Travel with Flixbus

FlixBus is a German company specialising in passenger bus transport. Since its launch in 2013 and expansion to France in 2015, FlixBus has gone from strength to strength and now covers over 2,500 destinations across France and Europe . FlixBus's recognisable green coaches combine comfort with low-cost travel .

The company's success enabled it to acquire two well-established passenger transport companies: Eurolines, Europe's leading long-distance passenger bus company, and Isilines, with its extensive network of regular long-distance intercity bus services.

Planning your next trip? Compare journey times and book your Flixbus bus ticket on SNCF Connect's website or app.

The FlixBus service

The main routes and connections

FlixBus's strength lies in its extensive long-distance bus network, covering various regions of mainland France and numerous European countries. You can now book a FlixBus ticket for coaches leaving from 120 major French towns. The service not only covers mainland France but also neighbouring countries including Italy, Spain, Belgium and Switzerland.

FlixBus timetables

A big plus with FlixBus coaches is the huge choice of connections and travel times. Coaches run to and from Paris, Bordeaux, Lille, Lyon, Marseille as well as European capitals such as Brussels, London, Milan, and Barcelona, each with a wide choice of departure and arrival times. To quickly consult the different timetables, check out the SNCF Connect website or download the app.

Plus FlixBus's run both day and night. No need to fork out for a hotel, a faster journey due to less traffic, fewer stops along the way... overnight buses are perfect for long, low-cost journeys especially if you're heading abroad.

You can book an overnight FlixBus ticket for coaches leaving from over 50 French cities. Reap the benefits of overnight travel to Germany, Italy, Switzerland or Luxembourg and enjoy all the mod cons of FlixBus's comfy coaches.

Online booking

Booking FlixBus tickets is a cinch, so you can travel freely from all over France and Europe. For a holiday, a weekend getaway or a last-minute journey, you'll find numerous bus stations with coaches to a host of destinations in France and across Europe.

SNCF Connect is more than just train travel: you can also book your FlixBus ticket on the SNCF Connect app or website . Buying a FlixBus ticket for all connections couldn't be easier.

To book your ticket and see all the routes, just enter your departure town or city, the destination, and the date you wish to travel. You can then select the coach that suits your timing (and budget) and pay online. You'll be able to access your ticket via the SNCF Connect app.

Services available on FlixBus coaches

Choice of seat

FlixBus coaches have a range of on-board services to ensure a comfy journey . You'll find a choice of seats on FlixBus coaches:

• Classic: choose a window or aisle seat;
• Table, located on the lower deck of double-decker coaches: these seats have a small table perfect for using your laptop or playing cards with your fellow passengers;
• Panorama, a front-row seat on the upper deck, so you can admire the scenery;
• Front seat, towards the front of the bus for a better view

You can book a specific seat on the FlixBus website.

Other on-board services

FlixBus coaches come with on-board services and facilities to ensure you have a comfy trip , including long journeys:

• Free Wi-Fi connection during your journey;
• FlixBus coaches are spacious, with plenty of legroom, so you can recline your seat if you like;
• The coaches have sockets for recharging devices;
• Each bus has a fully-equipped toilet.

Luggage policy

Before booking your FlixBus ticket, please consult the transport company's luggage policy. You can take 2 pieces of luggage on a FlixBus: one piece of hand luggage and one piece of hold luggage.

• Hand luggage must be small (30 cm x 18 cm x 42 cm) so it fits under your seat or in the overhead compartment. We recommend you pack any valuables in your hand luggage. Hand luggage mustn't weigh more than 7 kg.
• The maximum hold luggage size is 50 cm x 30 cm x 80 cm and can weigh up to 20 kg. The driver can help you put it in the hold before departure.

To make life easier, we recommend you label your luggage (name, address and phone number).

If you wish, you can take one piece of extra luggage (80 cm x 50 cm x 30 cm in size, maximum weight 20 kg). You can also take a special piece of luggage (maximum circumference 240cm, maximum weight 30kg). You can add the extra luggage or special luggage option when you book on the FlixBus website.

