Travelling on a sleeper bus might not be a comfortable journey, but one woman was pleasantly surprised by her entire experience when she went from Amsterdam to Zurich
Sleeper buses are a good way to travel across Europe(Image: Getty Images)
We’re always on the lookout for cheap travel, given the fact we’re still in a cost of living crisis. Recently a woman travelled from the UK to Spain without flying and left everyone surprised by the total cost.
Claire’s Footsteps is known for her travel content where she shares low-budget alternatives for holidays. And after she trekked from London to Malaga without stepping foot on a flight, she decided to take things to another level by boarding Europe’s first sleeper bus. Now we know what you’re thinking – a sleeper bus surely can’t be that comfortable, well you’ll be surprised. Claire rode the bus from the Netherlands to Switzerland where she enjoyed complimentary Wi-Fi and a full reclined sleep for a decent snooze.
The traveller recently posted a video on her Instagram and TikTok pages to give viewers a genuine insight into what the trip is really like.
Inside Europe’s First Lie-Flat Sleeper Bus Experience
Travelling from Amsterdam to Zurich overnight can set you back between €29 and €160+ (roughly £25 to £136) per person one-way, depending on your chosen level of comfort.
The direct ÖBB Nightjet (train NJ402/NJ403) leaves Amsterdam Central at around 20:30 and pulls into Zurich HB the following morning at 08:20.
In the clip, she began: “I’m about to take this business class lie flat sleeper bus from Amsterdam to Zurich. This is the Twilighter Europe’s first sleeper bus with seats that you can fully recline and get a good night’s sleep on.”
Describing the journey in detail, Claire continued: “I boarded the coach and we headed south through to Netherlands, I was given a bag with my bedding and had a look at the seat functions which had tray tables and charging facilities.
“Downstairs there’s a toilet and a separate changing room with atmosphere lighting and luxury soap, plus a snack bar with free tea and coffee.
“There is also complimentary Wi-Fi which stayed strong throughout my whole journey. I headed back to my seat to make my bed up for the night, all you need to do here is press two buttons to fully recline.”
Claire finally settled in and stretched out flat on the bus, ready to enjoy a decent night’s sleep. She said your seatbelts must remain fastened through your entire sleep and there’s a bag specifically for your feet to stay secured.
Affordable Eco-Friendly Travel: The Final Verdict
Then after catching up on some sleep, Claire woke up to find herself in Switzerland.
She continued: “I woke up in Switzerland and headed back downstairs to refresh and grab a coffee and all too soon we arrived in Zurich and it was time to disembark.”
Concluding her post, Claire issued an honest verdict about the trip and scored it a 9.5 out of 10.
In the comments section, people rushed to ask her for the guide on the adventure, while others said it was “amazing” and “looked great”.
Someone was intrigued by the bathroom situation as a person queried: “Was the toilet clean and do you have to queue up?” To the person’s surprise, Claire said the loo was spotless with “no queues”.
In terms of the sleeping situation, Claire “slept well throughout”.