Flixbus Review: The Ultimate Budget Friendly Way To Travel

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Overnight buses are the ultimate budget travel hack and this is the hill I will die on. Not only do you get to a new place in a really cost effective (and better for the environment) way but you also save money on a night of accommodation. I love getting a last full day in a place and then waking up in a new place ready to go out and explore. If you can’t tell I’m a massive fan! And there is one provider that I always choose above others – Flixbus!

You’ve probably seen the buses around – there the massive green ones! Flixbus offer very affordable bus tickets for over 3000 destinations in 40 different countries. When my sister and I were backpacking Italy we travelled almost exclusively on Flixbus’ and most of our tickets were only £3.50 each. Insane!

The Good

Cheap Fares

I don’t think I’ve ever paid more than £20 for a Flixbus ticket! The fares are cheap and when compared against other options often come out the cheapest.

Top tip: I use a site called BusBud to compare bus and train tickets. Saves tonnes of time when searching for the cheapest option online.

Amenities

Most of the Flixbus buses I’ve been on had plugs under the seat which is a fab amenity to have. They also had reading lights above the seats and a toilet on board. Makes an 18-hour overnight journey that little bit more comfortable.

Luggage

A Flixbus ticket automatically includes hand luggage and 2 “checked” bags (the ones that go under the bus) in your original price. No expensive luggage add ons here.

The Bad

They Outsource

Sometimes you’ll book a ticket through the Flixbus website and assume you’re booking a seat on one of their iconic neon green buses but sometimes they outsource the route to one of their partners. And from my experience there buses aren’t as nice. Think typically school coach.

Pick Up & Drop Off Locations Are Sometimes Random

The amount of times I’ve been dropped off on the side of a random road or have to wait for the bus on a specific street corner is insane! Flixbus seem to have a very odd way of picking these locations and it’s hard to know what you’re getting yourself into until you arrive. I remember one bus journey where I had to switch buses in Paris. From the coordinates and my google maps stalking it looked like a side of the road stop but when we got there we went down a tunnel to an underground bus station. I’ve learnt to just go with the flow when it comes to Flixbus and triple check I’m in the right place.

You Don’t Get Delay Updates

Probably the most annoying part of taking a Flixbus is that if the bus is delayed there is no way of you getting an update. You just have to wait and hope your bus turns up. I’ve never had a massive issue with this (~30 mins is probably the most I’ve had to wait) but I’ve heard some horror stories online.

Even with these few downsides the cost of the journey outweighs them for me – in my current phase of life. So I will continue to favour Flixbus when it comes to travelling between destinations.

Have you used Flixbus before? What are your thoughts?