Bus and coach travel in France

Bus and coach travel in France has long been considered an inconvenient travel option for longer journeys, however recent deregulation of the French bus and coach industry has now made coach travel a viable low-cost alternative to the rail network. Prior to 2011, bus and coach travel in France was restricted to regional bus services (with most French departments operating their own local bus network) and international coach services (with international coach services operated by established coach operators like Alsa and Eurolines). In 2011, restrictions on the French coach industry were loosened to allow international coach services to pick up domestic passengers (so a Paris–Amsterdam coach service could take passengers between Paris and Lille). Despite the loosening of regulations in France, the coach industry was tightly regulated until 10 August 2015 when the industry was liberalised allowing coach companies to offer domestic coach services on distances above 100km. If coach travel takes off in France like it did in Germany in 2013, after the German coach industry was deregulated, it is likely that bus and coach travel in France could boom with some industry insiders predicting an increase from around 110,000 passengers per year to around five million annual bus and coach passengers. It is now possible to travel throughout France cheaply with a network of local bus services as well as long-distance coach services linking major French towns and cities. You can search French long-distance and international coach services here:

Regional bus services

Many of France’s 100 departments operate their own rural bus services. Most towns also have their own local bus services that may link up with neighbouring towns. Local bus services are best for destinations that are not served by the rail network such as some places in Brittany, Normandy as well as services in Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur (PACA). There are also many bus services that exist to complement the rail network, which are run by SNCF, which also runs the French rail network; these bus services appear on train timetables. Regional bus services are cheap as they are priced to be an affordable option for daily travel for local residents who do not have access to their own car. Although fares vary from one department to another, most fares are only around one or two euro for a one-way trip. Departmental rural bus networks in France include:

Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur

Alpes-Maritimes

This department comprises much of the French Riviera and its hinterland, which is served by several bus companies although most lines are run by Lignes d’Azur, which incorporates both urban bus routes within Nice and longer-distance routes throughout the department. Symitam is a good place to start to see which bus company serves the area you want to travel in. Although Lignes d’Azur provides most bus services within the Alpes-Maritimes department, smaller companies like Envibus (which serves the region around Antibes), Sillages (which serves the Grasse region) and Zest (which serves Monaco and Menton) may have better coverage within a specific area.

Envibus
Network map of Envibus bus transport services in Alpes-Maritimes department in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur

Linge d’Azur
Network map of Linge d’Azur bus transport services in Nice and Alpes-Maritimes department in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur

Sillages
Network map of Sillages bus transport services in Alpes-Maritimes department in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur

Zest
Network maps of Zest bus transport services in Alpes-Maritimes department in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur

Other departments in Provence-Alpes-Côtes-d’Azur

Bouches-du-Rhône (Le Pilot)
Network map of local bus transport services in Bouches-du-Rhône department in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur

Var (Varlib)

If the department you want to travel in isn’t listed here, contact the Mairie, tourist information centre or that department’s Conseil Général for information on regional bus services.

Long-distance coach travel in France

Following the recent deregulation of the French coach industry, there are now several companies that offer cheap coach travel in France. Prices on some routes start as low as €1 (plus booking fee) although there are a limited number of cheap seats available on each service. However, even the more expensive tickets work out considerably cheaper than making the same journey by rail. Coach companies operating on domestic routes in France include Alsa, Isilines, Megabus, Meinfernbus, Ouibus and Starshipper. The three main domestic coach operators are Isilines, Ouibus and Starshipper; but international coach operators Alsa, Megabus and Meinfernbus also operate domestic coach services in France.

