Commuting via Caledonia Sleeper

[BanksiaRose]

Hello, does anyone have any experience of semi-regular commuting to London using the Caledonian Sleeper? Is it feasible to do this twice a month, say? Is it possible to have a decent sleep? Are there discounts for regular travellers v one-off tourists?
Thanks very much.

Pre covid a lot of my colleagues would do a mon-thurs lodging when they had a London contract. They'd usually come to the office late on a Monday and work from home Friday. And mon-Fri lodging is cheaper than renting a flat.

I've done the stay in cheap hotel for a week (often the premier inns out by excel came up cheap) and it gets old fast not being able to cook. Only having limited hanging space etc.

Thanks @jay55, I will google lodgings.

@BanksiaRose I was really lucky and someone pointed me to the website www.MondaytoFriday.com . (Might have been an MNer). People rent out a spare room for the week and you vacate on a Friday. Suited me down to the ground! I got a self contained unit in my landlady’s garden in Battersea for £400 pcm 6 years ago. Had my own shower room, fridge and microwave. No separate kitchen but good enough for me.

There is a limit what people can charge under the scheme without paying tax so that keeps the costs down.

I used to do the journey regularly, and agree with previous posters who have said that fast trains from Glasgow are much better than the Sleeper. That's noisy, with jerky stops and starts. The daytime trains are faster and smoother.

If you can make advance bookings - weeks ahead, as soon as booking opens -you have a much greater choice of fares and times - if possible, cheap first class makes all the difference. Avanti West Coast also do Standard Premium, which guarantees a table seat rather than an airline one. You can also get some bargains if you're prepared to travel /have meetings at odd times. Off-peak trains are a lot cheaper. I've caught a train around 8.30 am, worked hard on board all morning (wifi usually OK, though not perfect) , gone to a meeting at 2.00, had a quick drink with a friend at 6.00 and caught the 7.00 approx train and been back in Glasgow by midnight. It's a long day, but if only twice a month....

If you have to be at work 9 -5, cheap off-peak travel plus the lodgings suggestion mentioned above also seems worth thinking about.

I'd prefer either of the above to the Sleeper. And important to note, in bad weather etc, the Sleeper is often seriously delayed.

Timetables are frequently amended for mainline services at the moment, because of Covid, but Avanti has a website that lists changes.

Railcard info here: www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/National-Railcards.aspx