Trivia - Bus routes which change countries

[Hbbz9392]

Hello. I had heard of the Innlandstrafikk line 120 (Kongsvinger, Norway-Charlottenberg Station, Sweden) and I was wondering if there is any other international bus lines? I would like to hear more of such lines.

 

[JonathanH]

Eupen to Aachen across the Belgium - German border used to be very useful in the days of 'Any Belgian Station' Eurostar tickets - https://www.letec.be/lines/L0014

 

[Bemined]

There are several cross-border lines between NL and DE. Arriva even has a special page on their website about which ticket can be used on which part of which line (which ironically seems to be available in Dutch only): https://www.arriva.nl/over-je-reis/...limburg/reizen-met-lijnen-re18-44-350-en-sb3/

 

[DanielB]

The most special ones are probably the 137 and 375 to Baarle-Nassau which cross the Dutch - Belgian border twice. Their predecessor 132 used to cross it four times. Some Belgian buses do the same, but I don't know the exact route numbers.

It being Baarle-Nassau/Hertog, I thought there were also stops where you cross a border by stepping off the bus.

 

[SeanG]

There is a bus from Buchs (Switzerland) - Fledkirch (Austria) via Vaduz (Leichtenstein)

 

[Gloster]

There is, I think, a service from Flensburg ZOB in Germany to Sønderborg in Denmark.

There used to be a service from Niebüll to Tønder that wandered around the villages as far as Süderlügum and then headed straight along the main road to Tønder. I had a police escort leaving Germany on one occasion that I caught this service. It was the first day of the holidays, but the Danish border control was checking everybody’s documents: the result was a queue several kilometres long back to Süderlügum. After a while the driver got on his ‘phone: a bit later a Polizei van turned up, turned round and then drove on the wrong side of the road to the border with the bus following behind. And nobody else tried to tag on.

There is also a bus from Breisach in Germany to Colmar in France: it looks as though it only does that section now. It used to be that some of the buses went on to the industrial area of Freiburg and, even longer ago, alternatively to Flensburg ZOB.

 

[danm14]

Dozens of them between Ireland and Northern Ireland - including Ulsterbus Route 270/271 which crosses the border ten times on its morning return journey from Belfast to Cavan and back.

 

[Hbbz9392]

The most special ones are probably the 137 and 375 to Baarle-Nassau which cross the Dutch - Belgian border twice. Their predecessor 132 used to cross it four times. Some Belgian buses do the same, but I don't know the exact route numbers.

It being Baarle-Nassau/Hertog, I thought there were also stops where you cross a border by stepping off the bus.

why did it cross the border four times?

 

[nwales58]

why did it cross the border four times?

Have a look at the border, eg

OpenStreetMap

OpenStreetMap is a map of the world, created by people like you and free to use under an open license.

www.openstreetmap.org

(OSM map of the area)
Some bus stops are in the Netherlands in one direction and Belgium in the other.

 

[JGurney]

I was wondering if there is any other international bus lines? I would like to hear more of such lines.

I have ridden on buses running between:

• Konstanz (Germany) and Kreuzlingen (Switzerland)
• Rimini (Italy) and San Marino (San Marino)
• St Louis (France) and St Johann (Switzerland)
• Huningue (France) and St Johann (Switzerland)
• Derry/Londonderry (UK) and Sligo (Irish Republic)

 

[Struner]

there’s flexbus, international scheduled services all over the place, including edinburgh-london

 

[higthomas]

Loads in the Basel area if you look at the map: https://www.bvb.ch/wp-content/bvb/Dokumente/Liniennetzplan/2019/TNW_Liniennetz2019.pdf

I presume same for places like Geneva, Monaco, etc

 

[Beebman]

The Linq Tunnel Bus connects Windsor, Ontario with Detroit, Michigan - link to website with schedules and fares:

https://thelinqtunnelbus.ca/

 

[stadler]

Hello. I had heard of the Innlandstrafikk line 120 (Kongsvinger, Norway-Charlottenberg Station, Sweden) and I was wondering if there is any other international bus lines? I would like to hear more of such lines.

