Bus France

Travelling by bus in France wasn’t nearly as popular as it is today. Just several years ago, long-distance and inter-urban transportation was basically non-existent. Majority of these long-distance buses were just passing through the country and continuing to other European destinations. In 2015, a state law nicknamed the Macron Law was voted. The law liberalized coach travel in France, allowing other bus companies to start operating intercity routes. Based on the recent data, passenger travel by coach in France keeps increasing each year. Public transportation in larger cities is also well-developed, as are buses from the airports and bus tours.

Intercity buses in France

As mentioned above, liberalization of the bus market in France allowed new, smaller bus companies to start operating long-distance routes. Before 2015, the majority of passengers used state-owned railway company SNCF for inter-regional transportation. However, bus travel on these distances is a cheaper and faster alternative. That is why more and more people use coach travel in the country. 

There are two main bus companies in France which serve the majority of intercity routes – Flixbus and BlaBlaBus. French subsidiary of Flixbus absorbed several smaller companies and their routes, such as Eurolines and Megabus. On the other hand, BlaBlaBus, formerly known as OuiBus and iDBUS, has partnered with Starshipper. 

According to the latest data, about 9 million people travel with intercity coaches in France, which is an increase of 26% when compared to the previous year. This only proves that intercity travel in France is becoming more and more popular. 

Timetables and tickets

Timetable for intercity, regional and local buses can be easily found online. As an alternative, you could always get the information at the main bus station. COVID-19 pandemic has altered people’s behaviour regarding ticket purchase. To avoid physical contact, more and more French people buy tickets online. In some French regions, certain companies offering urban or suburban lines have implemented ticket purchase via SMS. Of course, each company has its own policy, so we recommend checking if this option is available. As for the ticket prices, there shouldn’t be major differences between buying a ticket online and at the bus station.

Domestic bus routes

Domestic bus routes in France can be divided into urban and interurban routes. Urban network is usually organized by each city or municipality, while interurban transport comprises bus routes between cities in different French regions. Generally, departures between larger cities are more frequent, while connections between smaller cities or villages are not that frequent. Below, we have listed some of the most popular domestic bus routes in France. If a specific route is not in the list, use our search form to find your desired combination.

Paris to Marseilles	Paris to Lyon	Paris to Toulouse
Paris to Nice	Paris to Bordeaux	Marseilles to Nice
Lyon to Marseilles	Lyon to Grenoble	Toulouse to Lourdes
Toulouse to Montpellier	Lille to Lyon	Bordeaux to Lyon
Bordeaux to Toulouse	Nantes to Bordeaux	Nantes to Rennes
Strasbourg to Paris	Reims to Paris	St. Malo to Mont Saint-Michel

International bus routes

Position of France allows it to be well-connected with other neighbouring countries. That is why the majority of international bus routes go to Spain, Italy, Germany and the countries of Benelux. Additionally, one of the most popular routes is the one connecting Paris with London, with several daily departures between two cities. Below we have listed some of the most popular international lines from French cities.

Paris to Amsterdam	Paris to London	Paris to Brussels
Paris to Berlin	Paris to Barcelona	Paris to Cologne
Paris to Liege	Lyon to Geneva	Lyon to Turin
Bordeaux to Madrid	Bordeaux to Barcelona	Lille to Brussels
Lille to Amsterdam	Marseilles to Zurich	Marseilles to Barcelona

Bus from the airports

Due to its size, France has dozens of airports where passengers can fly into. Depending on the airport and its location, passengers can choose between metro, trains or buses to reach the nearby cities. However, airport buses, often called navettes are sometimes easier and cheaper ways of transportation. Basically, the majority of French airports offer an airport shuttle to the city. In addition, these buses can connect airports with other nearby cities and destinations. Below are listed the most common airports in France, and you can read more about airport shuttles in each of the following posts.

Paris Airports	Bordeaux Airport	Lyon Airport
Marseilles Airport	Nice Airport	Nantes Airport
Toulouse Airport	Mulhouse Airport	Montpellier Airport

Bus companies in France

Being a popular country for tourists, France has dozens of bus companies operating in the country. Apart from the ones serving regional and intercity routes, there are a lot of French bus companies offering bus tours, airport transportation and trips to ski resorts. Usually companies combine regular transport with other services such as bus rental. Below we have listed some of the most popular bus companies in France.

30 Direct	Aéroport Beauvais Shuttle	Alsaca Airport Shuttle
Altibus	Andrade Voyages	Autocars Lozere
BeauvaisBus	BlaBlaBus	DMA Dupasquier
Eurolines	Flixbus France	Hello Shuttle
INTER 2000	Isilines	Keolis Sud Lorraine
Le Bus Direct	Magical Shuttle	Migratour
Nice Airport Xpress	Orain	Philippe Autocars
Resalp	RoissyBus	Sedibus
Starshipper	Transaltitude	Univers Cars
Vatry Express	Voyages Darbier	Voyages Gal
Zou

Bus stations in France

Similar to other larger European countries, bus stations in French cities are usually located in the city centre. Bigger cities like Paris or Lyon have multiple bus stations, while smaller cities usually have one. In either case, stations can be recognized by the sign saying Gare Routière, followed by the city name. Since 2015 and the expansion of intercity routes, some bus stations have been renovated to accommodate more buses. In larger cities, bus stations usually have amenities such as toilets, coffee bars, ATMs, kiosks and so on. To get more information, click on the city name below.

Paris	Marseilles	Lyon
Toulouse	Nice	Nantes
Montpellier	Strasbourg	Bordeaux
Lille	Annecy	Nancy

Hire a coach in France

Renting a bus in France should not be a hassle, as many bus companies offer this option, in addition to providing regular bus lines and bus tours. As expected, bus rental is centered around larger cities like Paris or Lyon. Moreover, you could rent a coach from other popular tourist destinations, especially in Côte d’Azur region and cities like Marseilles or Nice. Depending on the company, most buses are in decent condition and equipped with all the necessary amenities for longer trips. The majority of larger companies have dedicated English speaking staff to deal with bus charter, but it is often easier to let a travel agent handle the contact with a bus company. 

City buses in France

City buses in France operate at a local or regional level, serving larger French cities and their greater areas. Some of the public bus companies are subsidiaries of a larger group, while others are smaller, private companies. In about 30 cities in France, public transport is free of charge. In other cases, tickets for public buses can be bought at machines located in the bus stations, at local tobacco shops or on-board from the driver. Below are listed companies which provide public transportation in larger cities in France. To get more information, click on the name of each city.

Paris – RATP	Marseille – RTM	Lyon – TCL Syntral
Toulouse – Tisseo	Nice – Lines d’Azur	Nantes – TAN
Montpellier – TAM	Strasbourg – CTS	Bordeaux – TBM
Lille – Ilevia	Rennes – Star	Reims – Citura
St. Etienne – STAS	Toulon – Réseau Mistral	Le Havre – LIA
Grenoble – TAG	Dijon – Divia	Angers – Irigo

FAQ – Bus France

For bus companies

If you operate a French bus company and would like to be included in this list, you are more than welcome to contact us, we also can offer you the access to an easy platform for managing bus rentals in France.