I don’t remember very much about one of my favourite train rides, because I was asleep most of the time. That’s the way it was supposed to be, for I was checking out Scotrail’s ‘Caledonian Sleeper’ service between London and most major Scottish cities.

I very much approved of the system where I went to sleep in London, and woke in Edinburgh to do a long day’s sightseeing, and have dinner and a couple of drinks in the evening, before re-boarding the train to sleep my way back to London.

Scotrail have now extended the service by negotiating a tie-in with the Eurostar service from London to Lille, Brussels and Paris. Scots can now ‘Go to Sleep in Scotland - Lunch in Paris’

The journey has always been possible, but this is the first time that through ticketing has been introduced. Tickets to either Paris or Brussels from Edinburgh or Glasgow cost between £140 and £155 return; from Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness or Fort William between £160 and £170 return … and, don’t forget, these prices include two nights’ ‘accommodation’ and breakfast!

The price also includes the Underground fare between Euston Station, where the Caledonian Sleeper arrives, and Waterloo, from which Eurostar departs. There lies the only minor problem that I can see … I don’t have up to date time-tables to hand, but, according to the latest I have, the Sleeper arrives at Euston around 8 a.m.; Waterloo is six stations down the Northern Line … and the morning rush would be just about starting! However, you still have the best part of an hour before the 8.53 train leaves for Paris. It arrives at 12.53 … in plenty of time for lunch!

You can find more details of this special offer, which is available throughout Summer 2003, at www.scotrail.co.uk . Tickets can be bought through ScotRail telesales on 08457 55 00 33, and your stay in Paris must include a Saturday night, or two nights midweek.

(On a personal note, I really welcome this initiative, and hope other rail companies, in Britain and on the Continent, will introduce similar ‘door to door’ through ticketing on other services connecting with Eurostar)

Have fun. 

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