There are actually two local bus routes that currently cross the Norway to Sweden border:

• 111 - Halden (NO) to Stromstad (SE)
(Operared by Sweden based Vasttrafik)

• 120 - Kongsvinger (NO) to Charlottenberg (SE)
(Operated by Norway based Innlandstrafikk)

The 120 is unique in being the only bus left in Sweden that accepts cash and also possibly the only bus in the world that only accepts foreign currency. You can only pay in NOK even for a Swedish domestic journey. They do not accept SEK even for a journey entirely within the Swedish borders.

Northern Ireland and the Republic Of Ireland have fifty bus routes that cross the border:

• 1A - Derry NI to Muff ROI (TL FM)
• 1B - Derry NI to Muff ROI (TL FM)
• 30 - Donegal ROI to Dublin ROI (BE)
• 32 - Letterkenny ROI to Dublin ROI (BE)
• 58 - Enniskillen NI to Belturbet ROI (TL UB)
• 58A - Enniskillen NI to Belturbet ROI (TL UB)
• 58D - Enniskillen NI to Belturbet ROI (TL UB)
• 58F - Enniskillen NI to Belturbet ROI (TL UB)
• 64 - Derry NI to Galway ROI (BE)
• 64B - Enniskillen NI to Belleek NI (TL UB) [no ROI stops]
• 64C - Enniskillen NI to Belleek NI (TL UB) [no ROI stops]
• 69B - Armagh NI to Castleblaney ROI (TL UB)
• 69C - Armagh NI to Castleblaney ROI (TL UB)
• 95 - Enniskillen NI to Clones ROI (TL UB)
• 95A - Enniskillen NI to Clones ROI (TL UB)
• 95E - Enniskillen NI to Clones ROI (TL UB)
• 95F - Enniskillen NI to Clones ROI (TL UB)
• 99 - Enniskillen NI to Belleek NI (TL UB) [no ROI stops]
• 99A - Enniskillen NI to Belleek NI (TL UB) [no ROI stops]
• 70 - Armagh NI to Monaghan ROI (TL UB)
• 70A - Armagh NI to Monaghan ROI (TL UB)
• 160 - Newry NI to Dundalk ROI (BE)
• 161 - Newry NI to Dundalk ROI (BE)
• 162 - Monaghan ROI to Dundalk ROI (BE) [no NI stops]
• 175A - Monagan ROI to Cavan ROI (BE) [no NI stops]
• 183 - Derry NI to Killea ROI (TL UB)
• 192 - Enniskillen NI to Swanlinbar ROI (TL UB)
• 192A - Enniskillen NI to Swanlinbar ROI (TL UB)
• 192B - Enniskillen NI to Swanlinbar ROI (TL UB)
• 194B - Enniskillen NI to Bundoran ROI (TL UB)
• 195A - Pettigo NI to Castlecaldwell NI (TL UB)
• 245 - Derry NI to Greencastle ROI (Local Link)
• 270 - Belfast NI to Monaghan ROI (TL GL)
• 270U - Belfast NI to Monaghan ROI (TL GL)
• 271 - Belfast NI to Cavan ROI (TL GL)
• 278 - Portrush NI to Monaghan ROI (TL GL)
• 288 - Derry NI to Ballybofey ROI (Local Link)
• 458 - Enniskillen NI to Ballina ROI (BE)
• 480 - Derry NI to Sligo ROI (BE)
• 487 - Strabane NI to Letterkenny ROI (BE)
• 489 - Strabane NI to Letterkenny ROI (BE)
• 494 - Strabane NI to Ballybofey ROI (BE)
• 705X - Derry NI to Belfast NI to Dublin ROI (Aircoach)
• 785 - Belfast NI to Dublin ROI (Dublin Express)
• 931 - Belfast NI to Derry NI to Bunbeg ROI (Gallagher)
• 932 - Anagaire ROI to Dublin ROI (McGinley)
• 933 - Moville ROI to Dublin ROI (McGinley)
• 952 - Derry NI to Carndonagh ROI (Local Link)
• 956 - Derry NI to Buncrana ROI (McGonagle)
• 957 - Derry NI to Greencastle ROI (Local Link)
• 976 - Derry NI to Buncrana ROI (McGonagle)
• X1 - Belfast NI to Dublin ROI (TL GL)
• X2 - Belfast NI to Dublin ROI (TL GL)
• X3 - Derry NI to Dublin ROI (TL GL)
• X4 - Derry NI to Dublin ROI (TL GL)
• X5 - Newry NI to Dublin ROI (TL GL)
• X32 - Letterkenny ROI to Dublin ROI (BE)

