.

Really enjoyed that video Jess . Very informative . The " luxury " private compartment on the way up not cheap IMO and there's another level above the one you took . That's the equivalent of about 50% of the airfare from North America to the UK but for a one time experience I'd probably do it . The economy train ride back didn't look too bad especially if you are on a budget . No wonder it's crowded . I liked how you compared the options available . Great info as always . Thank you .

The bumpiness is of paramount importance, thanks for pointing this out! The Acela from New York - DC is so bumpy it makes work almost impossible, and walking back from the cafe to your seat is like skiing a black run. Serious concentration required!

Many thanks for this guide. Partner wants to visit Edinburgh, hoping to do this next summer and the comparisons are very on point.

I also took the sleeper a couple of years ago to Edinburgh. Also keep in mind (especially if you’re a light sleeper!) that you probably won’t be able to check into your hotel until early afternoon. They will usually hold your luggage for you until check in though.

I really like travelling on the Caledonian sleeper especially the cool staff members that look after us. Will was a legend when we was on our journey. Definitely worth the time through the dead time as a tourist.

My wife and I were in a Caledonian Double on the Caledonian Sleeper from Inverness on 6th December for a few days away in London. Great double bed, excellent dinner and breakfast. It just got a bit warm when they turned off the A/C during the 3 hour stop in Edinburgh. Overall a really great experience, if rather more expensive compared to our usual 1h30m flight on easyJet. I definitely recommend the sleeper.

Jess it's great to see your new videos about traveling around the UK.

Great video, love your spec frames 👍❤️

Once again, thank u for a very cool adventure! I'm a lover of trains so this one was near and dear to my heart! I think I'm team Lumo on this go round!!! It shows that more expensive is not better for sure! Plus the views you get to experience on the Lumo are worth more than anything, that is if you're not travelling at night. The cabins on the Caledonian are just too small for two people and were almost too small for you! I just don't see two people travelling comfortably on this line. But nonetheless, both have it's ups and downs but for me, the Lumo wins the prize on this one! As always thanks for a wonderful showcase and I look forward to the next adventure! Cheers!

Thanks for both an entertaining and informative video. Those Cal Sleeper trains are quite new and they've been plagued by endless issues which, even now, haven't been rectified (in the case of the showers). As for Lumo ... well it was allowed to compete against LNER as it's a novel product (compared to our conventional operators) and it aims to attract the sort of traveller who might take low-cost carriers like EZY (Ryanair does not ply the route). Lumo has caught the public's imagination and its trains are fully booked for weeks ahead. It doesn't help that Lumo operates five coach trains only. Over the coming months Lumo hopes to increase service frequency. As you say the trains are brand new and were manufactured by Hitachi at its Italian plant.

Well done. I love taking the trains in the UK. The train from Dublin to Belfast was totally enjoyable and the scenery was awesome. Thanks for another fantastic video.

Awesome host and a great video ✌️❤️👍

Great and very informative vid. Every Lumo service for about 2 months after launch was almost completely booked. Having ridden on one myself I can't see what all the hype was all about (though I only rode between Newcastle and Morpeth) Caledonian Sleeper looks quite good. Definitely want to do that in the future

Cale sleeper into Inverness is the best. Bikes have a dedicated carriage & a quick single malt before turning in is the answer Jess 😴... Wake up to bacon butty and coffee, the Highlands scenery and cycle around for a few days.

I really like your railway videos. Thank you :)

Train video nerd here. Have watched a couple of hundred. Maybe because I “know” you (longtime follower), but I felt this was better than all the others I’ve seen. More please! Maybe Paris on the Eurostar?

Thank you for the video!

I'm waiting for the Love & London Geoff Marshall collab now that there's a train video!!!

Hi there! It was a great video.That's because,it was an informative as to traveling around the UK. Regards.

Hi Jess, nice one as usual. Please make a vlog on British Pullman/Belmond Experiences too :) Thanks

Great and informative video Jess! Makes me miss traveling with what is going on. Btw I didn't know you wear glasses.

I did the Caledonian sleeper from Edinburgh to London in 1991, best smoothest most comfortable ride I’ve ever ever had.

Great video!!!

im soo jealous!! taking the train in Europe feels so romantic and nostalgia. i need to take the Caledonian Sleeper club room once in my life even though im a light sleeper too. i will put on ear plugs then covered with my noise cancelling headphones.

Jess i love all your videos.

