Every night of the week except Saturdays, the Night Riviera heads from London to the end of the Great Western Railway in Penzance, the main town of West Cornwall and 11 miles from Lands End. At this railhead, Britain fizzles out into the roaring waves of the Atlantic Ocean.

The Night Riviera Sleeper, operated by Great Western Railway (GWR), typically runs six nights a week between London Paddington and Penzance, Cornwall. The service generally operates Sunday through Friday nights; there is no Night Riviera service on Saturday nights. In 2026, the train departs London around 11:45 PM and arrives in Penzance at approximately 8:00 AM the following morning. The return journey from Penzance usually departs around 9:45 PM and arrives in London just after 5:00 AM. While cabin guests are permitted to stay in their berths until 6:45 AM after arrival at Paddington, the schedule remains consistent year-round except for planned engineering works or bank holidays. This overnight service is one of only two sleeper trains in the UK (the other being the Caledonian Sleeper) and is a favorite for travelers seeking to "gain a day" of vacation by traveling while they sleep, arriving in the scenic West Country just as the sun begins to rise over the Cornish coast.