Alsa

Alsa is a large Spanish coach operator (owned by National Express in the UK) that has recently started running domestic coach services in France; however the company has been operating international coach services between France and Spain for many years. Alsa’s domestic coach routes in France include:

Bordeaux–Nantes–Rennes
Bordeaux–Tours–Paris
Bordeaux–Strasbourg
Bordeaux–Lyon
Toulouse–Montpellier–Marseilles–Nice
Marseilles–Lyon–Strasbourg

Alsa coaches’ Paris terminus is Gare Routière Gallini near Porte de Bagnolet. Alsa coach network map

Isilines

Isilines is the national long-distance coach service operated by the French multinational transport company Transdev. Isilines have a fleet of modern coaches with Wi-Fi and electrical outlets on board. Isilines domestic coach routes in France include:

Paris–Calais
Paris–Lyon
Paris–Nantes
Nice–Avignon
Toulouse–Lyon
Paris–St Brieuc
Nice–Bordeaux
Montpellier–Marseille
Bordeaux–Grenoble
Paris–Hendaye
Paris–Royan
Annecy–Marseille
Rennes–Grenoble
Brest–Nantes
Toulouse–Rennes
Paris–Strasbourg
Toulouse–Paris
Perpignan–Paris
Strasbourg–Lyon
Paris–Toulon

Isilines stops at both Gare Routière Gallini near Porte de Bagnolet and Terminal Jules Verne in Paris La Défense. Isilines coach network map

Flixbus

The German coach company Flixbus (which recently merged with Meinfernbus) operates some domestic routes in France including the following routes:

Avignon to Clermont-Ferrand, Lyon, Mulhouse, Nantes, Nice, Paris, Strasbourg, Toulon and Tours
Bordeaux to Aix-en-Provence, Biarritz, Cannes, Clermont-Ferrand, Grenoble, La Rochelle, Limoges, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Nantes, Narbonne, Nice, Nîmes, Paris, Perpignan, Poitiers, Rennes, Saint-Malo, Toulouse and Tours
Calais to Boulogne-sur-Mer, Dunkirk and Paris
Carcassonne to Biarritz, Bordeaux, Clermont-Ferrand, Grenoble, Montpellier, Toulon and Toulouse
Clermont-Ferrand to Aix-en-Provence, Bordeaux, Brest, Grenoble, Limoges, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Nantes, Paris, Quimper, Toulon, Toulouse and Tours
Dijon to Lyon, Metz, Montpellier, Mulhouse, Nancy, Paris and Strasbourg
Grenoble to Aix-en-Provence, Biarritz, Brest, Carcassonne, Le Havre, Marseille, Mulhouse, Nantes, Paris, Quimper, Rouen, Strasbourg, Toulouse and Tours
La Rochelle to Bordeaux, Nantes, Paris, Poitiers and Toulouse