Good to get a review from a non-train buff (anoraks 😉). I accept there are compromises to be made on sleepers, however the price does appear a bit steep. Maybe sleep on the bottom bunk - less swaying/bumps perhaps? Being subscribed I’m surprised I’ve not had notifications for your channel recently? Anyway, Happy Crimbo🎄🎅🦌❄️

I've done the Caledonian Sleeper twice but I'm in no rush to do it again. The first time was to Fort William and I got an upgrade from the club room as featured in this video to the Caledonian Double which was great. On the face of it, it was a brilliant trip, leaving Euston at 21:15, a nice meal in the club car, a double(ish) bed to sleep in, en-suite facilities, a shower in the morning, breakfast in the club car as we proceeded along the stunning West Highland Line, even the arrival in Fort William was 45 minute late which meant I could claim half the fare back! What's not to like? Well, there was the cold shower for a start, a common problem on the Caledonian Sleeper I believe. The biggest problem, however, was the ride quality and noise level. Despite being a new, the train rattles, rolls, bounces and sways and whilst noise is inevitable I'd have hoped for better sound-proofing in a new carriage. I did manage to get some sleep but not until the train had split at Edinburgh at 4am. The second trip was just a few days ago when I travelled to Glasgow. I'd booked a standard room which is the same as the club room only without the en-suite. The bedding and pillows are good but the bed is really quite small, perhaps I should have tried the upper one rather than the lower. The ride quality has not improved, in fact it was worse than I remembered, possibly because the room was directly over one of the carriage's bogies. I didn't get much sleep and frankly that is the most important thing when booking a sleeper. The clue is in the name... Whilst I have found Caledonian Sleeper to be ultimately disappointing, I'm eager to try some other overnight trains just to see if it is possible to actually get a decent night's sleep on one. The GWR Sleeper down to Penzance appeals to me.

The Night Riviera from London Paddington to Penzance in Cornwall is cheaper and quite comfortable to sleep in. The access to the lounges at both the stations at Penzance and Paddington is a bonus too (showers, coffee, snacks, comfy chairs). Also melatonin is a must for me for sleep on planes and trains.

Loved this ! New subscriber !

Brilliant. I am a transport enthusiast and regularly watch Noel Philips and Geoff Marshall videos. I've subscribed to you now too.

Love this

Nice video. And nice comparison.

Firstly, a great film and a great idea to show the two options. @9:02 passing the Angel of the North at Gateshead, will have come after the Tyne bridges, which are shown @9:04 Regards from Whitley Bay (near Newcastle)

Sleeping on (or trying to sleep) on the Caledonian Sleeper is quite an experience that is for sure! Nevertheless, my wife loves it so we always take it for one of the legs between London and Edinburgh. : )

My wife and I took the sleeper both too and after our West Highland Way hike (To Glasgow, From Fort William). We shared a cheaper room with no en-suite the space is fine as we spent 99 percent of the time in our bunks. The trip up was OK and I got broken sleep but OK to function the next day. The trip back was better as it started earlier and we had great views as we drank a bottle of wine in the restaurant car. The one thing I would mention is that I am 5' 10" and think the bunk may be too short for taller people.

just remember that you can take the train and sit anywhere that's not reserved and/or occupied so if there's another free seat you can just sit there. you need to reserve and prepay for your food online for lumo (just like british airways economy)

Love trains in the Uk. I 've travelled by train to Edingburgh twice and really enjoyed the landscape .

The Caledonian Sleeper also offers a seated option which is a lot cheaper - usually c£55. You can get cheaper fares on daytime trains but it saves you the cost of a hotel.

In 2019 I booked the new sleeper train to Inverness. Howeeeever, the train broke down and we had to ride one of the old trains, AND it was three hours late leaving London. On the plus side, because the train was more than an hour late, they refunded my fare in full at the Caledonian Sleeper office in Inverness.

Lumo is perfect for me: cheap, gets me to where I want to be, has a decent perch for my laptop. Wish it was more frequent. Two plugs at the seats would help too.

I usually book in advance with LNER but Lumo is great too. I've never taken the Caledonian Sleeper

Nice video!

I love the Shining mask the Lumo lady had on.

I remember while still finishing high school, going on the brand new Silver Star overnight train from Auckland to Wellington,in the last 60s.... relative to wages etc it was far cheaper than the train you went on,, 12 hours all told. I had a single berth cabin, no shower, but every bit as nice as what you paid $$$$ for.But, as it lost money,,,, it didn't survive.......now the only AKL-WTN day train ( some days )is horrendously expensive and really only for tourists...it is cheaper and 8 times faster to fly.

Great fun Video...cool glasses...

Nice video, well presented. Bit like the Coaster v Amtrak in California.

Hi, Jess. I've yet to use either Caledonian Sleeper or Lumo in order to travel the 393 miles along the East Coast Main Line between London and Edinburgh but I have been on the third option which you don't mention - a London and NorthEastern Railway day train between the English and Scottish capitals, which offers reasonable fares in both Standard and First Class accommodation if you can book ahead, travel off-peak and use a discount railcard. I'm glad that you enjoyed the spectacular views out of the Lumo train window as you headed south during daylight hours, including the breathtaking panorama of Durham City with its impressive Norman Castle (a Hall of Residence for University students since 1832) and the magnificent Anglican Cathedral. If you get the chance, spend a long weekend in Durham and climb the numerous steps to the top of the Cathedral tower - preferably on a clear day! Did you know that in the area around Peterborough known as The Fens - where the rich, peaty soil is jet black and huge flat fields stretch to the horizon - the railway line is actually running below sea level? It's a shame that Lumo don't provide a First Class option on their five-car trains where one carriage has 2 plus 2 seats arranged in bays of four around a fixed table and there is space for large suitcases between the seat backs. I'd happily pay £10 extra for this option. I'm looking forward to watching your video diary about Edinburgh, a city which I have come to know reasonably well over the years! Keep up the good work! Regards, Dave.

