London to Paris by BUS for £29: What's Flixbus like?

Flixbus is a budget bus operator which has a popular London to Paris route. I decided to check it out and fire up some nostalgia - I'd last been on a bus on the Dover to Calais ferry as a schoolboy visiting the battlefields of France and Belgium! What did I make of it? Find out....
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0:00 Intro
0:27 Victoria Coach Station
1:55 Boarding and ticket details
3:28 London to Dover
6:20 DFDS Cote 'dOpale ferry Dover to Calais
9:27 Calais to Paris (and a loo review!)
11:12 Arrival at Paris-Bercy and conclusions!

[@Paul_Lucas]

(EDIT: all seems well now!) KZbin is having a great afternoon I see. I can see all your comments in my analytics - but they aren’t appearing here! They’re not stuck in spam, so it’s a mystery where they all are. Perhaps they are stuck on a Flixbus and will arrive later 😃 I’ll see what I can do to give the old KZbin machine a kick! Thanks always for your comments 🙌🏻

[@robertaries2974]

Do you copy?

[@MrGreatplum]

Same issue for me Paul. I can see comments but not any responses to the comments - helpful!

[@greenvilla7]

My main issue with traveling on buses is most are not designed to support additional crews to support the driver who should be seperated from the passengers to be able to focus on driving... and with the large number of passengers there has to be more bathrooms, but, to make a bus more accomodating they need to request these options from specialized coach fitters ... "You need to spend money to improve your postential profits and improve services". I would like for you to revisit Saud Arabia as a tourist ... since your last video there many improvements have occured with regards to transportation and support services using airplanes, trains and bus services. Atitudes with regards to welcoming people there is the mainstay.

[@dougaldouglas8842]

Have the same problem with some of mine, from time to time, and so annoying

[@craigcoopertowers]

i love taking the coach places you don't feel rushed and you can just chill. I am very tempted to do this in December always wanted to go to Paris especially at Christmas

[@repentbeforeitstoolate..8239]

It's over run by "the Religion of peace" . Don't you know .🙄🤦

[@didisinclair3605]

A great video. A bus really lets you see the countryside, and that can really add to a vacation!

[@sklenars]

I done a trip to Paris back in the 1960's. From memory it cost 7 pounds one way. It started with a bus from London Victoria bus station to Lydd airport in Kent. There you boarded a light plane for the channel hop to Beauvais airport in France. Went through customs, boarded another bus which brought you right into the centre of Paris. It was the swinging 60's and travel was still an adventure

[@lbunnygordon1133]

Yes did same in 80s lol

[@omarhuda4997]

Very impressive

[@FraserAtSea]

£29 is remarkable to travel between London and Paris - I didn't even know this route existed, so I've learned something new here!

[@John76125]

i once paid like £10 or cheaper on megabus

[@jamesrobinson9194]

I've had £29 Eurostar tickets in the past.

[@stanton1961]

They resumed not o log ago (after covid and Brext Passport problems) They also go to Amsterdam

[@FraserAtSea]

@@stanton1961 this is so good to know - I only live an hour outside of London, so I think I’ve just added to my ‘to do’ list!

[@abdenourmedjad7155]

How many hours ?

[@thetony5474]

If you want an adventure…try the Flix Bus from London to Warsaw 🥰

[@Rob_van_der_Linden]

Have done this quite a few times, always took the overnight buses from NL to London and back when it was still with Eurolines, saves a lot of time because you're moving when you're normally sleeping and save an extra hotel night because you arrive in the morning and can spend the whole day doing holiday stuff (after dropping luggage off at hotel). It's also that bit better atmospheric traveling at night, or at least imho :-)

[@luxpursuits]

You didn't shower for almost 1 1/2 days 😬

[@Rob_van_der_Linden]

@@luxpursuits There is something wrong with your calculations, but let me explain how it usually works, departure and arrival times may vary, but for this example I'll use a bus that leaves Rotterdam at 21:00, back then I lived like 10 minutes away from the pick up point, so what happened was I spend the day normally (sometimes work, sometimes I had the day off already) plus packing a suitcase, then around 19:30 I would take a shower and get ready to leave after that and leave the house around 20:40, anyhoo a few bus stops and a ferry ride later we arrive in London around 06:00 the next morning, after getting breakfast I usually find my way to the hotel to leave the big chunk of luggage and see If I can check in early, if I can't I'll take my camera and go do whatever and depending on how much I slept overnight at some time in the day I will get back to the hotel and check in, one of the first things I'll do then is have shower, lets just say by then it's around 15:00 so actually (not taking the hour time zone difference into account because right now it's too early for me to calculate that in) the time between the 2 showers was 13,5 hours, I would probably also have showered in the morning already on the day of departure, and even if I lived as far away as possible from the departure station inside NL it wouldn't take more than 3 hours extra, still well within 24 hours between showers :-)

