Long-distance coaches in Germany

[WestCoast]

I'm in Germany for a jolly next month and was planning a few trips! Now long-distance coaches have been popular in many European countries for years, they were restricted in Germany to protect Deutsche Bahn (there were exceptions for airport routes and international services). However, the market has been opened up.

Looking at Stuttgart to Munich there's a staggering 5 companies now competing; FlixBus, DeinBus.de, Meinfernbus, ADAC Postbus and City2City! Even better you can check all the times and prices at www.busliniensuche.de which even gives you a comfort rating! Unfortunately it's only in German, but there's always Google Translate!

DB are also involved with it on some routes. Some companies offering very high-spec coaches as well with refreshments!

Very interesting, obviously time is factor, but I imagine less time-conscious travellers will be tempted. I suppose it was only a matter of time before the DB monopoly on ground transport and Air Berlin/Lufthansa duopoly on flights was seriously challenged!

 

[radamfi]

I knew that coaching in Germany had recently been deregulated but I didn't realise that there was already a lot of competition. I suppose it should be expected that there will be a lot of start-ups at the beginning until one or two companies become dominant, then the others will be taken over or close down.

City2City was set up by National Express. Their website is also in English:

https://www.city2city.de/en/home

 

[WestCoast]

I knew that coaching in Germany had recently been deregulated but I didn't realise that there was already a lot of competition. I suppose it should be expected that there will be a lot of start-ups at the beginning until one or two companies become dominant, then the others will be taken over or close down.

City2City was set up by National Express. Their website is also in English:

https://www.city2city.de/en/home

Yes, I was very surprised by the sheer amount of competition. If you look at the web search, you'll also find a number of smaller operators operating minibuses up to full size coaches.

Coach tours have always been rather popular in Germany and with advance fares on the trains set higher than elsewhere, I think this will lower costs all round.

The trend in Germany is more transport operators rather than consolidation it seems, I imagine competition will reduce as time goes on but given the market size of Germany wouldn't be surprised to see at least 3-4 dominant operators rather than the big two in the UK (well, England).

 

[gordonthemoron]

considering how congested some autobahns are, I can't see this as a good idea (I'd avoid Hamburg-Hannover for instance)

 

[radamfi]

I notice the http://www.busliniensuche.de/ website also covers Megabus journeys outside Germany, including UK domestic journeys. Megabus only has a comfort rating of 1 out of 5!

considering how congested some autobahns are, I can't see this as a good idea (I'd avoid Hamburg-Hannover for instance)

You could say that about coach travel in the UK too, though.

 

[dutchflyer]

Others are:
meinfernbus.de
ADAC-postbus.de (newly set up late 2013-aims for quality)
flixbus.de
But most overlap their networks and they are often very similar to the IC/ICE network of DB. Few overnight services though.
DB itself has also started several connecting coachlinks with its own network. Added recently was a service FRAnkfurt-(via Hahn RYANairport)-Trier-LUxemburg, but this is in fact an older established service by the LUX-comp. flibco.dom- kind of ''codesharing''.

 

[duesselmartin]

a new addition is an IC-Bus Antwerpen-Düsseldorf starting in June.
Also the BEX buses are DB owned.

 

[radamfi]

Which companies, if any, have adjustable width seats? I mean where the aisle seats can be moved about 80 mm into the aisle, to give more space between passengers sat together.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

a new addition is an IC-Bus Antwerpen-Düsseldorf starting in June.
Also the BEX buses are DB owned.

This Dutch article has more details about it. It will also call at Eindhoven.

http://www.ovmagazine.nl/nieuws/db-opent-busverbinding-tussen-eindhoven-antwerpen-en-dusseldorf

It says the service is in association with Arriva

Here is a map of the existing IC Bus coach services:

http://www.bahn.de/p/view/angebot/fernverkehrsmittel/ic-bus.shtml

 

[gordonthemoron]

I think DB calling Wroclaw by it's old name Breslau is asking for trouble

 

[oldman]

I think DB calling Wroclaw by it's old name Breslau is asking for trouble

As they see it, they are using the German name, as we use English names for Vienna and Cologne. Of course Poles sometimes see it differently .

 

[gordonthemoron]

yes, and I do it myself for Stettin & Auschwitz as I can't spell the Polish version

 

[Golghar]

Try using "Aix" and "Ratisbon" in Germany and no one will know which places you mean.

 

[gordonthemoron]

Aachen & Regensburg?

 

[Golghar]

Correct on both count: according to Browning the Good News was brought from Ghent to Aix and in the Incident of the French Camp the French stormed Ratisbon.

 

[gordonthemoron]

I've been to both places (and Ghent)

 

[radamfi]

The article

http://www.ovmagazine.nl/2014/05/eindhoven-krijgt-busverbinding-met-antwerpen-en-dusseldorf/

has been updated, saying that the Antwerp - Eindhoven - Düsseldorf service will start on 23 June and run three times a day. Tickets go on sale from the middle of June.

 

[radamfi]

National Express have pulled out of Germany, as the competition is too fierce. The last coach went yesterday

http://www.welt.de/print/welt_kompa...verlust-Erste-Pleite-bei-Fernbusanbieter.html

 

[dutchflyer]

The article

http://www.ovmagazine.nl/2014/05/eindhoven-krijgt-busverbinding-met-antwerpen-en-dusseldorf/

has been updated, saying that the Antwerp - Eindhoven - Düsseldorf service will start on 23 June and run three times a day. Tickets go on sale from the middle of June.