This border probably has one of the largest amount of cross border bus routes of any international border.

 

[Amalie]

why did it cross the border four times?

Baarle-Nassau/Hertog is a rather fascinating single town inside The Netherlands compromised of many Belgian enclaves (meaning pieces of land that belong to and are legally Belgian) and some Dutch enclaves inside those Belgian enclaves. Among other oddities it also includes a shared Belgian-Dutch police office.

There’s also Kerkrade in The Netherlands which has a street it shares with the German town of Herzogenrath (Nieuwestraat/Neustraße). So two busses of the same line going opposite directions would go past each while being in different countries.

But really, many border towns in the Schengen zone tend to have cross border busses.

 

[Hbbz9392]

The 120 is unique in being the only bus left in Sweden that accepts cash and also possibly the only bus in the world that only accepts foreign currency. You can only pay in NOK even for a Swedish domestic journey. They do not accept SEK even for a journey entirely within the Swedish borders.

that was how i heard about 120 actually! it was thanks to your thread.

 

[DanielB]

There’s also Kerkrade in The Netherlands which has a street it shares with the German town of Herzogenrath (Nieuwestraat/Neustraße). So two busses of the same line going opposite directions would go past each while being in different countries.

Didn't realize there are actually buses running through that street, but upon looking on Google Maps... it is served by both a German and a Dutch bus route in two directions. In one direction the German bus runs through the Netherlands, while in the other direction the Dutch bus runs through Germany.

In Dinxperlo in the Netherlands the German bus route C7 runs along the Heelweg (which is completely in the Netherlands). However the sidewalk on the south side of the road is in Germany, so there is a Dutch bus stop sign on the Dutch side and a German one on the German side. So when getting off a Bocholt-bound bus at this stop involves crossing a border.
(I once took this photo of a German bus in the Netherlands whilst I was standing in Germany)

 

[Bemined]

The busstation at Vaals is also an interesting case, it is served by both Dutch, Belgian and German buses.

 

[DanielB]

A complete list of cross-border buses in the Netherlands can be found here by the way. Another odd one is the neighboorhood bus from Zevenaar to Spijk which passes through Germany on the way.

 

[signed]

In Strasbourg, there is only one bus line running through the border to Kehl. N3 night bus. The day service being Tram Line D.

 

[Hbbz9392]

do any such route in eastern europe exist?

 

[stadler]

do any such route in eastern europe exist?

Route number 3 is a local town bus between Valga (Estonia) and Valka (Latvia) that crosses the border.

 

[Full Standing]

There's also the "MS" bus line from Saarbrücken (Germany) to Hombourg-Haut (France) via Forbach (France). It crosses the border between Germany and France three times: Going from Saarbrücken to Forbach, it enters France, but then further towards Hombourg-Haut, after leaving Forbach centre, the border with Germany is within close proximity to the main road to Hombourg (just a few metres away!) for a very short stretch. And here the bus actually leaves the main road, turns into a German side road, serves a bus stop there (Nassweiler Alte Schule), reverses, goes back onto the French main road, and continues to Hombourg.

The same is done for Saarbrücken-bound services in reverse.

Funnily, the Germany ticket as such is not valid on the MS bus line, but you can get a free supplementary ticket from Saarbrücken's bus operator's customer centre if you want to use the MS bus from Saarbrücken to Nassweiler or vice versa and hold a valid Germany ticket.