Tbf I've had less space in a 6 person room before but we didn't pay nearly as much as that so I guess that's to be expected and it did have specific suitcase storage

So interesting! I wonder if these tickets could be gifted and used through the year! Thanks for the content!

Great video

Lovely to hear an American commentary on British transport once in a while

Lumo excellent value. Will use again .

I love travelling by train. Lumo sounds like a great disruptor to the crazy expensive train network.

There are also the LNER services to Scotland. If you book early, Advance Tickets, then you can get some good prices, even for first class, which is more comfortable and less crowded.

If you haven't already done so, you should try the Night Riviera train from London Paddington to Penzance.

A good tip for sleeping on the sleeper is to have a wee dram or two and try to fall asleep before the train leaves. Trying to fall asleep on the move is a nightmare - also bring your own decent ear plugs to try and drown out the noise!

I wanted to like our trip on the Caledonian Sleeper on our holiday in July 2018, but was thwarted by record heat, rail service delays, and a broken cooling system in our compartments. In retrospect I should have just booked a 1st class ticket on LNER.

Make sure you go to Liverpool or Glasgow next time. Friendliest cities in the UK

Thanks for sharing, QQ - on the sleeper, is there an external window you can open or at least ajar for fresh air?

Good video. I'm a new viewer

I wonder how it compares with the Night Riviera Sleeper to Penzance

cannot wait til i come back.

Hello, how do I pre-book tickets for the train before I travel from California to London and Scotland. Is there a certain website? Should I download the Lumo and ScotRail apps?

This is so helpful. Thank you. Smelly like what..... pls elaborate

I took the sleeper once between London and Edinburgh and I'd never do it again. I couldn't sleep at all. The train crept along minor branch lines at 30 or 40 m.p.h. and kept stopping for long periods for no reason. I was constantly peering out of the window and wondering where we were and why we were moving so slowly. The lack of ventilation was a big problem too. No fresh air. It seems so unnecessary to go by sleeper when the journey normally takes only 4 hours 20 minutes. I'm doing the Lumo next month but the ticket price is £38.90, not £20. Apparently there is no buffet car.

It's a great concept but like you said it's awfully tight for 2 people. I wish the passage in your personal compartment was a a foot wider.. I couldn't get any suitcase under the lower berth as they ladder is placed so awkward that nothing goes uber , unless you have a real mini one as on flights. The bed was super comfy though and good to have your personal toilet . The food in the pantry car was great though. 👍

Is this journey long enough to warrant a sleeper??

I guess since you've done this it's only fair to test out Avanti West Coast Train - London to Glasgow. (First class on way up and standard on the south route. Or vice versa.)

Question - What are my options for transport for taking day trips from Edinburg e.g. Loch Ness? I am travelling with my wife and two kids.

Was a shame with Lumo, actually hoping it could provide a cheaper alternative but in most cases, LNER continues to be cheaper now the "launch sale" has ended and also some LNER services are still faster and offer a higher level of service so 😶

Very helpful, I am going to London soon I hope and am thinking about the sleeper but the thought of saving £200 or more is very tempting and I can use those saved pounds to spoil myself in London rather than on the train 🤔 hmmmm what to do.

330.00 for a 7hr journey in the dismal UK. You can fly to Miami for that price!

I’m trying to reserve Lumo for October and the site says booking can be done 12 weeks in advance but then also says currently booking until September 16th. I don’t see any availability for during my trip and I’m worried. Am I too late on booking it or have they just not gone on sale yet? Anyone have info on that?

Hi I will travel from LAX to London then to Edinburgh next spring, and yeah I was thinking on taking the train to Scotland- Do you remember if you traveled on a weekday or a weekend for the Lumo? I'm wondering how much of a difference that makes.

9:43 I'm confused, how did you arrive in Kings Cross four hours early? Either they massively over advertise the journey time or you left really early?

Hi Thanks! I think i will fly when i am in London. Australia

Hi I was wondering if you could help me out I am going to be in London next April 2023 I was looking to take a day trip but what a sleepover night in Scotland for a solo person what would you recommend that it would be best for me on what train to go and come go to Scotland and the next day doing my trip in Scotland and then returning the same day back to London

Bit confused with your video your comment arrived 4 hours early on the lumo service What did u do light speed it is normally 4 hours plus

Awesome!! Informative but I would still fly. Jess, I’m in London drinks at Annabel’s?

Question, for sleeper trains is there a possibility that you'll be sharing with a stranger or will you always get your own room?