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Yesterday we completed our second FlixBus trip, so I thought I’d share our experiences in case you’re considering using FlixBus on your Germany trip.
Here are the 2 trips we’ve now taken on FlixBus:
Trip 1: Hamburg to Berlin (last December, about 3+ hours)
Trip 2: Budapest to Belgrade yesterday (early November. about 6+ hours)
Price:
Reasonable, especially when booking in advance (we booked 1 week ahead for Hamburg to Berlin and 2 months ahead for Budapest to Belgrade).
Seat reservations:
For Hamburg to Berlin we paid extra to reserve the “panorama” seats in the front row. It was kinda nice to not have anyone sitting in front of us but since we were only on the Autobahn for most of the trip, it wasn’t especially scenic.
When I booked our Budapest to Belgrade tickets a few months ahead, seat reservations weren’t an option. But when I pulled up our tickets the night before travel, I noticed that there were a few seats still available to reserve. So I guess the option to reserve seats was made available after we bought out tickets but we didn’t get any notifications. Since we didn’t have seat reservations, we arrived at the bus station 45 minutes early, were the first on the bus, and got 2 seats together in the middle of the bus. When we boarded we were told we could only choose a seat in the second half of the bus.
You will get a seat on the bus but if you want to sit in the front half of the bus, want to ensure you sit together with your travel companion(s) or just don’t want to stress about where you’ll sit, I recommend getting a seat reservation. And check back if seat reservations aren’t available when you book your ticket.
Tickets:
Our tickets arrived via email but I also downloaded the app and could access them there. When we boarded the bus, our tickets were scanned.
Yesterday, while Aaron was stowing our luggage under the bus, I boarded so I could claim our seats. But when I showed our ticket to the driver, he told me that I couldn’t board without Aaron. Evidently, because I bought our tickets together, we were required to board together. Fortunately, Aaron got on the bus right then and we were both able to board.
Luggage:
We were allowed to each check 1 bag and bring 1 on the bus to store overhead. There’s an additional fee to bring more than that. We did have a small additional bag with our lunch in it and had no problem bringing that on the bus.
You’re responsible for getting your luggage on and off the bus. Our 2 larger bags went in the luggage storage compartment, and our smaller carry-on items (along with our coats) fit in the overhead storage area above our seats.
Comfort:
Seats are fairly comfortable and ok for shorter trips (like Hamburg to Berlin) but not great for longer trips like our Budapest to Belgrade trip. Fortunately, on our 6 hour trip yesterday we got out of the bus for 30-ish minutes when we stopped at the border to go through passport control and again at a rest area (which had toilets, snacks, drinks, and hot food opitons).
Safety:
Our drivers drove safely and each seat has a seat belt. I felt safe on both trips.
Overall, so far we’ve had good experiences with FlixBus. Not amazing…but solidly ok.
FlixBus Pros:
- Can be less expensive than trains, especially if you book in advance
- We left on time
- Both buses were direct so we didn’t worry about missing any connections
- Safe driving and friendly staff
- There was a power socket in every row, small tray tables, and wifi
- There was enough space in the overhead bin for my backpack
- There’s a toilet on board (neither of us have tried that out yet tho)
FlixBus Cons:
- You pay extra to reserve seats ahead of time
- It often takes longer than taking the train or driving
- Only 1 checked bag and 1 carry-on is included in your ticket
- Seats and leg room are ok but not spacious
- You can only get up and walk around if and when the bus stops for a break
- It’s not easy to keep an eye on luggage you stow in the luggage area
- Our bus arrived about 45 minutes late yesterday (but was on time when we went to Berlin)
- Our bus to Berlin dropped us at a bus station far from the city center
Personally, I prefer traveling by train because I like having more space and the ability to get up and walk around. I’ll take a high speed train via FlixBus any day.
But I strongly dislike being stuck in a small bus seat for hours on end…so you won’t ever hear me raving about FlixBus!
That said, I feel like both of our experiences were positive and I’d use them again for shorter trips.