[@krunk1989]

Until you have screaming children the whole way like i did on a return overnight trip from bruges to london

[@fgjsdfgjkl]

@@luxpursuits You stink so much that you can't stand not showering for 1.5 days? 😂 most people can just put on 48h deodorant and shower at the airbnb/hotel

[@thespicester]

That 'neighbour free' option is a game changer. I need to look at this for my next visit. Thanks for the video

[@davidz2690]

Yeah, was 4.50 eur last time I took one, but it was only eindhoven to amsterdam so a much shorter&cheaper route

[@kathyenright1625]

Paul this is my favorite vlog that you created. You made this trip look really fun and I can't wait to take this trip myself, enjoying the beautiful scenery. I am inspired!

[@mjh5437]

How can sitting on a bus for 5 hours be considered "fun"??

[@peterjaro6804]

The chance to book up seat next to you (for a small fee) will take away ALOT of the stress planning and waiting for the bus. Suddenly, any other amenities becomes less important. Very good FLEXIbus!!!

[@westregent66]

I actually like when you do reviews like this. I know traveling in as you call it "Posh" accommodations is more comfortable for you. But as a person who's trying to save some money when I travel I rarely go with posh. Great video keep up the great work 👍

[@kgmakogon]

There are clear pros and cons in taking a bus from the UK to France, thank you, Paul, for pointing them out. Anyway, there are distinct pros which were not mentioned, like, no airport security checks, or city centre to city centre travel. Also there are cons which can be mentioned, like, the possibility to get yourself into an unbranded replacement bus without wifi and charging points at your seat, as well as risk of getting stuck in traffic , since traffic jams just do happen. Paul was very lucky to avoid them, but one may never know. Overall, for 29 quid it"s unbeatable if you have plenty of time.

[@konni6694]

I wouldn't say it's unbeatable given airfare frequently starts from as little as 25£. Of course it's a case by case decision and could go either way depending on date and booking time but it's definitely out there (from Gatwick or Heathrow, that is).

[@mikesmith8313]

Unbranded ones are mixed bag, some are luxury coach replacements, other pros, cold water for 1:25c.

[@CalinFR]

@@konni6694how do you find those kind of airfares from Heathrow and Gatwick? I thought these fares fly only from the middle of nowhere like Stansted or Luton

[@andrasbiro844]

The airport and city public transport are also congested. One of the airports in Paris is 84 km from the city. There is always a charger, Wi-Fi unfortunately not always, but I have my own. No more time. Getting to and from the airport is 1.5-1.5 min, if you don't expect traffic jams. And even for a rapper, it is appropriate to arrive 2 hours earlier. with a package and 3. And the flight time is also 2 hours. Sum up! Willingly!

[@andrasbiro844]

you are stupid Getting to and from the airport by bus is also £30! Don't be stupid! Sum up!

[@paulabennett4788]

Used this so many times in 80's and 90's. Fantastic value and easy journey. Met lots of interesting people too. 💯💯💯👍👍👍

[@johnvsymons]

Thanks Paul for such an unexpected but thoroughly enjoyable vlog. It's not often that I get to watch a "bus review" and this was interesting and informative 👍🏻. All in all, I would certainly consider this method of travel if I was traveling at a leisurely pace and wanted to see more of the sights along the way. Take care and enjoy your week.

[@rickloduca394]

Love it! A nice surprise! A route I would consider if I was enjoying an extended stay abroad. Please keep ‘em coming!

[@Welsh_Girl_UK]

Really enjoyed this review!! Thanks Paul.

[@robbiemorrison7085]

I’d still pick Greggs over Pret!

[@tsrgoinc]

No Contest, Greggs all the Way!

[@djthfc6045]

Both are trash I can’t believe you guys can tolerate that stuff

[@nleak92]

100% greggs over pret!

[@class917]

Pret for sweet pastry and greggs for savoury

[@jpaulc441]

Pret has a more varied selection. I find Greggs to be slightly depressing.

