Great Western Coffee Shop

FGW publicised a couple of years back that they wouldn't make passengers share berths unless two booked in a twin berth.  However, on the website as part of the booking process they ask for your gender and state that it's in the event of having to share.  Can someone give some clarification on this?

They also mention a complimentary refreshments in the lounge and a complimentary breakfast.  What are the refreshments/breakfast actually like?  (I'd be using it from Paddington to St Austell if that makes any difference.)

Two types of sleeper cabins - solos with one bed and twins with two. If you book a solo one with a peak/off peak ticket its a ^45 supplement and you will not share although it will ask you to specify a gender. If, with the same type of ticket you only want to pay ^30 you get one bed in a twin cabin where you might have to share with someone of the same gender. If you are a single traveller, and all the solo cabins are full, it is permissible to buy one appropriate peak/off peak ticket and pay ^60 to book both beds in a twin cabin.

These supplements are not available with advance tickets but there is a range of packages based on the advance principle going under the names of solo and twin which are your travel ticket and bed reservation all in one. These currently start at ^49 for a solo and ^69 for a twin.

The breakfast is pretty naff - microwaved bacon roll ( little bacon, floury roll) & coffee/tea, or veg option

FGW will only sell you a solo berth at ^45 supplement (or inclusive Advance) if you are travelling alone. You cannot be sold a ^30 berth in a twin cabin and share with a stranger. Twin occupancy requires two people known to each other travelling together.

On the booking engine if you are two people travelling together it will ask you if you want to share. Not sure why the gender information is still necessary, maybe just a hangover from the days when you could bunk up with a stranger on the Night Riviera!

sorry not true BNM, only a couple of weeks ago (Sunday 19th June)I was booked in with a stranger, not a problem for me or the other gent as both of us had been warned in advance.

And you managed to buy that berth at ^30 online did you? That was what I was referring to in answer to the OPs query about booking online. I should've gone on to say that, "you used to be able to book online and bunk up with a stranger". My apologies if that wasn't clear.

I've not found a way to force the online booking engine to offer me one berth in a twin cabin for ^30.

I believe it is still possible to be booked into a twin berth cabin when making a reservation at a station or over the phone. The guidance to retail staff says:


At a guess I'd say this allows for when all solo berths are taken. Book single travellers into a twin berth, only charging them ^30 but warning them they may be sharing. This option is not available online though.

My apologies as well, I should have said that I tend to do my sleeper bookings at a station (just 'cause i find it easier & quicker..I'm still on dial-up!!)

What about  the use of showers at Paddington - how do you gain access, are they free to use?

You can have cereal instead if you want, is far better than the tea and biscuit you get with Scotrail!

But the other side of the coin is the evening meals are much better on the Caledonian sleepers.

Oooh yeah. Haggis, neeps and tatties with whisky sauce on the Cally beds. Delicious!  ;D