I don't know if anyone else has already said this but the pillow spray is a form of aromatherapy that is designed to help you sleep better. A lot of pillow sprays usually have lavender in them, which is a scent that is supposed to assist with calming you and helping you sleep better.
Wow... FYI, I just checked (only just seen the video) for a booking in two weeks. For the same cabin it is currently £345 !! (sorry for the random reply, months after you commented - I just thought it was interesting!)
@@AjentDavidson Yes, seasonal prices. Cheaper off-season. Same goes for e.g. _Hurtigruten_ along the Norway coast has the same issue. So it was cheaper in March-April than in summer, especially after the Great Reopening (July 19) when everyone wants to travel.
@@robert3715 I can’t check again, the comment I made is 6 months old. As you’ll see from one of the replies I got the prices are seasonal. The price I found was not for a double but for the same cabin in the video (as stated in my comment). It’s just that when I checked it was a high season.
@@robert3715 I didn’t make a mistake. Look at the other replies. You’re six months late to the conversation and prices are seasonal, they change. I checked in Summer which is a high season.
It's good that you raised the point that the ticket is the equivalent of the transportation and hotel cost, many miss this point when comparing the price of sleeper trains to other options.
@@harrysimpson6755 When you fly you'll often land miles out of the city, with quite a lengthy train or taxi to get where you want to go. Most UK train stations are right in the centre of the city, eliminating need for onward travel also. And this is a train for the sake of taking the train!
@@harrysimpson6755 one hour? and the rest. Of course being in the air is the easy part. It's the bloody 2 hours either side with all the hassle getting to and from airports. When you could just get on the train and go to sleep.
Thank you! I knew it wasn't a tartan pattern. Then I thought houndstooth? No, that is not houndstooth! For the life of me, I couldn't think of HERRINGBONE!! Thanks again!! ❤
My five year old daughter loves your train videos. I don't know if that's your intended audience--but during these quarantine days she's enjoyed taking train trips with you. You've inspired her to want to ride the Caledonian! Thanks for making these! Also, she's a big fan of the bathroom tours.
You’re so kind and genuine 😭 I’ve been having really severe panic attacks lately but these videos and your energy is such a positive distraction, thank you for creating!
Yep, there's something about trains ... 😊 My love of them goes as far back as I remember starting with the, older- in-Australia - trains, with the compartments with sliding doors and a couple of bench seats facing each other; they've soothed me. (I had a noisy ceiling fan that sounded like a train and loved it! 😊 ☺️) Train sound videos help me sleep - the clickety- clack trains. I could rave all day! Panic attacks are horrific, as you know. I suffer from them, too. I'm glad these help you and I hope the attacks ease for you. Mine have, with age. All the best 😊
What an awesome train! But not surprised you enjoyed it ~ Scotland has the greatest rail system for travel & sightseeing. Everyone should visit Scotland, at least once in their lives. I spent a month on trains backpacking around the country a few years ago - best time of my life! Left London to Edinburgh, then up to Inverness & the Highlands; then west & out to sea (by ferry) to the Hebrides. It was all daylight travel & the views were spectacular. The Aurora Borealis was visible & the islands were a beautiful wonderful surprise ~ a tropical looking paradise, in the middle of nowhere. But my fondest memory was simply just sitting back, sipping tea & munching shortbread cookies, while watching the landscape change at every turn. Scotland makes train travel very easy & enjoyable - go! :)
"Greatest rail system" is overstating it, arguably one of the worlds most scenic in parts of the highlands. I had a go at backpacking over a couple of weeks without a car and I was surprised at how easy it was to get about, given a bit of research in advance on train and bus timetables. The weather disrupted some of my plans but I was always able to come up with an alternative with the aid of the public transport network.
@@adamlea6339 One day I'll go back again, too ~ there's so much more I'd like to see. Then visit Ireland & North Wales. (I also visited south Wales, Cardiff, the weekend of a national soccer event. The only hiccup the entire trip, due to my poor planning. Had no idea it was happening & the town was insane with partying soccer fans. I got off the train at 9pm & thought, WTHeck is going on...? People were drunk, grabbing & hugging me with happiness, shouting, "Welcome to Cardiff!!" I then found out that all of the hotels in the city were fully booked. Almost spent the night sleeping on a park bench, lol. (Luckily the last hotel I checked had a cancellation about midnight, thankfully :)
I travelled on the Caledonian Sleeper twice before it became its own franchise, when it was still apart of Scotrail, just under a different name. It wasn't a pretty train, but it was comfortable enough, did the job and was - most importantly - cheap!
