Melbourne to Sydney by Sleeper Train: One Bunk and a Surprisingly Good Sleep

Eleven hours, one bunk, and hopefully more sleep than regret.

That was the plan when I boarded the overnight sleeper train from Melbourne to Sydney. Having previously travelled in the opposite direction on the daytime service in economy, I was curious to try the overnight version. Could this little cabin double as my transport and hotel room?

There was only one way to find out.

A small cabin with a few surprises

My cabin was compact, but there was enough room to sit comfortably without accidentally inventing a new yoga pose. There were luggage shelves, a small space for hanging jackets, and tables tucked away beneath the windows that attached to the seat armrests.

The complimentary toiletries pack included an eye mask, earplugs, lotion, lip balm, a toothbrush and toothpaste. There was also a comb, which was optimistic of them.

A snack pack supplied crisps, cookies, crackers, tomato chutney and a few other bits and pieces. With the little table set up, it made a perfectly respectable miniature picnic.

Yes, there’s a shower

The bathroom was shared between two adjoining cabins, potentially serving four passengers. Inside were a shower, a dry compartment, a fold-out sink and a fold-out toilet. Quite an impressive amount of functionality squeezed into a very small space.

No fold-out bathtub, unfortunately. Apparently, there are limits.

The shower was better than I expected, with good water pressure. The water took a little while to warm up, but being able to have a proper shower before bed made the whole experience feel much more civilised.

Dinner, then the transformation

We left Southern Cross Station at about 8:30pm on my trip. Shortly afterwards, a staff member stopped by to ask whether we wanted to order dinner.

We passed, but there was also a buffet car for food and drinks, including wine at an extra cost if your idea of settling in involves a nightcap.

When we were ready for bed, the attendant came over and transformed the seating into bunks. Suddenly, our little sitting room had become our bedroom for the night. The bunk even had its own small shelf, fold-out table and reading light.

Everything had a place. You just had to discover where it was hiding.

Did I actually sleep?

This was the part I wasn’t sure about. I thought the movement of the train might keep me awake, but once I was under the covers, the gentle swaying had exactly the opposite effect.

The bed was surprisingly comfortable, and I slept well.

Possibly too well, judging by the snoring. Those complimentary earplugs may have been more useful to everyone around me.

The cabin did feel a little stuffy, and the air had a certain vintage-upholstery character. I managed fine, but it was the main comfort issue I noticed during the journey.

Coffee with a moving view

At around 6am, the attendant brought a wake-up call and a breakfast pack containing cereal, milk, juice and a coffee bag.

It was a simple breakfast, but watching the morning light from the train gave it something a hotel breakfast room generally lacks: a constantly changing view.

There was time to sit, sip my coffee and appreciate this older train’s character. I can only hope I age with a similar amount of grace.

Would I do it again?

Yes, I would.

The cabin was small, the bathroom was shared, and the air could have been fresher. But I had a comfortable bed, a good sleep and an enjoyable journey between Melbourne and Sydney.

For me, the pleasure was having time to settle in and enjoy the ride. By the following morning, the train had done the travelling while I’d done the sleeping.

You can see the cabin, bathroom, bedtime transformation and my full verdict in the video above.

Have you tried an overnight sleeper train? I’d love to hear whether you slept as well as I did.