How to travel asleep on Europe’s first night bus with lie-flat seats

Buses with lie-flat beds are emerging as an enticing travel option in Europe.

Zurich, Basle, Luxembourg, Brussels and Amsterdam are in line to become among the first cities to see the arrival of a new era of overnight coach travel, news hub Travel Mole reports.

Swiss company Twiliner has announced that its first luxury night bus route will officially launch on November 14.

Twiliner’s mission is to make long-distance bus travel as comfortable - and nearly as sustainable - as rail journeys, while offering a greener alternative to short-haul flights.

The company says its service “closes the comfort gap in long-distance travel,” bringing airline business-class style to its buses.

Each double-decker bus will carry just 21 passengers (18 on the upper deck and three on the lower level).

This is compared to up to 80 seats for a normal cheap-and-cheerful coach service.

Seats (above) looking like those found in business class cabins in commercial aircraft. At the push of a button, they fully recline into flat beds.

Travellers can expect pillows, blankets, privacy screens, reading lights, USB ports, wifi and personal storage compartments.

Downstairs, passengers will find bathroom and changing facilities and a snack bar stocked with light refreshments.

Each guest will be allowed to bring one large suitcase (up to 23kg) and a small carry-on, with options to book extra space for bikes or sports equipment.

Sustainability is a major part of Twiliner’s identity. The buses will run on HVO diesel, a renewable fuel made from recycled fats and vegetable oils.

The company says the system cuts carbon emissions by up to 85% compared to flying and is on par with train travel in terms of sustainability.

The trips will, however, not be cheap: one-way fares start around €155 (about $AU270) to €250 depending on distance and season. But you will save on the cost of a hotel room overnight. 

The network will debut with one route: Zurich–Basle-Luxembourg-Brussels-Rotterdam-Amsterdam.

By the end of 2025, a second route between Zurich and Barcelona will be launched: Zurich–Berne-Girona-Barcelona.

Initially operating several times per week in December, Twiliner expects to offer daily departures by mid-2026.

Additional routes are already planned for 2026 with the aim of a total of 30 European destinations within the next three years. These would include cities such as Copenhagen, London, Paris, Berlin, Milan, Munich and Vienna.

“This is about redefining how people move across Europe at night,” said Twiliner CEO Samuel Keller. “You can rest, work, or simply sleep your way from one city to another - comfortably and sustainably.”

See https://www.twiliner.com/en/

Sofitel gets serious about sleep

Do you find it hard to sleep when you are in a strange bed, in unfamiliar surroundings and with unfamiliar air conditioning? 

Global hotel group Accor recently commissioned a scientific study analysing "The Art of Sleep". 

In 2003, the brand unveiled the Sofitel MyBed experience, a bed it describes as "the epitome of comfort". 

Now Sofitel has been aiming to better understand how travellers sleep, in order to help them sleep better and longer when they are in a hotel. 

The study was designed to minimise the notorious “first night effect,” which occurs when people sleep away from home.

In 2023, 45% of Sofitel's guests spent only one night in the brand's hotels making them especially prone to the first night effect. 

Results of the study were published in the Journal of Sleep Disorders & Therapy. 

On average, the subjects' sleep quality in the Sofitel Paris Arc de Triomphe room was 13.7% higher than at home. 

The subjects of the study slept an average of 65 minutes longer. 

“This study was invaluable for Sofitel because it gave us key data on our guests' sleep," said Nicolas Gronier, VP Global Marketing for Sofitel. 

"In late 2023, we started brainstorming on how we could apply the findings to our hotels across the world. We sought to give all our hotels clear guidelines and the opportunity to revamp their rooms and suites, to elevate the experience of all our travellers in the most personalised way possible.” 

Starting in July 2024, Sofitel will be phasing in new rituals in each of its hotels. 

The group already offers pillow menus and a pre-sleep herbal tea, but new offerings will include light meals formulated to help guests fall asleep quicker, bespoke treatment protocols, relaxing playlists curated specially for the brand's hotels, and precise lighting and temperature adjustments.

See sofitel.com

Snoozefest: Both pilots fell asleep

It's nice to have a snooze during a flight.

But probably best not to if you are the pilot and co-pilot.

Both dozed off at the same time, causing their Batik Air flight to veer off course, an Indonesia National Transportation Safety Committee report says.

It happened during a flight in January, from Kendari, Sulawesi, to Jakarta, the Travel Mole news portal reported.

There were 157 passengers and cabin crew onboard the flight.

The report said the pilots were both asleep at the same time for around 28 minutes - but the flight landed safely.

The captain took a rest leaving the co-pilot in charge.

He then "inadvertently fell asleep" with air traffic control unable to get a response from the cockpit.

“Several attempts to contact the plane had been made. None of the calls were responded to by the pilots,” the report stated.

Some time later the captain woke up with his co-pilot still asleep and realised the plane was off course. This was immediately rectified.

The pilot initially told air traffic control there had been a "problem" with communications 

Image: Anda Sacracut, Scop.io

How what we eat can affect how we sleep

The foods we eat can play a major role in the way we feel over the holidays, says a leading sleep nutrition expert.

With processed food (47%) and takeaway (38%) sitting at the top of the ‘go-to’ foods Australians consume when feeling stressed, Olivia Arezzolo has warned of the ripple effect diet can have on sleep and overall health when good nutrition goes out the window during stressful or busy periods.

New data from the global nutrition and food tracking app MyFitnessPal reveals that one in six (60%) Australians admit to sleep being the number one aspect in their lives impacted by stress.

Attempting to get more sleep was also listed as the biggest priority (42%) for Australians during stressful times.

50% of Aussies admitted they turn to sugary or high-fat snacks during late night hours at least once a week.

This could have negative consequences for sleep as respondents who did this were also more likely to state their sleep quality had worsened over the past year (40% compared to 20% average).

“Sleep is intrinsically linked to the food we eat, so it’s not surprising to see that sleep is suffering the most during busy and stressful times, such as the holidays,” says sleep expert Arezzolo, who has a Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology), Certificate in Sleep Psychology and a Diploma of Health Science (Nutritional Medicine).

 
“While it’s unrealistic to expect that the majority of Australians will completely cut comforting foods off their diet, knowing which snacks to incorporate and eat more of, can make a significant difference in getting a good night's rest.”

She has shared her five top snacks to encourage blissful sleep: kiwi fruit, banana and strawberry smoothie, a can of tuna or fatty fish, a handful of almonds, and sour cherry juice.

So I guess peanuts and pinot noir do not make the grade.

MyFitnessPal’s recently launched ‘Sleep’ app integration has been created to help users more easily keep track of how their food choices impact their sleep - giving them insights into their ‘wellness trifecta’ in one place.

By presenting users with sleep cycle information using data from connected sleep devices (such as Apple Watch or FitBit), alongside their food diary, users can see how their nutritional choices are impacting their sleep and overall well being.

Alongside its new sleep integration, MyFitnessPal is offering members a free ‘Eat Right, Sleep Tight’ plan that aims to help users break the cycle of exhaustion with a five-day plan that addresses meal timing, hydration, and a bedtime routine for a restful, restorative night’s sleep.

To learn more visit www.myfitnesspal.com.

Note: I have not tried this app and am not advocating it. 

Image: Serafima Trushnikova, Scop.io