For the right trip, yes. The GWR Night Riviera's appeal is simple: you board in central London in the evening and wake up in Cornwall, having slept through the journey and saved both a day of travelling and a hotel night. A private cabin gets you a bed, bedding and a washbasin, a complimentary light breakfast, and access to the First Class lounges and showers at Paddington, Truro and Penzance. The cabins are more modest than the Caledonian Sleeper's — there's no en-suite, and the rolling stock is older — so if you're expecting a hotel-on-rails, temper expectations. But as a way to arrive in Penzance, St Ives or the Cornish coast fresh for the day, it's genuinely useful and has a loyal following. The reclining Seat is much cheaper but, as on any train, hard to sleep in properly, so the cabin is where the real value sits for an overnight. Whether it's 'worth it' comes down to how much you value the saved night and the early, rested arrival versus a daytime train. For a Friday-night dash to Cornwall, many travellers find it well worth the fare — just book the cabin, and book early.
Sources: gwr.com · seat61.com
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