Lille to Amiens, Caen, Le Mans, Lyon, Marseille, Nancy, Nantes, Paris, Rennes, Reims, Rouen, Strasbourg and Toulon
Limoges to Bordeaux, Clermont-Ferrand, Lyon, Nantes, Orléans, Paris, Poitiers and Toulouse
Lyon to Aix-en-Provence, Avignon, Biarritz, Bordeaux, Brest, Cannes, Carcassonne, Clermont-Ferrand, Dijon, Grenoble, Le Havre, Lille, Limoges, Marseille, Menton, Metz, Montpellier, Mulhouse, Nancy, Nantes, Nice, Nîmes, Paris, Quimper, Rouen, Strasbourg, Toulouse, Toulon and Tours
Marseille to Bordeaux, Cannes, Clermont-Ferrand, Grenoble, Lille, Lyon, Menton, Montpellier, Mulhouse, Nantes, Nice, Nîmes, Paris, Perpignan, Strasbourg, Toulouse and Tours
Montpellier to Aix-en-Provence, Biarritz, Bordeaux, Cannes, Carcassonne, Clermont-Ferrand, Dijon, Marseille, Metz, Lyon, Nancy, Nice, Nîmes, Paris, Perpignan, Toulon and Toulouse
Nancy to Lille, Lyon, Montpellier, Reims, Strasbourg
Nantes to Amiens, Aix-en-Provence, Avignon, Bordeaux, Brest, Caen, Clermont-Ferrand, Grenoble, La Rochelle, Lille, Limoges, Lyon, Marseille, Quimper, Paris, Poitiers, Rennes, Rouen, Toulon, Toulouse, Tours
Nice to Aix-en-Provence, Avignon, Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Mulhouse, Narbonne, Nîmes, Paris, Strasbourg, Toulouse and Toulon
Paris to Aix-en-Provence, Amiens, Avignon, Biarritz, Bordeaux, Brest, Caen, Calais, Cannes, Clermont-Ferrand, Dijon, Grenoble, La Rochelle, Le Havre, Le Mans, Lille, Limoges, Lyon, Marseille, Menton, Metz, Mont Saint-Michel, Montpellier, Mulhouse, Nantes, Nice, Nîmes, Orléans, Poitiers, Quimper, Reims, Rennes, Rouen, Saint-Malo, Strasbourg, Toulon, Toulouse and Tours
Reims to Lille, Metz, Nancy, Paris and Strasbourg
Rennes to Amiens, Bordeaux, Brest, Caen, Lille, Nantes, Paris, Rouen, Saint-Malo and Toulouse
Rouen to Amiens, Caen, Grenoble, Lille, Lyon, Nantes, Paris and Rennes
Strasbourg to Aix-en-Provence, Avignon, Dijon, Grenoble, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Metz, Mulhouse, Nice, Paris and Reims
Toulouse to Aix-en-Provence, Biarritz, Bordeaux, Cannes, Carcassonne, Clermont-Ferrand, Grenoble, La Rochelle, Limoges, Lyon, Montpellier, Nantes, Narbonne, Nice, Nîmes, Orléans, Paris, Perpignan, Poitiers Rennes, Saint-Malo and Toulon
Tours to Aix-en-Provence, Avignon, Biarritz, Bordeaux, Clermont-Ferrand, Grenoble, Lyon, Marseille, Metz, Paris, Poitiers and Toulon

