A sleeper bus is a type of specially adapted coach

Coach (vehicle)

A coach is a large motor vehicle, a type of bus, used for conveying passengers on excursions and on longer distance express coach scheduled transport between cities - or even between countries...

, often used to transport bands

Musical ensemble

A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...

 and their technician

Technician

A technician is a worker in a field of technology who is proficient in the relevant skills and techniques, with a relatively practical understanding of the theoretical principles. Experienced technicians in a specific tool domain typically have intermediate understanding of theory and expert...

s and road crew

Road crew

The road crew are the technicians or support personnel who travel with a band on tour, usually in sleeper buses, and handle every part of the concert productions except actually performing the music with the musicians...

 between cities and shows.

In Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

, these vehicles are full-sized coaches, but are only designed internally to carry between 8 and 18 passengers. There are always full galley

Galley (kitchen)

The galley is the compartment of a ship, train or aircraft where food is cooked and prepared. It can also refer to a land based kitchen on a naval base or a particular formed household kitchen.-Ship's kitchen:...

 facilities, comfortable lounges and bunk bed

Bunk bed

A bunk bed is a type of bed in which one bed frame is stacked on top of another. The nature of bunk beds allows two people to sleep in the same room while maximizing available floor space...

s to allow the passengers to eat, relax and sleep during the journey to the next gig

Gig (musical performance)

Gig is slang for a musical engagement in which musicians are hired. Originally coined in the 1920s by jazz musicians, the term, short for the word "engagement", now refers to any aspect of performing such as assisting with performance and attending musical performance...

 or concert

Concert

A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...

. These vehicles sometimes have blacked out or mirror

Mirror

A mirror is an object that reflects light or sound in a way that preserves much of its original quality prior to its contact with the mirror. Some mirrors also filter out some wavelengths, while preserving other wavelengths in the reflection...

ed windows, allowing passengers to see out, but preventing fans from peering in. They are well equipped, as the comfort of the passengers is paramount. DVD player

DVD player

A DVD player is a device that plays discs produced under both the DVD-Video and DVD-Audio technical standards, two different and incompatible standards. These devices were invented in 1997 and continue to thrive...

s, large screen plasma televisions

Plasma display

A plasma display panel is a type of flat panel display common to large TV displays or larger. They are called "plasma" displays because the technology utilizes small cells containing electrically charged ionized gases, or what are in essence chambers more commonly known as fluorescent...

, and game systems are now the norm, while some vehicles even have personal DVD players and screens in each bunk.

Well known bands such as Bon Jovi

Bon Jovi

Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...

 or U2

U2

U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...

 may use as many as seven or eight sleeper buses on their tours to accommodate the many road crew required. These bands rarely travel on the bus though; they use air transport or limousine

Limousine

A limousine is a luxury sedan or saloon car, especially one with a lengthened wheelbase or driven by a chauffeur. The chassis of a limousine may have been extended by the manufacturer or by an independent coachbuilder. These are called "stretch" limousines and are traditionally black or white....

s or a luxury splitter Tour Bus

Splitter Tour Bus

Splitter tour buses are specially converted vehicles commonly used by bands to travel on tour. Their principal defining feature is a bulkhead placed halfway down the vehicle, in front of which are situated seats for carrying passengers and behind which is an area for storing equipment...

, leaving their crew members to travel by bus. Smaller, less well known bands will usually travel on the bus along with their tech crew.

Sleeper coaches have come a long way since the old days when ex-National Express

National Express

National Express Coaches, more commonly known as National Express, is a brand and company, owned by the National Express Group, under which the majority of long distance bus and coach services in Great Britain are operated,...

 coaches were retired into sleeper coach use. Nowadays, the leading companies are buying new coaches, which after fitting out, cost over £350,000 ($630,000USD), though the rates for these coaches are not much more than conventional coaches.

Both in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 and the U.S., there has been an increase of expectations: TV and PlayStation

PlayStation

The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...

s in every bunk, 3G

3G

3G or 3rd generation mobile telecommunications is a generation of standards for mobile phones and mobile telecommunication services fulfilling the International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 specifications by the International Telecommunication Union...

 internet access, coffee machines, wide memory foam

Memory foam

Memory foam is polyurethane with additional chemicals increasing its viscosity and density. It is often referred to as "visco-elastic" polyurethane foam, or low-resilience polyurethane foam . Higher-density memory foam softens in reaction to body heat, allowing it to mold to a warm body in a few...

 mattress

Mattress

A mattress is a manufactured product to sleep or lie on, consisting of resilient materials and covered with an outer fabric or ticking. In the developed world it is typically part of a bed set and is placed upon a foundation....

es, decent air conditioning, etc.

Some travel companies have these as mobile hotels, taking tourists to locations where there is no hotel, or there are long distances overnight.

China

In Western China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

 and Central Asia

Central Asia

Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...

, Sleeper buses are commonly used to travel between remote cities and villages where there are no train lines. They are notoriously crowded, uncomfortable, and dangerous, but can present the adventurous traveler with a highly cost effective alternative to flying.

India

In India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

 these buses are used for inter city travel and are operated by private bus companies. They are operated between cities which are 6 hours to 10 hours apart by road. The journeys usually start late in the evening or at midnight and are scheduled so that most of the travel is at night. This service is a good alternative to trains, as seats in trains get booked well in advance. Also, these buses are seldom filled beyond capacity.

United Kingdom

Sleeper services, open to the general public, are known to have existed in the late 1920’s and early 1930’s. At least two such services operated, from London to Liverpool (The Albatross Sleeping Car) and London to Manchesteeer/Liverpool, run by a company called Land Liners Ltd. But the vogue passed, until 2011.

On August 2, 2011, the Stagecoach Group

Stagecoach Group

Stagecoach Group plc is an international transport group operating buses, trains, trams, express coaches and ferries. The group was founded in 1980 by the current chairman, Sir Brian Souter, his sister, Ann Gloag, and her former husband Robin...

 announced it was launching a new Sleeper coach service, open to the general public, using 'bendybuses'. This service is operated under the Megabus (United Kingdom)

Megabus (United Kingdom)

Megabus is a UK coach service operated by Stagecoach Group. It started in 2003 and as of February 2010 operated 19 UK coach routes serving 41 destinations in England, Scotland and Wales. Some services link with Megatrain services which are also operated by Stagecoach...

 brand, offering overnight travel on a budget.
These coaches will operate between the cities of Glasgow

Glasgow

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...

 and London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, leaving Glasgow at 23:15 and arriving in London at 07:20, and departing from London at 23.59 and arriving in Glasgow at 8:05.
In addition to normal seats, each passenger using the service will be offered a berth for the duration of the journey. Each of the berths, which are laid out in sets of three, with just a curtain for privacy, will be kitted out with a reading light, bedding, eye mask and toothbrush.

Trial journeys started on September 5, 2011. The service officially started on 21st October 2011.

Also known as

• Band bus
• Crew bus
• Entertainer bus
• Nightliner
• Nightrider
• Sleeper coach
• Tour Bus

External links

• "Sleeper Motor Coach Has Two Story Berths", January 1933, Popular Mechanics article and drawing on 1930s era sleeper coaches
• Band Bus information website
• UK sleeper bus services in the 1920/30's