You need to buy it at a station in the UK - there’s no other way. It didn’t even work any other way for the last years...

If GWR will no longer sell them by phone then there is no way other than at a GB rail station.

Getting a friend to book it in person might work but be aware they are supposed to only issue reservations to people already holding tickets. Get an obliging clerk and once it is explained it is for a tourist that has no other means then they may well help you out, get the opposite and it will just be a refusal.

Also be aware that many offices unfamiliar with booking sleeper supplements may struggle to do it at all. The procedure (on any of the systems I have seen) is for the clerk to proceed as if buying a regular off-peak or anytime single ticket and sleeper supplement but delete the ticket before completing the purchase.

Buying the full ticket+sleeper in order to try and refund the ticket at a later date is very unlikely to work, I doubt you would be able to get anyone to refund the ticket while keeping the sleeper supplement/reservation.

GWR are a pain. I have read stories in the past, when they were still able to book that they were quite picky about payment cards.

What do you mean with mismatching passes?

Do complain to GWR that there should be a way to book them from abroad. If there are enough complaints, they may reconsider.

Hmm-I highly doubt this. I remember the tricks of airlines who always found ways to bar cheap0 pax who would try to get a seat in C (thats business) for much less by using any imaginative way of coupons/pass/points/whatever. Though many of these pax -due to their perceived status-also knew many ways to fob off the airline. I guess -as GB railways are very much revenue-oriented (even though now the govmt has taken over) that they simply do not want passholders in their most precious accommodation. The same was on new VY/Sverige here a few weeks ago for the Lapplandstaget. And I suspect ÖBB also does it to protect their most expensive private sleeper for going on sale in hi-season. There are special german fora for train-lovers that are full of ways to get what one wants-but most often the final answer is ¨Qualität kostet ja!

Same prejudice also reigns in many railways about the 1st cl passholders-in the past these were mostly loud USAers (as EUrail had no 2nd cl pass for them-except junior)-

(yes, I have become a bit more cynic in these matters-out of life-experience)

Please provide evidence or stop repeating these unsubstantiated claims.

I called GWR to book the night riviera and while skeptical about Interrail they were willing to book the room supplement, but they coulnd't accept my Dutch postcode - it had to be my UK address. 

That agent insisted it had to be my address, and even then - I'm not sure if giving someone else's address could cause problems (with payment mainly). 

So I asked whether I could complain about this, and was forwarded to the customer relations department. That agent seemed genuinely surprised by my complaint (she'd never heard this before), so do complain! Ironically, in the complaints system, with my Dutch postcode the system automatically gave the agent my Dutch town name, adding to her surprise.

Were you able to buy your reservation this way? And if so, did they email it or do you have to collect it from a British ticket machine?

Thanks for following through. Do let us know what response you get.

It wasn't possible because I did not have a UK address, which is really weird. Tickets would have been to collect at the station (as they are pretty short term - hopefully next Friday). I'm not really expecting a response to the complaint before that, but I will keep you posted. 

They're required to give a response within a month. EU Regulation 1371/2007 has been transposed into UK law :)

Unfortunately, when we arrived in London we were told at the LNER ticket office in Kings Cross sleeper cabins were sold out. We ended up totally changing plans and booking the Caledonian Sleeper (that one can be booked online), switching our Cornwall plans for a trip through Scotland.

Maybe it's also not possible to book them relatively shortly before departure (at 11 AM for an 11 PM departure)? To be fair, we might have had more luck at GWR's own ticket desk, but heading to Paddington just for that seemed a bit like a waste of time (and we didn't want to miss out on cabins on the Caledonian sleeper as well).

I haven't heard back yet from GWR.

That's unlikely. AFAIK, British ticket offices all have the same possibilities.

Alot of ticket offices are incapable (either through poor ticketing software or poor training or both) of actually booking sleeper reservations, particularly as reservation only.

It is always possible to see availability online through the GWR.com website by searching for a ticket+sleeper fare, it is just frustrating that it is not possible to book the sleeper reservation on it’s own from them.

I checked online too and there were no tickets available. I had checked the day before and there were at least 9 single cabins available, that's why I thought they might be blocked off general sale on the day of departure.

I was told on the phone with GWR that the staff in Paddington possibly knew more about last-minute cancellations. It wasn't very clear what they meant, and it seemed like quite a risk.

Has anybody ever received a response to their complaints about GWR not selling reservations on the phone to people outside of the UK?

In the last few days, I called GWR from Australia and had no problem at all booking my sleeping berths on the ‘Night Riviera’ after explaining I would have a Global Eurailpass.

I used an Australian credit card: it was immediately accepted.

Pleasing that this longstanding problem for overseas residents looks to have been fixed.

Just remember the time difference between the UK and nations like Australia/Canada/New Zealand/USA as if one tries to ring at 0200 BST, it’ll be fruitless.

Thanks for letting us know!

rvdborgt, my tip would be to telephone GWR’s call centre in England on a typically quieter day such as Tuesday to Thursday fairly early in the morning UK time.

The call centre opens at 0700 UK time on Mondays to Saturdays and 0800 hours on Sundays. 

Best not to call on a Friday or Sunday afternoon as staff may be busy given these tend to be busy travel periods.  The contact number is (+44) 345 7000 125.

Having previously travelled on the ‘Night Riviera’, it’s an excellent way to reach Penzance or come back to London from the West Country.