Flixbus coaches depart from Boulevard Pershing near Porte Maillot in Paris.
Flixbus coach network map

Ouibus

Ouibus (formerly IDBUS) is a low-cost coach service that is run by SNCF (the French railway company) in a similar manner to its iDTGV and OUIGO rail services. Coaches are equipped with power outlets and Wi-Fi connectivity. Ouibus has coach services to most major cities in France as well as some international routes. Most Ouibus coaches depart from Gare Routière Bercy, near Gare de Lyon, in Paris.

Ouibus domestic coach services in France include the following routes:

Aix-en-Provence to Lyon, Montpellier, Nice and Perpignan
Avignon to Lyon, Paris and Toulon
Biarritz to Bordeaux and Toulouse
Bordeaux to Cannes, Clermont-Ferrand, La Rochelle, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Nantes, Nice, Orléans, Paris, Poitiers, Rennes, Strasbourg, Toulouse and Tours
Brest to Caen, Dijon, Le Mans, Limoges, Lyon, Nantes, Paris, Rennes, Strasbourg and Toulouse
Caen to Brest, Lille, Paris and Rennes
Cannes to Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier and Toulouse
Clermont-Ferrand to Bordeaux, Lyon, Orléans and Paris
Dijon to Brest, Grenoble, Lyon, Marseille, Metz, Nancy, Paris and Quimper
Grenoble to Dijon, Lille, Lyon and Paris
La Rochelle to Bordeaux, Nantes, Paris, Rennes and Tours
Le Mans to Lyon, Nantes, Paris and Rennes
Lille to Amiens, Brest, Calais, Grenoble, Le Mans, Lyon, Metz, Nancy, Paris, Quimper, Reims, Rennes and Strasbourg
Limoges to Brest, Paris, Quimper and Toulouse
Lyon to Aix-en-Provence, Avignon, Bordeaux, Cannes, Clermont-Ferrand, Dijon, Grenoble, Le Mans, Lille, Marseille, Metz, Montpellier, Mulhouse, Nancy, Nantes, Nice, Nîmes, Paris, Rennes, Strasbourg, Toulon and Toulouse
Marseille to Bordeaux, Cannes, Lyon, Montpellier, Nice, Nîmes, Paris, Perpignan and Toulouse
Metz to Dijon, Lille, Lyon, Paris, Reims, Rennes and Strasbourg
Montpellier to Aix-en-Provence, Bordeaux, Cannes, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Paris, Perpignan and Toulouse
Nancy to Dijon, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Paris, Reims, Rennes and Strasbourg
Nantes to Bordeaux, Brest, Grenoble, La Rochelle, Le Mans, Lyon, Metz, Paris, Quimper, Rennes and Saint-Malo
Nice to Aix-en-Provence, Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier and Toulouse
Nîmes to Aix-en-Provence, Bordeaux, Cannes, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Paris, Perpignan and Toulouse
Orléans to Bordeaux, Clermont-Ferrand, Paris, Poitiers and Tours
Paris to Amiens, Avignon, Bordeaux, Brest, Caen, Calais, Dijon, Grenoble, La Rochelle, Le Mans, Lille, Limoges, Lyon, Marseille, Metz, Montpellier, Nancy, Nantes, Nice, Orléans, Poitiers, Quimper, Reims, Strasbourg, Toulouse and Tours
Poitiers to Bordeaux, Orléans, Paris and Tours
Quimper to Brest, Dijon, Limoges, Lyon, Nantes, Paris, Rennes, Strasbourg and Toulouse
Reims to Lille, Metz, Nancy, Paris, Rennes and Strasbourg
Rennes to Bordeaux, Brest, Caen, La Rochelle, Le Mans, Lille, Nantes, Paris, Quimper and Tours
Rouen to Paris
Saint-Malo to Nantes and Paris
Strasbourg to Brest, Le Mans, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Metz, Mulhouse, Nancy, Nantes, Paris, Quimper, Reims and Rennes
Toulon to Avignon and Lyon
Tours to Bordeaux, La Rochelle, Orléans, Paris, Poitiers and Rennes

Ouibus coach network map

International coach services

Alsa

Alsa operate international coach services to Spain. Alsa routes to France include coach services from Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Nice, Paris, Rennes and Strasbourg to Barcelona and Madrid.

Eurolines

International Eurolines services connect Paris and over 90 other places in France to destinations throughout Europe with direct international services to Ireland, the UK and continental Europe (including services to Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Morocco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine and the United Kingdom).

The Eurolines Pass lets you visit Bordeaux, Clermont-Ferrand, Dijon, Grenoble, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Nantes, Nice, Nîmes, Paris, Rennes, Strasbourg, Toulouse and Tours.

Eurolines coach services from Paris operate from the Gare Routière Eurolines in Bagnolet (métro Gallieni).

Flixbus

International coach services operated by Flixbus include:

