We took the Night Riviera sleeper train to Cornwall - and it completely transformed our family trip

A family planned a Cornwall weekend by taking the Night Riviera sleeper train from London to Penzance. The service runs about eight hours, operates six nights a week, and arrives at 7.45am, allowing arrival early Friday and departure midday Sunday. The trip replaced a six-hour drive that usually requires at least five days, making it possible to fit in a bracing sea swim and ice creams. The journey also provided extra time for lidos, harbour strolls, and other outings, while reducing stress from being stuck driving. The late 11.45pm departure worked for adults but was challenging for young children’s bedtime routines.

"Taking the sleeper train from London to Penzance meant more time for lidos, ice creams and harbour strolls - and far less time stuck driving"

"It's one of just a few sleeper services in the country - a smooth eight-hour ride that runs six nights a week and rolls into Penzance at 7.45am. My kids are one-and-a-half and three, and it's safe to say we're all better and happier people out of the house."

"Cornwall is a well-trodden corner of the country for us, but given the six-hour drive (on a good run), it's somewhere usually reserved for a five-day minimum kind of trip. But, a bracing sea swim and Jelbert's ice creams were calling, and we didn't have five days to spare."

"We took the sleeper down on Thursday night to arrive first thing Friday morning, giving us a full weekend, before getting the train back midday on Sunday. When I planned the trip, I slightly overlooked the sleeper's 11.45pm departure time. Ideal if you're out having a dinner in London with time for a leisurely nightcap before moseying over to Paddington, but it's a late one for the rest of us who tend to be in bed by"

Read at CN Traveller