The bus left Nantes this Saturday morning at 8:20 a.m., destination Brest on this line which left Grenoble the day before. A hell of a journey. But for its passengers, these low-cost buses have their advantages. Testimonials.
La marseillaise à pétanque 2022, 61st edition of the world –
Grenoble-Brest, one of the longest lines of the passenger carrier Flixbus: 1300 km. According to the figures provided by the company, it takes an average of 70 € for this journey.
The “low cost” coaches have their loyal customers. And newcomers are added to it during this period of departure on vacation. The price but also the comfort, air conditioning, WiFi, power outlets… are attracting more and more travellers.
+ 20% of customers compared to 2019, the last reference year for Flixbus which added 70 buses for this season. A total of 350 vehicles are criss-crossing the roads of France this summer on behalf of this coach journey specialist.
“We had a big demand this summerconfirms Charles Billiard, spokesperson for Flixbus France. We broke booking records in the second half of June for this summer. We are going to be at + 40% in July compared to June and reservations continue to flow.
Figures that Charles Billiard explains by the desire of the French to go on vacation after two years prevented by the Covid-19 epidemic. But not only.
“It’s an effect of inflation and particularly the rise in fuel prices, he adds. The French are looking for the most economical means of transport to travel. The individual car has become very very expensive. The train is also very expensive.
Bétule left Agen to come to Nantes where she took another bus in the direction of Quimper for a total of 86 €. A rate that she considers interesting.
Cheaper than the train, Hortense confirms but it is above all, she says, because she has not found a train seat to reach Quimper.
“The night journey allows you to cover great distances”, testifies Armand who also appreciates the fact that there is no change on his journey, unlike the train.
This aspect also attracted two young people who left Grenoble to reach Brest in 20 hours, “enjoy Brittany and the freshness”. The price difference was not that big with the SNCF. The fact of not having to make a change played a big part in their choice to take a direct bus.
–
For Jean-Marc, who had had the opportunity to cross France by car before, it was the fatigue of the journey that bothered him. “I had to sleep on the road, he said. I preferred to take a night bus which allowed me to leave later and arrive at the time I wanted.”
Jean-Marc had compared it with carpooling. The price was equivalent. However, it would have been necessary to add the hotel night on the course and the fatigue in addition.
At Flixbus, we assure that we have not passed on the increase in fuel on the journey. The company claims to have the most competitive tickets on the market. We also gladly highlight the ecological aspect. “We are a collective transport, we replace about 30 cars (by bus) on the roads, advances Charles Billiard.
–
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/elfinanciero/LNYJS5AKJJFKNEJQBG5RAY6JUM.jpeg "What are the symptoms and how long do they last? – The financial")