miss direct
misfungled
Has anybody used this coach service in the UK? Just bought a ticket to get me down to London. It was extremely cheap and I am wondering what the catch is.
Flixbus
- Thread starter miss direct
- Start date
farmerbarleymow
I'm Petee's spirit animal
Never heard of them but they seem to operate extensively across Europe.
Puddy_Tat
naturally fluffy
not used them, and as far as work is concerned, i'm more bus than coach (for various technical and legal reasons, you tend now to have coach operators and bus operators, with few that do both)
flixbus are relatively new (10 years or so) and are german based.
they have run coaches between the uk and the continent for some time, they were about to launch a uk network when the shit hit the fan last year, and have recently re-launched.
flixbus themselves don't own any coaches - it's a franchise thing with the individual coaches being owned by, and drivers employed by, coach operators around the UK (the national express network is largely on the same basis although NX do own some coaches themselves) so the coaches and drivers will be UK licensed / tested.
The 99p fares are a loss leader and there will probably only be a few available for each journey for people who book well in advance before higher fares kick in - pretty much how stagecoach's megabus has worked since it started. If you are fairly flexible about when to travel and can nail your plans down well in advance then it's a reasonable deal. the catch is that if your plans change, it's probably not refundable and you'd probably have to pay a higher fare if you want to travel tomorrow rather than book weeks in advance.
flixbus are relatively new (10 years or so) and are german based.
they have run coaches between the uk and the continent for some time, they were about to launch a uk network when the shit hit the fan last year, and have recently re-launched.
flixbus themselves don't own any coaches - it's a franchise thing with the individual coaches being owned by, and drivers employed by, coach operators around the UK (the national express network is largely on the same basis although NX do own some coaches themselves) so the coaches and drivers will be UK licensed / tested.
The 99p fares are a loss leader and there will probably only be a few available for each journey for people who book well in advance before higher fares kick in - pretty much how stagecoach's megabus has worked since it started. If you are fairly flexible about when to travel and can nail your plans down well in advance then it's a reasonable deal. the catch is that if your plans change, it's probably not refundable and you'd probably have to pay a higher fare if you want to travel tomorrow rather than book weeks in advance.
miss direct
misfungled
Mine was £2 and half of that was the booking fee..Guess I'll find out in a few days.
Puddy_Tat
naturally fluffy
how was it?
Shipshape and FLiXBUS fashion … to Bristol
has an article on Flixbus today (the writer, now retired, was the MD of a fairly large bus company)
also mentions that national express are doing similar deals where they are competing
Shipshape and FLiXBUS fashion … to Bristol
has an article on Flixbus today (the writer, now retired, was the MD of a fairly large bus company)
also mentions that national express are doing similar deals where they are competing
miss direct
misfungled
Fine. Journey took an hour longer than expected, but that was due to traffic.
Puddy_Tat
naturally fluffy
unless there was a particular traffic cock-up, then sounds like they may have been a bit over-optimistic with their timetables. most places, buses are still hanging around at stops because there's less traffic on the road than before covid...
miss direct
misfungled
There was a big accident on the motorway, was nothing to do with the company.
Sasaferrato
Super Refuser!
I went from Edinburgh to London by coach in 2019, it was ten quid each way. Well twenty one way really, because I came back on the train. Another case of the brain issuing cheques that the body can't honour. 
cupid_stunt
Chief seagull hater & farmerbarleymow's nemesis.
I went from Edinburgh to London by coach in 2019, it was ten quid each way. Well twenty one way really, because I came back on the train. Another case of the brain issuing cheques that the body can't honour.
I remember you moaning about that coach trip, over a beer with spy & I.
Sasaferrato
Super Refuser!
I remember you moaning about that coach trip, over a beer with spy & I.
Aye, I expected to sleep didn't. Never again. Getting too old for long distance bus travel.
I've 'pencilled in' a visit to London this year. August/September time. I'll just have to see how the plague goes.
Mogden
I like tea
I've used Flixbus 4 times now and can report they're great. This weekend there was an unexpected diversion, ie sudden and not signposted, in London and the driver updated all passengers and apologised profusely. In the end we arrived 5 minutes early despite lots of hunting for a wide enough street he could turn down to get round the blockage.
There's not been many people on the coach, I've always had the seat next to me empty, and the seats recline decently and move a bit into the aisle as well. Even the back row seats recline! My cheapest journey so far has been £2.99 including a quid booking fee. Drivers seem to be previously disgruntled National Express drivers so know their stuff. Bloody good value all in all. On the right services I can get to London and back for the same price I get to work and back.
There's not been many people on the coach, I've always had the seat next to me empty, and the seats recline decently and move a bit into the aisle as well. Even the back row seats recline! My cheapest journey so far has been £2.99 including a quid booking fee. Drivers seem to be previously disgruntled National Express drivers so know their stuff. Bloody good value all in all. On the right services I can get to London and back for the same price I get to work and back.
Riklet
procrastinación
Lol fuck that if it's a special holiday post covid treat yourself to a rail pass!!