Travelling with children

If you are travelling with a child under 3, they must be in an approved car seat, adapted to their height and weight, and secured using a 2-point seatbelt. You must bring your own car seat and seatbelt adapter.

Children under 16 must travel with an adult.

Travelling with a bike, pushchair or pet

Bikes are allowed on most journeys (e-bikes are not permitted). Pushchairs can be stored in the hold free of charge and are classed as special baggage: once you've booked your coach ticket, please contact Flixbus customer service at least 48 hours before departure to check in your pushchair.

However, pets (except guide dogs and service animals) are not allowed on board.

Cancellation and rescheduling policy

FlixBus is pretty flexible if you need to cancel or change your booking, which can be done online up to 15 minutes before your departure . Please note, however, that the refund amount depends on when you cancel:

• FlixBus tickets cancelled over 30 days before departure will be fully refunded.
• If you cancel between 29 and 7 days before departure, you will be refunded 75% of the ticket price.
• Between 6 and 2 days before departure, you will be refunded 50% of the ticket price.
• For cancellations within 48 hours of departure, you will be refunded 25% of the ticket price.

FlixBus optional extras are non-refundable.

You can change the ticket's details (passenger name, contact details) at any time, free of charge. However, you can't directly exchange FlixBus tickets. If you wish to change your ticket, you must cancel your booking and purchase another ticket.

If your departure is delayed, the transport company will send you a text message with an estimate of the length of the delay. If the delay exceeds 120 minutes or if the transport company cancels the bus, you will be fully refunded within 14 days, or receive a free ticket for another bus for an identical journey, depending on what you prefer.

FlixBus low-cost tickets

Purchase cheap bus tickets on SNCF Connect. Follow these tips to get low-cost FlixBus tickets.

Buy your bus ticket as far in advance as possible

To get the lowest fares for your FlixBus bus ticket, we recommended you book well ahead. Bus tickets go on sale several months in advance. Regardless of what you do, FlixBus is known for its low fares, making budget-friendly travel available to everyone.

Compare timetables

Comparing prices according to journey times can also save you a lot of money. You can compare the various FlixBus bus routes on SNCF Connect. There are several buses a day on most routes. Choose the cheapest route according to the various timetables.

Overnight travel

Using night buses makes travelling even cheaper. Some coaches run overnight, so you can sleep on the bus and not pay for a hotel: a cheaper alternative way to travel.

The main French railway stations served by FlixBus

FlixBus coaches stop by the main French railway stations so you can easily reach your final destination. Most long-distance coaches stop at bus stations that are a stone's throw from railway stations. So you can easily hop on a train and then a coach (or vice versa) to reach your destination. 
The biggest bus stations in France are located next to or opposite SNCF railway stations. This includes Lyon-Perrache, Marseille Saint Charles, Bordeaux Saint-Jean and Lille Europe. Paris-Bercy bus station is close to Paris-Bercy-Bourgogne-Pays d'Auvergne, Paris Austerlitz and Paris Gare de Lyon railway stations.

The main French airports served by FlixBus

FlixBus coaches are also a practical option if you're flying from a major French airport . Some stop at airports to save you time and avoid extra connections. So no need to take taxi or sort out a car to get you to the airport.

FlixBus coaches go to Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle airport, the capital main's airport and international hub, all year round. The transport company's long-distance coaches leave from Platform G at the airport's bus station and head to various parts of France and Europe.

Paris-Orly airport is also close to central Paris, perfect for visiting its major landmarks and cultural highlights. FlixBus coaches also stop at the airport - just head to the P4C car park. 
FlixBus stops at the bus station at Lyon-Saint-Exupéry airport , the gateway to the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. The coaches stop at Terminal 1 (level 0) and can be found on Platforms 3 to 7.

Other major French airports served by FlixBus include Marseille-Provence Airport and EuroAirportBasel-Mulhouse-Freiburg, two major connection hubs in southern and northern France. Coaches stop at Marseille-Provence airport bus station (Platform 10) and on the French side of EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg (Level 2).