We used a few methods of transportation on our most recent trip throughout Europe, one main one being Flixbus. Flixbus is Europes largest bus system, allowing for affordable and comfortable travel to 26 different countries. We used them 3 times to visit Brussels, Berlin, and Amsterdam!
Our first trip with Flixbus was from Amsterdam to Brussels. The booking process was very simple and self-explanatory.
As you can see from this sample itinerary, prices are very affordable! The ticket price also includes one piece of baggage, and one piece of hand luggage.
When you arrive at the departure location, you check in with the driver and he will scan your boarding pass. He will also ask for your passport if you are crossing country borders. I loved that Flixbus has a convenient app – we didn’t need to print our passes and could scan our tickets from our phones. The app even shows you the real-time location of your bus!
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Your baggage gets loaded underneath the bus, while you take your hand luggage on board with you. For our first 2 rides we had no issues with our baggage. (Second trip was a 5 hour leg from Prague – Berlin.) We had 2 large suitcases, 1 carry-on sized suitcase (which I counted as a hand luggage), and 2 backpacks. (My backpack was smaller, about the size of a purse.)
For our final trip, a 9 hour overnight ride from Berlin to Amsterdam, we had a very strict driver who said we were over our luggage limit. He counted by carry-on sized suitcase as a regular luggage instead of a carry-on due to the size, which didn’t occur to me before as the first 2 drivers never mentioned it. (He also counted my plastic bag of breakfast as an extra hand luggage, which was really silly.) Thankfully he still let us on as the bus wasn’t full, but apparently we were almost denied our bus ride as additional luggage CANNOT be paid for last minute! Longer routes may be more strict on their policies, but it all depends on the drivers.
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Once on board, you are free to sit anywhere you choose. Depending on the route, the bus may be a double decker! The seats recline quite a bit, and have pull-down tray tables like an airplane. There are also power outlets, air-conditioning, reading lights, usb plugs, and free wifi! The wifi was pretty slow, so I wouldn’t rely on it too much, but it was nice to have that option available. There is also a bathroom on board, and the option to buy snacks from the driver. We were quite pleased for all the little extra amenities.
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We really liked the efficiency of Flixbus. We departed right on schedule each time, the pickups and drop offs were quick, and roughly half the time there was enough room to sit by ourselves and get extra comfy – we liked that it wasn’t booked to the brim each trip. Overall our Flixbus journeys were quite comfortable, and we would definitely travel on Flixbus again – they provide such an affordable and easy way to get around Europe!
Flixbus graciously provided free codes for our usage during our trip throughout Europe. As always, all opinions are our own!
Stella Xatz
Hello,
Where you locate the carry on luggage?
Is it a place above the seat for specific dimensions that they ask?
My carry on luggage is little more long than the dimension they ask and I don’t know if someone will measure it or not?