Buses are not the first thing that comes to mind when people think about luxury travel. But a company in Europe is working to change that.
Twiliner will introduce a new night-bus service in Switzerland later this summer that is more like a business class airline seat Then you can typical bus. The company says that the new service, launching in November, features 21 seats on double-decker buses (18 on upper level and 3 on lower level), which each recline to a full lie-flat mattress.
Every bus will have free WiFI, a bar onboard (with drinks and snack available for purchase), toilets, and separate changing rooms. The bus will also include a luggage storage area with each passenger able to bring one large suitcase and one carry-on with them for free. Each seat includes a USB charging station, USB storage, and reading light.
The buses are not equipped with a dedicated onboard service, like a first class cabin in a plane.
Twiliner wrote in a statement. “Instead mass processing, cramped and stressful conditions, and time loss, we focus on safe, stylish and quiet travel.”
The company explained that the “major challenge” in introducing the service was making it safe. It developed a system of restraints which allows passengers to travel while lying on the ground.
Twiliner’s first routes will be daily trips between Zurich and Amsterdam, with stops at Basel, Luxembourg and Brussels along the way, as well as every other day trips between Zurich and Barcelona, with stops at Bern and Girona. The company hopes to extend service to 30 European destinations in the next 3 years.
A luxury experience comes with a price, and tickets will not be cheap like the ones people associate with bus travel. According to a search on, fares for a one-way ticket between Zurich and Amsterdam in November start at CHF 150 ($187.50). Travel + Leisure At the time of publication.
Twiliner may be the first company to offer elevated buses, but the service is not unique because of the seats that lie flat. The Jet Launched in 2021, the service will connect New York City with Washington D.C. and feature “HoverSeats”, which are comfortable seats with motion-cancelling technologies. Each row has 4.5 feet of space for legs, as well as hot towels and snacks.
