London -Penzance GWR

[Ayseven]

What can we do with bikes if we want the GWR Night Riviera from Paddington, and use the first class lounge whilst waiting til 23:30 for the train to leave? I can't see the bike parking spots outside as being very secure. Ideas?

[Jdsk]

GWR: "... we do not allow non-folding bikes in the lounge; there is a secure storage area between platforms 8 and 9":
https://www.gwr.com/travelling-with-us/ ... ss/lounges

I haven't used it.

Happy Christmas

Jonathan

[PH]

use the first class lounge whilst waiting til 23:30 for the train to leave? I can't see the bike parking spots outside as being very secure. Ideas?

Check out the boarding time, it's pretty common for late night sleepers to board early, it might be you don't need the lounge.

[Ayseven]

excellent responses! I did not see that bit about "secure parking" on the GWR site...
Thanks, guys.

[MrsHJ]

There is bike parking bet ween platforms 8 &9. Not sure if it can be described as really secure although I’ve never used it-would be interested to know.

[Bonefishblues]

use the first class lounge whilst waiting til 23:30 for the train to leave? I can't see the bike parking spots outside as being very secure. Ideas?

Check out the boarding time, it's pretty common for late night sleepers to board early, it might be you don't need the lounge.

An hour and a quarter before the 23.45 departure, I read.

[ChrisButch]

Unfortunately the platforms 8/9 bike parking is at the far end of the station from the 1st Class lounge.

[Mr.Benton]

The last time I used the first class lounge at Paddington, I simply wheeled my bike into the entrance and leant it against the wall next to all the suit cases that had been stored by other guests. I chose a seat where I could keep an eye on the bike.
No one asked me to move the bike, but I would have done if I was asked.

[Jdsk]

The last time I used the first class lounge at Paddington, I simply wheeled my bike into the entrance and leant it against the wall next to all the suit cases that had been stored by other guests. I chose a seat where I could keep an eye on the bike.
No one asked me to move the bike, but I would have done if I was asked.

I was there last year. This is a good idea. I'd guess that it's more likely to work by asking the attendant face to face than by trying to arrange it in advance...

Jonathan

[horizon]

Mrs H and I were at Paddington in the summer with our fully loaded folders. We were a bit short of time but I am sure we would have found a modest bench to sit on and enjoy a cuppa from our Thermos flasks. Not a lounge of course but we prefer to sit more upright and scan the interesting architecture of the station. We headed of course to our standard class (though second class comes more naturally after First I would have thought) seats on the train. So I'm afraid I cannot help much with the problem faced by the OP.

[PH]

Check out the boarding time, it's pretty common for late night sleepers to board early, it might be you don't need the lounge.

An hour and a quarter before the 23.45 departure, I read.

Thanks, I didn't spot that info when i had a quick look.
With more than an hour's window to board, I'd probably plan my arrival to not need the lounge.
It's not like joining the Caledonian Sleeper at Crewe, where I can't avoid a three hour wait. I did that once then learned for the same cost I could leave home 90 minutes later and join the sleeper in London.

[Jdsk]

...
It's not like joining the Caledonian Sleeper at Crewe, where I can't avoid a three hour wait. I did that once then learned for the same cost I could leave home 90 minutes later and join the sleeper in London.

Reminds me of the first time that I took the sleeper to Cornwall. Went to Reading thinking that it would save some travelling. And realised too late that if I went to Paddington I'd get my head down earlier.

Jonathan

[Bonefishblues]

...
It's not like joining the Caledonian Sleeper at Crewe, where I can't avoid a three hour wait. I did that once then learned for the same cost I could leave home 90 minutes later and join the sleeper in London.

Reminds me of the first time that I took the sleeper to Cornwall. Went to Reading thinking that it would save some travelling. And realised too late that if I went to Paddington I'd get my head down earlier.

Jonathan

I've never been in this service, but the sheer number of scheduled stops suggests it'd be hard to get much sleep, how do you find it?

[Jdsk]

I've never been in this service, but the sheer number of scheduled stops suggests it'd be hard to get much sleep, how do you find it?

Sleepers amuse me intensely, probably because of romantic and literary associations and my own journeys in the past. They can also gain a day or avoid a night in a hotel, but that's not so important in this stage of my life.

And I generally sleep fine on them, and if not I have the podcasts. The stops aren't a problem as long as I've worked out in advance where they're going to be and what's going to happen (which can be complex for bikes to and from Scotland).

But the cheapest cabins in the new sleeping cars on the Caledonian Sleeper are very badly designed. There's a weird cushion on the wall below head level on the sofa/ lower bunk. You have to do a difficult clamber over the top of the ladder to the upper bunk. And there's inadequate storage for luggage. The Cornish Riviera cabins are much better.

Jonathan

[scragend]

I've never been in this service, but the sheer number of scheduled stops suggests it'd be hard to get much sleep, how do you find it?

The rhythm of the rails is all you feel...

It's been many a year since I took a sleeper but I always found I slept well on them. Never travelled on one of the UK sleepers, it was always in Europe which probably had fewer stops but more shunting. I never noticed.

Fingers crossed that I'll get back on a sleeper this year.