Link to the timetable (in French and German): https://saarvv.de/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Fahrplan-Moselle-Saar.pdf

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

Between France and Spain there are long distance coach routes, but very few local bus services that cross the border. Hendaye and Irun have a local service (15) that does a tour of the sububurbs in each. There a service between Oloron / Bedous and Canfranc that fills in the gap in the railway, but Cerbère to Portbou has nothing. Andorra has a comprehensive local bus service, but sadly none now cross over the border into France to connect with the railway.

 

[181]

do any such route in eastern europe exist?

There is or was a bus service between Zakopane (Poland) and Poprad (Slovakia), which is eastern Europe in the sense of former Communist countries, although I understand that the inhabitants of those countries prefer to be referred to as being in central Europe.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Andorra has a comprehensive local bus service, but sadly none now cross over the border into France to connect with the railway.

Sounds like there's a station in France that needs renaming then...!

In that neck of the woods, I wonder if there are any bus services that link the enclave of Llivia with the rest of Spain? They'd have to pass through France to do so.

 

[stadler]

Sounds like there's a station in France that needs renaming then...!

In that neck of the woods, I wonder if there are any bus services that link the enclave of Llivia with the rest of Spain? They'd have to pass through France to do so.

Yes there is a bus linking Llivia in Spain with La Seu D Urgell in Spain which runs four times a day in each direction. It passes through France on the way. It is run by ALSA and i think it is operated using coaches rather than buses.

The village of Os De Civis in Spain is also de facto exclave of Spain. It is physically connected to the rest of Spain but the only possible way to get to the rest of Spain by road is by going through Andorra. But as far as i can see it has no bus services.

 

[zero]

Bus INT runs between Gorizia Centrale station (IT) and Nova Gorica bus station (SLO) via the train station. I had assumed it was a longstanding route but it appears to have initially been a temporary route for 2025 when these towns were the European Capital of Culture.

When I took it at the start of the year I believe it was operated by Italian vehicles only. The automated stop announcements were programmed for Italian, so the Slovenian stop names were badly mangled. The operation has now been extended and the route is served by some Slovenian vehicles too. Apparently cash payment is possible on the Slovenian buses but only contactless payment is available on the Italian.


Büsingen am Hochrhein is served by Schaffhausen bus 25 which crosses the CH/DE border 4 times each trip, although according to Wikipedia the German exclave behaves in many ways as though it's in Switzerland.

 

[nwales58]

Many others come to mind.

Haparanda bus station is well known if you’ve tried to do Finland-Sweden by train, some but not all finnish buses to Tornio terminate across the border in Sweden. Further north, in summer one Rovaniemi-Kilpisjärvi daily used to continue to Tromsø (if the OP was excluding coach services the distinction isn’t straightforward as you have 5+ hour services making 50+ stops so local and long distance in one).

Frankfurt(Oder)-Slubice is hourly. A Görlitz town route pops over to Zgorzelec.

Around Varnsdorf there are Germany-Czechia-Germany buses.

and so on.

In the Alps Zernez-Livigno, Zernez-Mals, Mals-Landeck connects at Pfunds with the Scuol-Samnaun (so that goes Switzerland-Austria-Switzerland).

Gorizia-Nova Gorica is unusual, joint timetable but operated by one side in the morning then the other in the afternoon. Edit: was, see above

Trieste-Koper every hour or so.

 

[Beebman]

There's a scheduled minibus service across the FR/IT border linking Modane and Bardonecchia roughly every two hours (the fare is 3.70 EUR each way):

Overview (in French):
http://www.maurienne.fr/fr/il4-commerces,services_i6432739-navette-modane-bardonecchia.aspx

Timetable:
https://static.apidae-tourisme.com/...6/Modane+Bardo+turin+2026+maj+19+FEV+2026.jpg

It seems to be timed to connect with local trains between Bardonecchia and Torino.