[@tammypearson4500]

Absolutely enjoyed the opportunity to see Dover and Calais at roadside level. A decent option for those needing to be anywhere fast 👌

[@rowanmorgan457]

Thoroughly good fun Paul! Brings me back to my days of Aberdeen to Stirling and Durham to London!

[@crispyB]

A very nice report, Paul. Shows you exactly what to expect. Cheers!

[@Rocky-lh4od]

What a surprise yes a video off one of my favourite KZbinrs ❤ this was different paul but I still enjoyed it thank you very much for posting 🤜🤛

[@londonunnie]

I remember taking this bus 5 years ago 😅 Even though the driver stopped for a break, he didn't let people out at night. I had to help a grandma who was starting to hyperventilate. But otherwise it was such a unique experience and pretty comfortable journey!

[@KevinStones]

Thanks for the video as it was really helpful. I've often thought about the coach from London to Paris but wondered what was involved. The video was informative and a great help

[@davidwood62]

Brilliant video. Well filmed and edited. Merci mille fois...😊

[@TiJayFLY]

Honestly looks a lot more pleasant than I was expecting. Pret *and* Starbucks at Vic coach station these days, fancy. Also like that the coach was point to point, and didn’t stop in every minor town along the way.

[@peterkelly1406]

Major upgrade on what I experienced several times in '73 , 50 years ago I know. Makes me think I should feel so old , but I don't ! Then I would buy a ticket at Waterloo for five quid and take the train to Dover , then ferry to Calais and train to Gar de Nord ..... it also took all day but was heaps of fun for an Aussie 20 year old with a backpack ... On one trip I met a truck driver taking a load of beef from Ireland to Iran. He gave me a lift to Paris .... more fun than the train

[@rikkitikki922]

Good times. I remember school trips to France,Belgium and Germany taking a coach and ferry. Thanks for the nostalgia.

[@bagofnails6692]

The presentation style and content perfectly matched the type of journey that you took. Well done and thank you.

[@mrgarypaterson]

Great video, always wondered what the ferry part of the trip is like, the interior looks surprisingly modern and well laid out. I regularly take the flixbus and blablabus between Brussels and Paris, I haven't yet done the bus option and any trip to London usually involves onward journey to Scotland unless I'm staying over so it's a bit long. I do note that the difference between the bus and Eurostar pricing often isn't far and so rail is more appealing to me. At least on mainland Europe I've found the buses to be packed at full capacity and things like reservations go out of the window; people will argue with you if you try to take your allocated seat and often the driver doesn't want to get involved, so I never book these extras. Thanks for the video!

[@richardwilkinson77]

I never even realised that scheduled international bus routes existed. This was fascinating. I wouldn't mind trying the same trip for that price. Very reasonable.

[@barvdw]

Yes, there are! For decades, most well known bus lines ran under the Eurolines brand, but they were bought out by Flixbus. Other brands are BlaBlaBus (French), Megabus (UK), ALSA (mostly domestic Spanish connections, some international ones), Regiojet (Czech, strong presence in Eastern Europe with some buses to the West, mostly catering to the many Eastern and Central European migrant workers in the West), and some others.

[@bhojjadamotabanda]

There was even a London-Calcutta and London-Bombay bus service in the 1950s! International bus services are pretty normal around the world.

[@rapstninja]

@@barvdwmegabus is owned by flixbus and every international routes from megabus has been took over by flixbus

[@barvdw]

@@rapstninja even more consolidation, then, I missed that one.

[@rapstninja]

@@barvdw yeah it was recent

[@bernardstreedagh2216]

REALLY GOOD VIDEO. THANKS FOR CLEARLY EXPLAINING THE ESSENTIALS. APPRECIATE IT. TAKE CARE AND ALL THE BEST 😊

[@dospalmascb]

Interesting video Paul. Spotted a Flixbus up here in Northumberland the other day, never heard of them before. I was a coach driver for many years and having people in the seat right behind the diver can be a nightmare on a tour bus. People pay premiums to be able to sit and tell the driver how badly he’s driving lol. Love the idea of paying to be neighbour free. Interesting seeing a coach in the 3rd lane of a 3 lane motorway ( quite illegal). In all my years taking school groups to the EU I was fortunate never to have the rigmarole of disembarking all the kids at Dover, had it on the return at Eurotunnel, but that’s well organised. Makes me miss my driving days. Thanks for sharing Paul.

