Luxury night bus launched between Zurich, Amsterdam and Barcelona

Twiliner, a Zurich-based start-up, has announced a new night bus service from Zurich to Amsterdam and Barcelona. The company promises business-class style travel in a more climate-friendly way than flying.

New Swiss night buses to Amsterdam and Barcelona

Twiliner has announced a new bus service with the hopes of “rethinking night bus travel”. The public transportation company will offer a business-class style seat, similar to those found on a plane, which can be turned into a lie-flat bed, a first for buses in Europe, reports Watson.

The Zurich start-up company will run two routes starting in December. One route will run from Zurich and stop in Basel, Luxembourg, Brussels, Rotterdam and Amsterdam. The second route will run from Zurich to Bern, Girona and Barcelona. Companies can also hire one of the buses for private travel.

The Swiss startup plans to add five extra buses to its fleet by the beginning of 2027. The company also advertises Rome as a “coming soon” destination on its website. For interested nighttime travellers, a one-way ticket costs between 150 and 250 Swiss francs, according to Watson.

Twiliner focuses on luxurious and climate-friendly journeys

Seats on the Twiliner buses were designed in collaboration with Airline Services Interior, a manufacturer of plane seats. The bus seats can be transformed into lie-flat beds, similar to those in business class on planes.

“An integrated restraint system consisting of a two-point seatbelt and leg restraint ensures the necessary safety,” continues Watson. Each bus can seat 21 passengers compared to 80 passengers in a traditional bus.

The company hopes to offer a more climate-friendly way to travel, stating that taking a Twiliner bus produces up to 91 percent less CO2 emissions compared to similar plane journeys. “We want to attract people who want to fly less, for example, business travellers, or people who are looking for a more flexible option than the train,” said Twiliner co-founder and CEO Luca Bortolani.