Adding this to my travel list for when we can get back to normal life. Great content as usual. Keep up the good work, stay safe and hopefully we can travel soon!
Just thought I would mention. The Caledonian Sleeper is 2 different trains. There is The Lowland Sleeper that goes to Edinburgh & Glasgow and splits at Carstairs. The there is The Highland Sleeper which goes to Inverness, Fort William & Aberdeen which splits at Edinburgh but Edinburgh is not a destination. Unless going to Fort William to/from Edinburgh which you can do in the seated compartment. That train is known as The Deerstalker.
You were 90% right with regards the splitting of the train, There are four sleeper trains, Two in each direction, One goes direct from London to Edinburgh and splits into three going to Fort William, Inverness and Aberdeen and the other one goes from London to Edinburgh/Glasgow and splits en route at a place called Carstairs as they go in opposite directions, The two south bound trains do the same as the northbound trains just in reverse
I have no idea who wrote this, but it is wonderful ❤️❤️❤️ It was March 2020 ... The streets were empty, the shops closed, people couldn't get out. But spring did not know, and the flowers began to bloom, the sun shone, the birds sang, the swallows would soon arrive, the sky was blue, the morning arrived early. It was March 2020 ... Young people had to study online, and find occupations at home, people could no longer go shopping, or go to the hairdresser. Soon there would be no more room in hospitals, and people continued to get sick. But spring did not know, the time to go to the garden arrived, the grass greened. It was March 2020 ... People have been put in lockdown. to protect grandparents, families and children. No more meetings or meals, family celebrations. The fear became real and the days were therefore similar. But spring did not know, apples, cherry trees and others bloomed, the leaves grew. People started reading, playing with their families, learning a language, singing on the balcony inviting neighbors to do the same, being supportive and focusing on other values. People realized the importance of health, of suffering, of this world that had stopped, of the economy that has plummeted. But spring didn't know. the flowers gave way to the fruit, the birds made their nest, the swallows had arrived. Then the day of liberation came, people found out on TV, the virus had lost, people took to the streets, sang, cried, kissed their neighbors, without masks or gloves. And that's when summer came, because spring didn't know. He continued to be there despite everything, despite the virus, fear and death. Because spring didn't know, he taught people the power of life. Everything's gonna be fine, stay home, protect yourself, and enjoy life. Read This, spread it by copying/pasting this text, but mainly remain confident and keep smiling! 😃🙏🏼😃🙏🏼😃
I love your approach to videos, I feel like we are learning & experiencing along with you, unlike some creators who want to explain everything. Speaking exclusively for myself I enjoy the shower segments ... I can't be the only one though.
It’s not that they want to explain everything--it’s that they want to pose in the middle of every shot. This video was charming-and after 8 months of being unable to travel!
I am so happy you took the shower. I was wondering how it worked. Thank you 🌷. I found it extremely entertaining 😄. I love traveling by train. Thank you for sharing your adventures.
@@LisaMarie-xp4ym As you will know The Rovos Rail trains are amazing and far far cheaper than the Orient Express which does not compare with the luxury of Rovos Rail. I have been lucky enough to make 4 trips on Rovos Rail the last trip was from Pretoria to Swakampond in Nambibia ) apologies for the spelling. It was a 9 night trip and we were sorry when it ended. Sheer luxury all the way and fantastic service. We had a Royal Suite so had a really big compartment with separate bathroom (including a bath - fun when the train rolls lol - and separate shower ). The price included all trips ( one had internal flights) a number of game farms. The price included all drinks - very generous helpings, they knew my favourite tipple which was always to hand. The Orient Express has a lot of history but is grossly over priced. We did a trip from Venice to Budapest ( with a two day layover in Budapest which we had to book and pay for ) and a return trip to London. On the Orient Express you get food ( very good ) but everything else you pay for and drinks were hugely expensive. Rovos is a vey long train with several restaurant cars, a big bar and outside observation car. So much space even in the smallest cabin. Our cabin was a third of the entire carriage. There are at least a dozen compartments to a carriage on the Orient Express which has no showers ( even one to share ) is very crowded with one bar car where people queue to get in ( having a piano may be romantic but just makes the bar car even more congested.) The Rovos carriages are Edwardian granduer. The Orient Express has the history, and whilst the cabins are well done out, they are very compact. There is no doubt Rovos Rail is way better than the Orient Express ( which is murder to navigate- lol ) and way cheaper and FULLY inclusive ( but does not offer the chance to meet Mr Poirot ). If you can afford it people should do both, one for the experience , the other for sheer luxury, opportunities to see parts of Africa you could not otherwise access and around half the price of the Orient Express ( and no I am not an agent of Rovos lol ).