[@diannewi]

Well, I had no idea you could take a bus on this route. I'm another who wouldn't use this option, but it's nice to know it exists. Backpackers and OAPs who need to save every pound or euro might opt for this inexpensive method. Thanks for the video.

[@howardshepherdson2925]

Really enjoyed this Paul, a great review which made an interesting change.

[@jpn5105]

Good job Paul. Thanks for the review.

[@JohnDoe-hb2ge]

What a great video! I’d love more bus videos. There is so much appeal to slow scenic bus travel, but obviously a fair few downsides. I’m amazed the bus was so early though!

[@geoffpoole483]

On the plus side the buses leave from central London and the fares are low. The biggest drawback is the time factor. For those not bound by a tight schedule it's a good option. Probably best to expect the unexpected.

[@kevanhubbard9673]

I've done various ones from London to Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and the other way from Eindhoven to London.They aren't too bad once you buckle down to it.I mainly do them overnight as I'm generally going elsewhere at the other end so getting there in the early morning is quite advantageous for the onwards trip even if you are tired.

[@callums6454]

Great informative video, I used Flixbus a couple of months ago after my flight was cancelled from Brussels to Manchester. I got an overnight bus to Paris for a good few hours and had time to do 90% of the touristy stuff and back on the FlixBus from Paris Bercy to London Victoria. It was a bit stressful at first being my first “proper” solo travel but I’m glad I know of this company now! Not exactly what you would call a ‘sleep coach’ but oh my for the price I paid I certainly don’t have any complaints. If you’re looking for even a spontaneous trip somewhere on a budget, these are your people!

[@KEITHGEE1000]

Great report. Never knew this travel was available. Thanks, Paul!

[@sioniesmond]

I took Flixbus from Zagreb to Ljubljana in April. This was the green double decker style with the panorama seats on the upper deck. Power and Wifi (although neither worked) and free drinks from a machine in the middle of the bus. Not the best but couldn't fault the value, around £15 for the panorama seat and seat next to me.

[@martindavis6115]

Thanks for taking the time to put this together. I did this trip from Paris to London back in February 2020 (on Brexit day) and I sat in the same seat that you did. We went through the tunnel rather than on the ferry.

[@ryanfrisby7389]

What an interesting mode of transit, great video Paul!😸

[@DavidTothill]

Loved this and subscribed. Tasteful appropriate music tinkling away in the background added to the enjoyment ❤

[@Roger_Stenning]

I've used DFDS a few times over the last seven or so years, Newhaven - Dieppe and back; I've yet to have a bad experience with them. I've not used Flixbus, however for those prices, it's a damn good deal!

[@Clan501-Scotland]

I'll never forget a 14 hour megabus from Scotland to London in 2012. Middle of summer, every single seat taken and the air conditioning broken.

[@alastairgreen2077]

But at least you were escaping Scotland.

[@Clan501-Scotland]

@@alastairgreen2077 No mate I was just suprised how many black folk in England. Used to be a country so it did

[@jimbojimbo6873]

Indeed London has a lot of black people in comparison to anywhere else in the UK

[@Thewoodyrg]

@@Clan501-Scotland That's a comeback if I've ever seen one mate ahahaha, true say.

[@grandolp22]

Really awesome account of your bus ride. Thank you. Interesting stuff.

[@BGTuyau]

Interesting, informative and of practical value. Well-done!

[@CruisingColemans]

Not a bad journey for £29! I quite like a leisurely bus journey so this is a good option to keep prices down 👍🏻

[@fishgodeep204]

Cheaper to fly

[@SamJonesMediaHUD]

You can get flights for that price

[@The-Cat]

@@fishgodeep204 really ? what about the addition of environmental tax that are suposedly being added to flight tickets ?

[@iaincowell9747]

@@fishgodeep204 Yes, this whole thing is quite odd to me. Unless you have a fear of flying, 1 hour 20 minutes on flight or around 7 hours on a bus, no brainer

[@jjr1728]

@@iaincowell9747 but you can't smuggle your labrador on a plane

[@alighozi4709]

In Indonesia, for 9hr 30min journey, you have choices of bus classes. From standard seat with no leg rest, with leg rest, or even sleeper bus, equipped with blanket and pillow, just like on an airplane, Economy, Business, or First

[@jpaulc441]

I guess there are lots of boat ferries in Indonesia? Since it's a huge country with so many islands.

