Since the "Macron" law , promulgated on August 6, 2015, opened the long distance coach (more than 100 kilometers) to competition, low cost bus trips are popular. A hundred long-distance links have been created in the wake of the crisis, and there are 734 direct connections between France and France. Five bus companies are on the market: Ouibus (subsidiary of SNCF) , Isilines (French line) , Flixbus (German line) , Megabus (British line) and Starshipper (French regional grouping) . And according to a recent study, bus travel would be more economical than carpooling.

Travel by bus cheaper than carpooling

According to France Stratégie (a government agency), a bus trip costs 4.5 cents per kilometer compared to 6.2 cents per kilometer in carpooling and 11 cents for the train . It is logical, therefore, that a coach trip is cheaper than with another means of transport ... provided that the prices and schedules of the various companies are compared. Because, with the democratization of a new mode of transport, it is not uncommon for tariffs to make a big difference from one company and from one day to another. The magazine " 60 Million Consumers " compared prices: for example, a one-way ticket between Paris and Marseille can range from € 5 to € 69.50. Among the criteria taken into account in fixing the tariff: the day, the hour and the number of persons who have already booked their seats on board the bus. In other words, the fuller the bus, the higher the price. That's why it's better not to wait too long before booking your place ...

The conditions of reservation differ from one company to another

An impediment and you have to postpone your trip ? Pay attention to the conditions of exchange, refund or cancellation of tickets that change from one company to another. Good to know: if a bus trip is more than 2 hours late, the passenger must be able to continue his trip free of charge with another means of transport made available by the company. He is also entitled to demand the refund of the ticket. And if no solution is provided by the bus company, the customer can in addition claim a compensation corresponding to half the price. On the other hand, on a journey of less than 250 kilometers, the company is not obliged to reimburse the customer, it is at his will ...