
November sees a new night bus network launching in Europe, reports travel magazine Locals Insider. Some of the top tourist destinations on the continent will be connected with stops in the Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland. Not only will you be able to travel in comfort but the coaches are good for the environment too.
The network is being run by Twiliner who are a Swiss transportation company. The aim of the new night bus service is to close “the comfort gap in long-distance travel.” It’s also good news for those travellers who are eco-conscious. Using the night-bus will become an alternative to taking short-haul flights.
Twiliner has commented that a journey on one of their vehicles is as sustainable as going by train. When a comparison is made against flying, the coaches will see 85 per cent of CO2e emissions saved. That’s because HVO diesel is used to run their vehicles. That’s a fuel which is renewable and is derived from vegetable oils and waste fats.
When you are travelling overnight, it’s most likely been a long hard day. Therefore, comfort is one of your top priorities and Twiliner fully recognises that. Their new coaches will have facilities that are just like those who travel on sleeper trains will be familiar with.
The coaches will have 21 seats on its two decks. All but three of them will be on the upper deck. They have been modelled on the type of seats seen if you travel in business class on planes. A big bonus is that pillows and blankets are provided.
They will be needed as the seats can totally transform into beds. All that is needed is the push of a button and this is a first on a European bus. This has been achieved by a partnership with the Berne University of Applied Sciences, seat expert company Lantal and a number of vehicle safety experts. .
The luxuries continue with each of the seating areas also having a table, individual reading light and electrical outlets. Complimentary internet access is also available so you’ll be able to keep up to date with all that’s happening.
Your personal items will be safe too as there’s a small storage compartment. Passengers will be allowed to board with one large suitcase and this must not be larger than 80 x 50 x 35cm with a maximum weight of 23kg. One carry-on-item (maximum weight 5kg and 50 x 30 x 20cm) will also be permitted. In addition, you will also be able to bring items such as surfboards, skiing equipment and bicycles. To do so, they must be booked in advance.

If you’re feeling peckish during the night, the lower deck has a snack bar with light refreshments available. There’s also a spacious bathroom and changing room facilities though there aren’t any showers on the coach.
One slight drawback is that the service is not ideal for those families that have small children. To be able to travel, you need to be at least five years old. Twiliner states that older children are welcome to travel “as long as they are familiar with long-distance travelling and can take the quiet, sleep-friendly environment into consideration.”
The November launch will see two routes be introduced. One will be from Zurich to Amsterdam with a stop in Basel, Luxembourg, Brussels and Rotterdam. The other will run from Zurich to Barcelona with a stop in Girona, Italy. Daily runnings of the service are expected to be introduced next year. Until then, the buses will run several times a week. As for the price, they begin at around €180 for a single journey.
There are big plans for the bus network. The aim is to be able to connect 25 European cities by 2028. That will see a continent-wide network created that will see the overnight bus services complement the night train operations that currently exist.
Their CEO and founder is Luca Bortolani and he says it was an overnight bus trip from Zurich to Antwerp that led to the idea for this new service. He described that journey as “back-breaking” and led to him declaring: “never again.” He hopes that by 2029, they will have had a million passengers. To achieve that share of the market the company will need to operate 160 buses and the CEO believes that is “very doable.”
Twiliner has received investment from bus companies Emile Weber (based in Luxembourg) and Belgium’s Staf Cars. They will be operating the routes allowing Twiliner to concentrate on areas such as marketing, brand development and sales. Mr Bortolani says the next year is “all about learning” and finding out which of the routes will be the most successful and then how to “fine-tune the model” so they can “scale rapidly in 2027.”