[@barvdw]

In Europe, the top segment is mostly on rails and in the air, but we have some fancier bus lines, too. Lux Express from the Baltics comes to mind.

[@healix123]

Vietnam is great for Sleeper buses ... You get slippers on entry, water and a wet wipe or similar.

[@asiaunikash3804]

I traveled in July with my 5 years old son. And I must say the trip was amazing. Night went fast and in the morning we was in Paris. Stuff was amazing and very helpful. Recommending 100%

[@dominikkwolczak3443]

Good review! It certainly reminded me of my school days when we used to drive to Europe, catching the ferry from Dover

[@susanw9630]

Enjoyed watching this for a nostalgia trip. As a student back in the late 70's / early 80''s I was a frequent user of the wonderful Magic Bus service to Paris. I would first have to travel south to London from Manchester. Victoria station looks to have come up in the world since I was last there. The whole trip was so cheap I could afford to go often, even on a now long extinct student grant (remember them?). Paris was wonderful back then and Sony Walkmans were new out. Walking round Paris with a Walkman on at night was the best feeling ever!

[@irampotter]

I took the Magic Bus to Cannes in the 80's, it was £5.00 one way, the only downside to it was a bunch of drunk lads who when we got off the ferry at Ostend, ( they couldn't go directly to France for some reason), decided to lock one of their mates in a steel luggage cage so we had to wait hours for someone to find the keys to get him out, other than that it was great.

[@susanw9630]

@@irampotter I wonder if you had to go to Ostend because the French fishermen were blocking the port? I had to get myself to Paris for a 6 month placement in 1980 as part of my degree course and because of such a blockade I had to fly to Paris instead which cost me an eyewatering sum of money and got me to the wrong side of Paris at the wrong end of the day for a young girl to be traversing the city alone. So I won't easily forget the French fishermen's tantrums.

[@andrineslife]

I took a flixbus from Kolding Denmark to Amsterdam, it was surprisingly easy although the cat in the seat behind me wasn't too happy and let it be known. I wouldn't want to do a connecting journey though since we were pretty delayed 😅

[@grahaigh]

Great video. Really useful. Thanks.

[@rezaalan3991]

Great trip. Finally you doing this coach trip report.

[@MrPlantPlant]

Flixbus tends to use local coach companies to charter a lot of these routes, rather than leasing the coaches. Usually both coach and driver is provided by the local company which might explain the lack of sockets and wifi. While Flixbus does set standards that these companies must adhere to, there's usually quite little in actual checks - hence why they get away with it.

[@barvdw]

Flixbus literally has one bus of their own, so they can legally operate as a bus company, but their bread and butter is actually the ticket platform that different operators can use. They have more in common with the Airbnbs and Ubers in this world than actual transport companies IMO.

[@Dosedmonkey]

Hence why it's so cheap haha

[@blasthisass777]

@@Dosedmonkey Megabus was cheaper before, used to find trips costing 1 - 5 euro from London to Amsterdam.

[@rogueuniversities6866]

Then it's the fault of Flixbus, which should carry out proper checks. After all, they're the ones advertising the Wifi etc.

[@stevedavis3828]

National Express use the same model.

[@fToo]

A few years ago I travelled with Flixbus from Belgium to London (via the tunnel) ... and the lovely British Border Force required us to take every single suitcase out of the hold (can't remember if we had to take them all through customs), and then reload them all. It added at least 45 minutes to the journey time. I swore I'd never do a cross channel bus trip ever again !

[@fToo]

To add insult to injury - as we stood on the tarmac for 45 minutes, we watched all the cars being waved through without so much as a single boot being opened up. Do smugglers really use buses that much?

[@randomg7748]

@@fToo yeah, the coach drivers tend to smuggle a lot of tobacco and ciggies themselves as they frequently enter and exit the border so most likely thats the reason

[@Sheba_316]

Thank you for this review. Will try this one day.

[@allisonandfamily]

Fab review Paul as ever👍🏻😊🇬🇧and nice for us at the less affluent end of the scale

[@horsenuts1831]

Happy memories. I used to do Paris to London, and London to Paris on the Eurolines buses back in the 1980s. I was travelling from the inner suburbs of Paris to Zone 2 of London, so it was almost like an extended internal bus service. Flying was simply out of the question then before budget airlines had been invented, so the bus was the best way. I was a lot slimmer, and far more flexible then (in my late teens), so I usually found a quiet spot on the floor with a mat and slept for most of the journey on the floor (usually on the floor in front of the rear seats). I think I would be too fat now to get in the gap. It used to cost about £9-11 each way (flying cost £60 each way before the cost of airport transfers).