And my husband can smoke on the Rovos- a big plus because he cant quit:-/ But i hope he will because i like to travel with the VSOE from Prag to Venice because i love the old style and history of this train with the great service.
Sleeper trains I think are so romantic. I've ridden many of the Amtrak sleepers from coast to coast. In the UK, they should slow the trains down so you can enjoy the experience for longer.
I remember travelling on the sleeper train about 35 years ago. It was so exciting and I remember the courtesy free bottle of water. As a child this was one of my favourite and memorable holidays. So pleased they still run, thanks for sharing.
The surfaces look so much more cleanable and modern than in US Amtrak trains. I like the way it looks larger because of the simplicity of design--like the trash bag not being inside a door as they are here. It did look to me like the shower was a hand-held sprayer so I didn't understand why you didn't get that. Thanks for this video.
It's possible he hasn't used a hand-held shower head before. I remember I didn't really know how to use it before I got one for my house. Though this argument is kind of made invalid given the fact that he travels extensively.
Pillow spray, aka, linen spray is to make your linens smell wonderful and ease you into sleep. Mine is mostly lavender, very mild light scent. Wonderful!
The pillow spray is usually a soothing, maybe lavender, scent which facilitates a better night's sleep. I love your videos and will continue to watch and dream!
Really enjoying this video during lockdown as I regularly travel from Glasgow to London on the sleeper. Glad you got safely back to Canada and hope you manage to visit the UK again soon.
I took the Caledonian Sleeper three times (Edinburgh to London, and London to Glasgow round trip) but I never explored the train this much! I'll have to ride it again someday to check out all the features. Also, for anyone interested in riding, the regular seats are pretty roomie and comfortable to sleep on and you still get a little welcome kit (not as extensive, but eye mask and earplugs are included)!
I’ve been on an all night ride from London to Glasgow in October 2019. Interesting experience but definitely not the best nights sleep I’ve ever had, but so glad we did it!
Well to my knowledge pillow spray doesn't tend to be a thing unless you're in a First Class Travel Situation XD I've never heard of it until I was watching travel videos like this. It's not immediately obvious it's for relaxation either. That's like me laughing at hearing peeps not knowing what a hearing-aid is or how it works just because I've worn one most of my life XD
It's like a small RV bathroom -- you don't necessarily sit on the closed toilet (although I guess you can if you want to). It's done like that simply to save space. Toilet in the same space as the shower. Sometimes, that's the only way everything will fit
Oh my gosh! The staff on the Caledonian Sleeper are so incredibly nice. I was traveling from the Netherlands to Edinburgh this past October and arrived in London too late to take any other train (I had the eurail pass). Normally the sleeper 100% requires reservations, but my idiot college student self did not know this. I walked up to the staff to tell them about my plight and they very kindly offered me a bunk room that happened to be empty for that trip. It is probably the kindest thing someone has done for me while traveling. If they hadn't let me take the train I probably would have had to buy a hotel room in London since the local hostels were already full. P.S. The golf pencil is for filling out the card with breakfast options. He didn't show it, but you hang the card on the outside of the door so that the staff knows when to bring you your breakfast in the morning.
Hey Mike! I wanted to say thanks for reigniting my love of train travel. Taking my big trip next summer on the Maple Leaf from Toronto Union to Pen Station in NYC
Yes, you can detach the shower head from its mount and hold it in your hands and direct it wherever you want on your body while standing and showering. Also called a 'telephone' shower.
Thanks for helping me travel from my arm chair, I'm loving watching you try out things I'd like to do. I think it may be safer for some people to sit whilst showering on a moving train.
It sure beats the overnight bus from London to Edinburgh. I very nearly froze to death with everyone else on that rde in 2011. The bus driver had to leave open the windows to stay awake. (yet it WAS memorable!). Love to travel. Thanks for letting me visit Scotland again in part.
Nice to see the new carriages. I've travelled on the old ones a few times, to the Highlands (Aviemore, Inverness or Aberdeen) from Crewe (that's an intermediate stop in Northern England for our American and Canadian readers). They were comfortable but very dated, I think from the 1970s. I don't think anyone had a private toilet on those. A seat is quite a bit cheaper than a bed, but a bed is well worth the extra. It's nice being able to finish work for a few days off, but instead of travelling the following morning, going to the station that evening, waking the following morning and departing your train just after breakfast with your holiday just begun.