Aix-en-Provence to Barcelona, Genoa and Milan
Avignon to Genoa and Milan
Bordeaux to Barcelona, Girona, Milan and Turin
Cannes to Barcelona, Genoa, Milan and Munich
Clermont-Ferrand to Milan and Turin
Dijon to Barcelona, Bonn, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Luxembourg, Saarbrücken and Trier
Grenoble to Karlsruhe and Stuttgart
Lille to Amsterdam, Antwerp, Brussels, Dresden, Eindhoven, Ghent, The Hague, Hanover, Leipzig, London, Osnabrück, Prague and Rotterdam
Limoges to Barcelona
Lyon to Barcelona, Bern, Bonn, Brussels, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Geneva, Genoa, Heidelberg, Lausanne, Luxembourg, Milan, Stuttgart, Turin and Zurich
Marseille to Barcelona, Genoa, Milan, Turin
Metz to Amsterdam, Bonn, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Eindhoven, Frankfurt, Liège, Luxembourg, Saarbrücken, Trier and Zurich
Montpellier to Barcelona, Bonn, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Genoa, Luxembourg, Milan, Munich and Trier
Nancy to Bonn, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Luxembourg and Saarbrücken
Nice to Barcelona, Genoa, Milan, Munich and Turin
Nîmes to Barcelona and Genoa
Paris to Amsterdam, Antwerp, Augsburg, Bamburg, Barcelona, Berlin, Bremen, Bonn, Brussels, Budapest, Cologne, Dortmund, Dresden, Duisburg, Dusseldorf, Eindhoven, Essen, Frankfurt, Geneva, Genoa, Ghent, The Hague, Hamburg, Heidelberg, Leipzig, Liège, Linz, London, Milan, Munich, Münster, Nuremberg, Osnabrück, Prague, Rotterdam, Saarbrücken, Turin, Utrecht and Zurich
Reims to Augsburg, Budapest, Frankfurt, Linz, Munich, Saarbrücken, Stuttgart
Strasbourg to Amsterdam, Augsburg, Basel, Berlin, Bonn, Budapest, Cologne, Dortmund, Dusseldorf, Duisburg, Eindhoven, Essen, Frankfurt, Genoa, Hamburg, Linz, Luxembourg, Milan, Munich, Münster, Stuttgart and Zurich

Ouibus

Ouibus (formerly IDBUS) is a low-cost coach service that is run by SNCF (the French railway company) in a similar manner to its iDTGV and Ouigo train services. Coaches are equipped with power outlets and Wi-Fi connectivity. Although Ouibus is now primarily a domestic coach network, it still runs the international services that it started out with.

International coach services operated by Ouibus include the following routes:

Aix-en-Provence to Genoa and Milan
Bordeaux to Barcelona, Brussels, Girona and San Sebastian
Clermont-Ferrand to Turin
Dijon to Geneva, London and Turin
Grenoble to Amsterdam, Brussels, London, Rotterdam, Turin and Milan
Lille to Amsterdam, Antwerp, Barcelona, Brussels, London and Rotterdam
Limoges to Brussels and London
Lyon to Amsterdam, Brussels, Girona, London, Milan and Turin
Marseille to Barcelona, Genoa, Girona, London, Milan and San Sebastian
Metz to Brussels
Montpellier to Barcelona, Girona and San Sebastian
Nancy to Milan
Nantes to Amsterdam, Barcelona and Brussels
Nice to Genoa and Milan
Nîmes to Barcelona and Girona,
Paris to Amsterdam, Antwerp, Barcelona, Brussels, Geneva, London, Rotterdam and Turin
Quimper to Amsterdam, Brussels, London and Rotterdam
Rennes to Amsterdam, Barcelona, Geneva, London and Milan
Strasbourg to Amsterdam, Brussels and London
Toulouse to Barcelona, Brussels, Girona, London and San Sebastian
Tours to Brussels

Ouibus services from Paris operate from the coach station at 48 bis boulevard de Bercy (métro: Bercy). Coaches from Lille depart from Gare Lille Europe and coaches from Lyon depart from Gare Lyon-Perrache.

Busabout

Busabout has services to Avignon, Bordeaux, Nice, Paris and Tours.

Other international coach services

There are also international coach services connecting cities in southern France with Andorra and northern Spain. These are operated by Novatel (Toulouse–Andorra) and Alsa (for services to Spain).

Bus and coach travel in France

Regional bus services

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

Bourgogne-Franche-Comté

Brittany (Bretagne)

Centre-Val de Loire

Normandy (Normandie)

Nouvelle-Aquitaine

Occitanie

Pays de la Loire

Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur

Long-distance coach travel in France

Alsa

Isilines

Flixbus

Ouibus

International coach services

Alsa

Eurolines

Flixbus

Ouibus

Busabout

Other international coach services