[@malo66]

I don't understand how Eurolines disappeared and Flixbus came along instead!

[@sebinamuwanga]

In 2015, I took a Flixbus from Berlin to Munster (a 542 km 6-hour ride) and back to Berlin 5 days later. That was a great experience. In 2018, I bought a Flixbus ticket to enable me to travel from Munster to Arnhem. Guess what, the bus did not show up. I ended up taking the train. For the Berlin-Munster trip, the bus seats were comfy with descent leg-room and the German-speaking driver was pleasant. We made a 45-minute stop in Hannover for dinner and there was a driver change shortly thereafter. The second driver only spoke German as well. Would I take Flixbus again? Definitely yes. A cheap and decent way to tour and view Europe. One cannot get the sights and sounds of Europe when traveling by train.

[@Trainviking]

Brings back some memories, I took Europlines a lot when I was a kid. I recently made a trip-report where I departed from London Victoria railway station, however I couldn't leave it to show a bit of the Victoria Coach station. Great video! By the way, as far as I know flixbus doesn't have a lot of busses themselves, the busses are mainly being operated by contractors, however because a bus company needs to have busses, they do own some of course.

[@ventureglen1601]

Nice one Paul, quite different for you! Enjoyed it immensly, thanks

[@Nathan_A_RF]

I tried out this service for the first time as part of a longer trip I was taking from London to Prague. Not a great start when I got a text message saying "Your coach is delayed by 210 minutes". The coach was due to depart Victoria at 10:30 but left at 15:00 (I killed time at the London Transport Museum in between). To make matters worse it was a leased coach, so it had no WiFi or charging ports, similar to your journey. The M20 was smooth going despite Operation Brock being in force, but we still got to Dover even more behind schedule. Thankfully, passport check was done in 5 minutes, but still, by 19:00 - the original arrival time in Paris - we had only just left the UK on the ferry. So, driving through northern France at midnight, I had to call to change my connecting coach, and do the same for the 75 year old gentleman next to me who was having issues remembering his details. We arrived in Bercy Seine at around 03:00, and it was hardly a friendly atmosphere, more like a dingy basement crossed with a back alley. However, with my new connection at about 08:30, and despite the offer of cover for an 80 euro hotel (but no guarantee of a room), I thought with the possible 3 hour sleep I was going to get I may as well stay awake. Luckily, someone on the coach was also heading to Prague so they stayed with me as I napped for an hour on the solid stone bench. We were the first customers of the morning in a nearby patisserie. I had a much better sleep and journey on the connecting coach, but got into Prague also behind schedule (by 2 hours this time), arriving at 01:00. It was not fun trying to find a hotel I did not book (a friend did), in a city I've never been, in a country I've never been at 1am. Mercilessly, the journey back was *much* better.

[@sarahstrong7174]

Mercifully.

[@theroadtosunrise]

I took a bus from Belgrade, Serbia to Tirana, Albania with a switch in Podgorica, Montenegro. This was quite a ride. The night trip from Serbia to Montenegro went fine, but when I arrived in Podgorcia, things became funny. The bus I was supposed to take to Albania, was overbooked, so they had to bring in a mini bus to take us onwards. Once we had crossed the border over to Albania, any city we came to had huge traffic in and out. The driver had to be very professional and managed to skip several paths, but once we were stuck, we were very stuck. Once we came to Tirana, I had walked earlier since the driver spotted a taxi station so I could get to the Airport in time for my flight to Norway.

[@lawman198169]

I love your flight videos of course but as an American I really appreciate the bus and rail videos. Gives a nice glimpse into the differences

[@keithwhite1478]

Great vlog. You showed us some stuff not seen on other vlogs. I like your style of conversation. Thanks.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

I’ve heard of London to Paris by train and sea, but I’ve loved to have seen it covered by bus.

[@freakazoid4691]

I’d like to see you go on a trip through Europe on low budget alternatives like this. From northern Norway to southern Italy maybe? :)

[@hatem5664]

Amazing video ❤🤩 very helpful!thanks a lot 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[@movingshots]

Thanks for your sharing and very useful information.😀

[@GreatDude2008]

I did the same journey a few weeks ago but from Manchester to Paris. Nice coach swap at Cambridge, and not that many people on all the way to Paris. Coach drivers were brilliant as well! The only thing is that being over six foot and with someone reclining their chair into your legs, it’s not the vibe but for £35 I couldn’t scoff!

