Flixbus through the channel tunnel

[AdamWW]

A few Flixbus cross-channel services appear to be routed through the channel tunnel rather than on ferries between France and the UK.

I presume though that since this is just something you can see when looking at the route details rather than being specifically stated on booking that they are free to change this on a given day if necessary or convenient.
Does anyone happen to know what the chances of such a change happening are?

I don't know how flexible their arrangements are with the cross-channel carriers. If they've made an unrefundable booking I expect they'd be keen not to change it unless they had to.

The data (GTFS?) they provide to the Google journey planner rather impressively shows the route to the shuttle terminal, through the tunnel and then round the terminal and out at the other side.
However it also appears to do this for ones routed by ferry.

 

[AlastairFraser]

A few Flixbus cross-channel services appear to be routed through the channel tunnel rather than on ferries between France and the UK.

I presume though that since this is just something you can see when looking at the route details rather than being specifically stated on booking that they are free to change this on a given day if necessary or convenient.
Does anyone happen to know what the chances of such a change happening are?

I don't know how flexible their arrangements are with the cross-channel carriers. If they've made an unrefundable booking I expect they'd be keen not to change it unless they had to.

The data (GTFS?) they provide to the Google journey planner rather impressively shows the route to the shuttle terminal, through the tunnel and then round the terminal and out at the other side.
However it also appears to do this for ones routed by ferry.

This is anecdotal, but a friend booked a Flixbus to begin a Belgium holiday we went on together back in autumn 2023, and it was switched from the Channel Tunnel to the ferry at late notice - they only learnt of the change when the coach reached the port.

I believe it depends on schedules - if the coach arrives with plenty of time to the Dover area, then the ferry is preferred.

I would also note that Eurotunnel have an official portal for setting up a trade account that enables coach operators to book with more flexibility, more info here: https://www.leshuttle.com/uk-en/trade/coach-operators.

With a different journey on a different operator (Sindbad), I have experienced a journey where they have made use of this flexibility before, but they primarily use the Eurotunnel anyway - so if you want to experience the Eurotunnel on public transport, I would use them instead.

I used them London to Calais earlier this year.

 

[route101]

I took Flixbus from Paris to London and it went on the Eurotunnel rather than Ferry. I am sure the timetable said Ferry.

 

[James H]

Is it still the case that (as a Flixbus passenger) you get a meal voucher on the ferry?

 

[dmncf]

Is it still the case that (as a Flixbus passenger) you get a meal voucher on the ferry?

I didn't get meal vouchers when I travelled on FlixBus N1328 London to Warsaw, which when I did it was P&O outward, Irish Ferries back.

 

[Flying Snail]

Is it still the case that (as a Flixbus passenger) you get a meal voucher on the ferry?

Meal vouchers are only on DFDS, I assume these are supplied by the ferry company as part of coach bookings rather than being funded by Flixbus.

 

[Snow1964]

It is also worth noting that Flix are heavily expanding into trains too, especially in Germany.

They have new trains on order, Siemens Vectron 230km/h (143mph) locomotives and 65 Talgo 230 sets, and their press releases talk of expanding into other European countries

Flix provides a unique intermodal long-distance travel offer of international bus services and high-speed train connections. The new trains are intended to drive expansion in Germany and other European countries. “We see FlixTrain as a European product. Starting from our home market, we also want to make the service available in other countries” adds Schwämmlein.

A new era for train travel - FlixTrain has ordered 65 new European high-speed trains - flix

FlixTrain, a subsidiary of the global travel-tech company Flix SE, today announced that it has ordered 65 new European high-speed trains.

corporate.flix.com

 

[EYFanatic]

Is it still the case that (as a Flixbus passenger) you get a meal voucher on the ferry?

As Comrade @Flying Snail has said, only on DFDS sailings on the channel route and not on the Newcastle run as that doesn't carry flixbus vehicles on a regular occasion

I've found the offer quite worth the value with, if you'd take a tip, the ship's curry being exceptionally tasty on Delft Seaways if you are lucky to have her for your sailing

 

[Halish Railway]

This seems quite odd.

As far as I understand it, coach operators prefer to use the ferries as it gives adequate time and good enough facilities for the driver to take an extended break before driving for a long time, although please correct me if I’m incorrect.

 

[johnnychips]

This seems quite odd.

As far as I understand it, coach operators prefer to use the ferries as it gives adequate time and good enough facilities for the driver to take an extended break before driving for a long time, although please correct me if I’m incorrect.

I see what you mean, but all the cross-channel FlixBuses I’ve taken have always had two drivers. Out of about twelve journeys, only one took the tunnel, and it was running four hours late.

 

[AdamWW]

This seems quite odd.

As far as I understand it, coach operators prefer to use the ferries as it gives adequate time and good enough facilities for the driver to take an extended break before driving for a long time, although please correct me if I’m incorrect.

I think that Le Shuttle decided a few years ago that they didn't really want to carry coaches and imposed high charges and a very limited quota, though recently they have relented somewhat.

I'd have thought that on the odd service that appears to be booked to go through the tunnel and for which they have presumably made a booking in advance with Le Shuttle they wouldn't regularly use a ferry instead. But I don't exactly know much about how these things work.