Do you like to travel but you are on a tight budget? Find out if FlixBus is a good option to travel around Europe without spending a fortune.
Since I moved to Asia one of the things that I miss more about Europe is how easy and cheap it’s to travel there: with Ryanair, you can fly between major cities for a few euros and, if time is not a priority, since 2013 there is another great option: FlixBus. FlixBus is a German company based in Munich that offers intercity coach service in various European countries (and in the United States).
Due to its low-cost prices, some of the competitors were not happy when Flixbus started operating in Italy and tried to stop it (like the Taxi drivers lobby did with Uber) but thankfully they didn’t succeed.
How does FlixBus work
Booking a ticket is very easy and it only takes a few minutes. Right now there are about 1200 different destinations in 24 countries and on this map you can see all the cities connected by Flixbus.
All major Western European cities are well connected and you can use the map to check all possible routes. Regarding Italy, the only two regions where there aren’t many routes are the two major islands: Sicily and Sardinia. Hopefully, in the future, there will be more buses. The Italian city with most connections is Milan.
Once you have chosen your departure city and destination, just click on book now to get to the next page.
From here you can choose the date, time and station of arrival, in case there is more than one in the city. Click “Book now” and continue with the payment. You can use both credit/debit cards and Paypal. One thing you have to remember is the luggage size limitation. Here’s what the site says:
Generally your ticket includes the free transportation of:
One item of hand baggage (max. 42 x 30 x 18 cm, max. 7kg)
1 travel baggage item (max. 80 x 50 x 30 cm (31.5 x 19.7 x 11.9 in), some deviations in dimensions allowed for max
If you want to travel during the night there are several night buses. They make fewer stops than day trips and therefore the trip will be much shorter. You’ll also save a night in the hotel, which is not bad.
Interflix: 5 cities for 99€
FlixBus is ideal for visiting European capitals such as Ljubljana in Slovenia.
The most interesting option in my opinion is called Interflix. It gives the possibility to travel between 5 European cities at a fixed price of 99€. The only limitations are that you can’t travel to the same city twice.
There is no shortage of options, though, as there are over 1200 destinations in 24 countries. As you have seen it’s very easy to book a ticket with FlixBus. This might be a great chance to visit Rome: one of my favorite cities.
Artsiom
I will also share my opinion about this “wonderfull company”!
I used the services of Flixbus when driving from Prague to Krakow. The trip was generally normal. But at the Katowice station, I got off the bus (to warm up). I came to the timetable where the bus was parked. And saw that it must leave a station at 6:30 p.m. It was 6:10 p.m. Time plays an important role here. I realized that I have time to go to the store at the train station. And when I got from there at 6:15 p.m., I saw that the bus was already gone! The driver does not matter about schedule and what you need to check the passengers! And left me in a strange city, without things or documents! But that’s okay, because this story has 3 stages! I even drew a separate conclusion at the end, for those who don’t want to read it all.
Stage two. When I got to Krakow, I went to the company’s office and told myself what had happened. The manager listened to me (by the way, it’s the only sane person in this story). He said the driver was at the bus station but already leaved. He called the driver and told them about the incident. And he said in response that it is terrible and that we will surely solve this problem. No!!! It was sarcasm. He laughed and said I’ll be in two days. Besides, Krakow for me is also a city in which I have nothing and also no acquaintances!
Level three. I wrought a letter to support. They didn’t care either. And my letter went unanswered for almost 2 days. Later, I also wrote to the company’s manager in a live chat. He checked and replied that my application and the truth were received and of course we will answer it as soon as possible. I must say that more than a week has passed and “as soon as possible” has not come !! I. E. to my application so far and has not responded. I also had to stay another day because the second manager in the office refused to call the colleague and check the information when I returned. He made me wait another day. And it turned out he was wrong.
When I wrote to the company for the second time, I promised the manager that if my application is not answered in 2 days, I will write on all platforms where I can find Flixbus company. But that didn’t embarrass him either. And my parents taught me that promises must be kept. Fortunately for the company, I only know 4 languages and I don’t have a lot of time. But a promise is a promise.
Result: I lost 3 days with no things and no documents in a strange city, the driver even made fun of this fact, the company’s managers are not interested in such cases (attention, there was an adequate manager in the story).
Fabio Nodari
Thanks for your feedback. It’s always good to hear both positive and negative experiences.
hadil
thank you very nice
Fabio Nodari
My pleasure!