[@thaiyruvada8483]

Hi , do we need visa to visit paris?

[@harrychown6854]

Had to laugh at that sign on the back of the lorry that said "we don't go to the UK" to put off illegal immigrants jumping into the back, despite the fact that the lorry is literally filmed driving in the UK.

[@anusimon2005]

Thanks a lot ! You showed me the way to make my dream come true 👍🙏🙏

[@jpaleas]

I appreciate that you cover all forms of travel! I’ve always enjoyed “The scenic route”. And love the novelty of bus , ferry and price point! When roughing it goes smooth it can be a lot of fun !!! Says the guy that has a nervous breakdown if he has to fly in coach...🤣🤣🤣 Things are different when traveling by ground though and like you said , things we used to do when we were kids ❤️

[@DBMatze93]

Hey Paul, Flixbus does not operate buses at all. They just contract independent bus companies and require them to fulfill certain standards, like branding, wifi, legroom, charging ports and so on. Flixbus always claims to check the contracted companies regulary. But with a company as big as flixbus, I highly doubt that checking them all regulary is even possible in an effective manner. Flixbus (or to be excact Flixmobility) itself is operating the booking platforms, doing advertising and so on. Operating buses is non of their business :D PS: It's exactly the same with Flixtrain.

[@crrntvntsnthnlnftnsscmmnty]

There are definitely buses with FlixBus livery though, or at least there used to be.

[@jeb4198]

In the US Flixbus currently operates Greyhound services after purchasing them last year. No idea what they're going to do with that long-term, but it should be interesting to watch that develop. I think that's the only area where they actually own/operate the service, though.

[@DBMatze93]

@@crrntvntsnthnlnftnsscmmnty Yes, absolutely, you're right. Thats normally required by Flixbus. I just wanted to clarifie, that this doesn't mean that they operate the bus.

[@DBMatze93]

@@jeb4198 hey, thanks for this correction, didn't know that.

[@crrntvntsnthnlnftnsscmmnty]

@@DBMatze93 So I now gather. Interesting; there lots to be lots of driver changes at Ghent for the Brussels and onwards routes - curious how all that works.

[@torgeirbrandsnes1916]

Great vlog as always! First and last time I took the bus from the UK to Paris was in summer of 1986. I was in Brigthon on a EF summer school. DFDS is THE most expencive ferry company in Northern Europe. Prices in their restaurants costs more than a fancy restaurant in Oslo! The DKK to the NOK are 40% more. DFDS is no value for money if you ask me. I was forced to travel with them back in 2005. No bueno. Keep up your good work. Be safe!

[@johnburke5384]

Great video Paul as always ....Oh, I crossed the river Tamar by car last week beside Mr Brunel`s bridge and was reminded of your trip down to Par on the Royal Duchy, another great video !

[@andrewsaunders307]

Nice to see a different mode of transport from you 😊. I can no longer take buses, owing to my disabilities, but it was great to watch and hear the review anyway. See you next time!

[@RedGloworm]

Nice review! I had always wondered what a London-Paris coach is like. Although I managed to get a £44 Eurostar ticket back in April this year (by booking early and getting an early morning train) so I'm not sure if I'd go through this experience to save £15. Maybe if it was a little cheaper I'd be tempted.

[@spannaspinna]

I think I’d be going Eurostar lol

[@user-rm2kq7lu6x]

Honestly Eurostar is cheap enough though. Japanese bullet train is much more expensive so night bus is usually the best deal. For instance shinkansen cost you around 14,000 yen from Tokyo to Osaka while bus only cost 3000 yen.

[@garethludowich3768]

Boils down to time Vs money most of the time

[@jimbojimbo6873]

And who’s paying

[@gibsonms]

1:47 - the bus that left half an hour before you 9:15 - that same bus on your ferry

[@Paul_Lucas]

It could well be. Good spot!

[@blinkym21]

I could fly to South Africa in that time😳!, thank you though for the insight, its good to know options available out there💫

[@augustsky6248]

Informative video Thanks. Keep On Keeping On.

[@GeneralGayJay]

Would be interesting to see a night-bus option with, hopefully, lay-flat seats.

