Now, I’m well aware that the words ‘luxury’ and ‘bus travel’ aren’t frequently found side by side in a sentence. But an oh-so swanky sleeper bus has recently launched in Europe, and it’s a far cry from the stuffy school coach trips that have, quite frankly, traumatised many of us for life.
The rather trailblazing new mode of transport comes courtesy of Twiliner; a Swiss start-up on a mission to make European travel more sustainable and a whole lot comfier. The new sleeper buses are transporting travel-lovers across the continent, connecting cities in Switzerland, Luxembourg, Belgium, Spain, and The Netherlands as they do so.
The Twiliner sleeper buses
Twiliner aims to ‘close the comfort gap’ when it comes to long-distance travel. There are 21 seats on-board the buses (18 on the upper deck and 3 on the lower), each of which lie completely flat at the push of a button, and have been modelled on the seats found in business class plane cabins. The facilities on board match those found on many sleeper trains, with passengers provided with pillows and blankets for the journey. Each seat comes complete with electrical outlets, a table, a reading light, a storage compartment, and complimentary WiFi. There’s also a spacious changing room on the bus, as well as a bathroom, and a snack bar (where passengers can get their hands on free tea, coffee, and water).
Passengers can bring one large suitcase and one carry-on item on board, and additional items such as bikes and skiing equipment can be brought on (but must be booked in advance). Twiliner buses aren’t family-appropriate as children under the age of 5 are not permitted on board. Older children are welcome but must be ‘familiar with long-distance travelling’ and able to ‘take the quiet, sleep-friendly environment into consideration’.
Twiliner currently offers two routes: Zurich to Amsterdam (with stops in Basel, Luxembourg, Brussels, and Rotterdam) and Zurich to Barcelona (with a stop in Girona). The company aims to have a network that spans the entire continent, and hopes to connect 25 of Europe’s most-visited cities over the next three years.
These luxurious bus journeys are a great option for eco-conscious travellers as Twiliner vehicles run on HVO diesel (a renewable fuel derived from waste fats and vegetable oils) and the journeys have up to 85% less impact on the climate than flying.
The buses run several times a week and prices range from around €150 to €250. And look, it goes without saying that there are quicker and cheaper ways of getting between the cities in question. But with air-travel becoming progressively more guilt-inducing; a cosy night on board a Twiliner night bus is a pretty memorable and magical way to make a journey, right?
Find out more and plan your Twiliner journey here.