I was wondering, starting at 6:37 the wall covering was discussed and I the wall covering/paper was called tartan. I want to say that the wall is a herringbone tweed, not a tartan. Then again both are woven so one maybe a type of the other?
I remember the trip from Central Station to Queen Street Station was a mess because of the traffic and then it became a walkway. Much more pleasant. We would take the old coal powered steam engine up north to the skydiving center at Glen Eagles. Was stationed there at the Holy Loch and if we missed the steam train (Bar Car) we had to wait another hour for the next, a boring electric and no bar car. I do miss my time there.
Great follow up to your Glasgow - Fort William video from last week. However I thought, from the way you showed it, that you were joining the Caledonian Sleeper at Fort William instead of Glasgow. Looking forward to your next trip, once these Covid-19 restrictions are lifted. Looking back at your earlier ones from before I subscribed to you channel. Keep well. 😊👍🏻
10:21 also a journey from London to Glasgow on a day train with avanti west coast (the current operator of highspeed daytime trains on that line) would cost £150.10 for a single in the evening anyway so unless you were willing to take the slow train and change about three times the sleeper is on par with the other options
I love in the first part here when Mike says "It's got a shower" and we see that he has an expression like Janet Leigh getting brutally murdered in Psycho, LOL... Also, at 6:38 that looks like a herring bone, maybe tweed, not sure if it's considered Tartan although I have limited knowledge. I do know that tweed was originally a form of Scottish camouflage for hunting.
The colour of tweed reflects the season, just have a look at the different colours in the wool used in each jacket, its almost (but Not) camouflage for the 4 seasons.
@@liloupumpkin5278 The wall covering is tweed, a tightly woven wool fabric, Harris Tweed comes from the Outer Hebrides (like Donegal Tweed comes from , err Donegal ROI), then there are the patterns, this one is herringbone and check pattern, so it’s a plaid, but not necessarily a tartan which is a recognised pattern associated with a clan or family. Everyone in UK has a tartan, if you think you don’t (can’t trace any connection to Scotland and/or a clan) then yours is the Stuart Tartan as the Queen is head of the Stuart Clan (even tho” she’s German) and she is your leader.
Finally got to do this (Euston to Inverness) after waiting 3 years or so (little pandemic got in the way). Very amazing - I wouldn't have known about it without your video!
I loved your video! I was supposed to travel to Scotland in early June. I was planning to try this train from London to Glasgow, but sadly, it looks like it will have to wait until 2021.
acording to google research: A pillow spray, also known as a pillow mist or pillow scent, is a solution of water and essential oils. This fragrance is sprayed on the pillow before going to bed. According to dedicated followers, pillow sprays help you fall asleep faster, sleep more restfully, and feel refreshed in the morning. It is believed that the pleasant scents have calming and relaxing effects and can therefore have a positive effect on sleep.
I love this video. It is slightly different from your other sleeper trains videos because its mainly at Glasgow Station, but it is interesting exploring the train at Glasgow
Iv been on the the old sleeper, I didn’t get a cabin as I couldn’t afford it.that was way back in 2014, I met with a few volunteers for the Commonwealth games and had a brilliant time,
Compared to this Caledonian train, AMTRAK looks like a donkey ride in the mountains of Afghanistan. Thanks for the hint for my trip to Scotland next year. And BTW, Blink subscription? Done!
When it was introduced they had no end of complaints from passengers that they had to refund a lot of money. Looks like they’ve finally got things together. I’ve travelled on the old MK 2 stock and that was comfortable but dated.
I love these rail videos. It's my dream someday to be able to take a long train ride through beautiful country. This video is like a mini-vacation during these awful quarantine times. Thanks for this!
Wow! Not normally a jealous person, but you are literally checking off my bucket list item. I'm Scottish/Swedish/American and want so much to visit the famous castles and the highlands. Caledonia is a must. I think some people overlook that the vacation adventure begins with the train. Thank you for the video.
I've always tried to instil into my wife the fact that you're practically getting the train for nothing when you vector in the hotel room price, good thing is that you have an early start to do your sightseeing as long as there's somewhere to leave your luggage, heard good reports and bad reviews for the sleeper so it seems like take the train and find out which is what I'm going to do I wanted to do it for my 70th birthday but that's gone now so I've an excuse to get the sleeper, only problem is I don't live in either Scotland or England so ferry or flight it's going to be
Michael, wow it almost seemed you are the only passenger. Next time I go over I definitely will take this train, lot more luxury than the past. Thank you for the shower illustration.