[@MinusMOD98]

I don't know if such seats even exist for landgoing transport vehicles. But what there is, is special touring coaches (i.e. for music bands). Such equipped buses could theoretically be used on overnight low-cost express coach routes, but it probably wouldn't be feasible. Tpp few seats to sell, which would make the beds even more expensive...

[@elscullens]

@@MinusMOD98 they have those in Japan. Not fully horizontal but serviceable. I took one from Kyoto to Tokyo in 1999. The new models: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kHOYmJehgciaZqM&ab_channel=moviefine

[@spannaspinna]

@@MinusMOD98 check out some of the sleeper o/nite buses in japan

[@hucklebucklin]

@@spannaspinna they have them in south america too (never been I saw a video on KZbin) and I think in the US too. But I dont think there is that much bus demand between the UK and France for it to work. It would be good if the bus was half empty everyone could just fold down their seats

[@kepckatherinec805]

The ferry ride was my favorite part. Price for the privacy of two adjacent seats-really good. And the 80+ minute early arrival was miraculous! But I agree with you, this means of travel wouldn’t be my first choice. Also, that bathroom! While on the ferry, the bus driver had plenty of time the check the loo and pop a full roll of TP into place. Not the best service.

[@kgmakogon]

the car hold must be free of non-seamen during the voyage, the driver was not supposed to stay with the bus.

[@MMMMAnal]

Is it really the bud drivers role to fill the TP? Curious.

[@charlieb2903]

It is definitely not a bathroom, and doesn't claim to be.

[@ohe4327]

comprehensive vlog thank you very much !!!

[@wdunn06]

Can't say I was expecting this Paul!

[@kevinmcmahon7336]

Paul if you ever get a chance you should try the MarcoPolo Explorer buses in South America. Pure luxury bus travel. Bus Fredes out of Buenos Aires or ETM bus on the Chiloe peninsula in Chile we’re our favourites. Great video as always 💪🏽

[@georgeamanor-boadu6771]

I recommend the KIA Grandbird buses. The seats are comparable to armchairs and seating is 3 abreast ; ie one double row aisle and a single seat aisle. Very good for long distances

[@allrounder7003]

Do they do London to Paris?

[@islamsharif3715]

I took the opposite trip (Paris to London) in 1983. I still have fond memories. Thanks for the video.

[@cathydando1495]

When I was in my teens, my friend moved to Paris. I always caught the coach over to visit about once a month, brilliant £🙌

[@Zoe-dr5ps]

I don't care how long it takes or the weather. As long as I can pee on that bus, I'm happy.

[@Rover2430]

Even better if the bus has a toilet!

[@Zoe-dr5ps]

@@Rover2430 Lol yeah peeing on seats Is no fun 😂😂😂

[@greenmachatea]

Wow. Excellent for ppl who love to enjoy new experiences and journeys.

[@anitapresnell6403]

That's so interesting! Aussie here, been to UK as a child always wondered about the crossing to France. Thanks for the journey 🙂

[@keegimarten]

I would never have imagined someone doing a tripreport about a bus ride :) But you've made it very well and an interesting watch definetly.

[@Jimmy-Mc]

Great video! When I took the bus from Luxembourg to London we did the train both ways, and the only amenities on the crossing were bathrooms. The bus was fantastic however. 19€ got you seatback entertainment, charging ports, and free hot drinks. Cold drinks and snacks could be purchased on-board or at rest stops. It was about a 9 hour journey in total.

[@evelynroadmedia9415]

I used Flixbus from Paris to Geneva, then Marsellie to Lyon about 5 days later, both was fine, although it was a little nerve tingling waited for them, but over all I found them good. The Paris to Geneva was especially as the spare driver/conductor was really nice and helpful, even when her English was limited and my French was much much worse, but that is only two journeys out of the hundreds a day they do.

[@nivedsk]

I have traveled same route back in 1986 when I was a student in London. Refreshing my memory ❤

[@robest334]

Saving this video for a watch later. This is very interesting.

[@domanibell8361]

Thank you so much for an enjoyable video. On the face of it, it looks like a long day, but not very much longer than flying (It has become a real nightmare). Drive to the airport, arrive at least 90 minutes before departure, queues and queues and more queues…Anyway, the ferry brings back memories. I used to travel from Ostend to Dover, a 4 hour trip! We used to enjoy every minute of it.