THis route is doing very well and is augmented with another DUS-Roermond-BRUSSEL route, also on a 4-hour cycle, from late sept. A driver on this route ells at a Dutch forum, they intend to extend to LONdon-by bus in the future.
I understand that the city2city (Nat Express) service is merged with Berlinienbus.
A peculiar very fast service is (just to show what can be done) is matzes-minibus.de, with MB Sprinter with just 8 seats (thus no speed limit for buses on the Autobahn), doing trips Berlin to Munchen and to Karlsruhe-Freiburg, to MUC even faster as the fastest ICE-train. The site promises 130/140 km/hour speed! Some reviews tell that -barring any of the many roadworks- rthis is achieved.

 

[gordonthemoron]

However, Munich-Berlin ICE times will be reduced when they finally complete the Nuremberg-Erfurt-Leipzig/Halle high speed line

 

[radamfi]

THis route is doing very well and is augmented with another DUS-Roermond-BRUSSEL route, also on a 4-hour cycle, from late sept. A driver on this route ells at a Dutch forum, they intend to extend to LONdon-by bus in the future.
I understand that the city2city (Nat Express) service is merged with Berlinienbus.
A peculiar very fast service is (just to show what can be done) is matzes-minibus.de, with MB Sprinter with just 8 seats (thus no speed limit for buses on the Autobahn), doing trips Berlin to Munchen and to Karlsruhe-Freiburg, to MUC even faster as the fastest ICE-train. The site promises 130/140 km/hour speed! Some reviews tell that -barring any of the many roadworks- rthis is achieved.

That minibus service sounds interesting. The lowest fare from Berlin to Munich is 40 euros which is not fantastically cheap but I quite fancy it for the novelty value.

I went on the DB coach from Antwerp to Eindhoven a couple of months ago and there were only a few people on the coach with me, but it looked quite busy with people getting on in Eindhoven.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

These long distance coach services in Germany may get busier as the railways seem to be having strike problems there at the moment.

 

[radamfi]

Flixbus are starting two routes from Amsterdam to Germany from 31 October:

Amsterdam - Groningen - Oldenburg - Bremen - Hamburg (subsuming former Public Express route between Groningen and Bremen)

Amsterdam - Enschede - Osnabruck - Bad Oeyenhausen - Berlin

Fares from 1 euro.

 

[anme]

Fares from 1 euro.

Does anyone else see this and, instead of thinking what a bargain it is, thinks of those people who have to travel at short notice and will pay much higher prices to subsidise these 1 euro fares. For example, people travelling on business, or to a family emergency.

I'm not someone whose life is so boring that it can always be planned months in advance.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Does anyone else see this and, instead of thinking what a bargain it is, thinks of those people who have to travel at short notice and will pay much higher prices to subsidise these 1 euro fares. For example, people travelling on business, or to a family emergency.

In reality the walk-up train fare will provide a cap, as few will choose coach if train is cheaper. Even on the day, for instance, UK Megabus and Nat Ex services are not outrageously expensive.

Neil

 

[radamfi]

From what I can make out, most coach companies in Germany have a more flat fare system than National Express or Megabus do in the UK. Flixbus seems to be an exception, but companies like ADAC Postbus or Meinfernbus don't seem to charge silly low fares. They seem to be quite happy to sell tickets on the day so don't seem to work on the work on the basis of completely full buses.

I'm planning to use some German coaches around December/January time and I will try to use different companies.

 

[quarella]

considering how congested some autobahns are, I can't see this as a good idea (I'd avoid Hamburg-Hannover for instance)

If my experience of DB is anything to go by it won't be any worse.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

From what I can make out, most coach companies in Germany have a more flat fare system than National Express or Megabus do in the UK. Flixbus seems to be an exception, but companies like ADAC Postbus or Meinfernbus don't seem to charge silly low fares. They seem to be quite happy to sell tickets on the day so don't seem to work on the work on the basis of completely full buses.

I'm planning to use some German coaches around December/January time and I will try to use different companies.

Naional Express did not charge "Silly low fares" until Megabus started up using the same pricing model as Easyjet/Ryanair etc.

 

[radamfi]

Naional Express did not charge "Silly low fares" until Megabus started up using the same pricing model as Easyjet/Ryanair etc.

Strictly speaking, National Express Funfares were introduced a few months before the first Megabus service ran, but I expect that was in the knowledge that Megabus would be launching soon.

 

[WestCoast]

Fierce competition in the German long-distance coach market has cast questions over the future of ADAC Postbus. The venture has cost its co-owners millions of euros in losses.

According to a report in the Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung on Monday, the automobile club ADAC is considering leaving its partnership with Deutsche Post.

Insiders told the paper that the idea of the exit was being floated to its shareholders. There have also been talks with Deutsche Bahn to buy out the partnership.

Continued.

http://www.thelocal.de/20141006/questions-over-future-of-adac-postbus

All is not rosy it seems despite all the rail strikes and increasing popularity of coach travel across a varied demographic. ADAC is the leading German motoring organisation, similar to the AA or RAC. The article also discusses the demise of National Express backed City2City and the troubles of the independently owned pioneer DeinBus.

 

[radamfi]

All is not rosy it seems despite all the rail strikes and increasing popularity of coach travel across a varied demographic. ADAC is the leading German motoring organisation, similar to the AA or RAC. The article also discusses the demise of National Express backed City2City and the troubles of the independently owned pioneer DeinBus.

http://www.thelocal.de/20141110/stop-the-bus-adac-wants-to-get-off

says that ADAC is pulling out, and DeinBus have gone bust.

Interesting to note that MeinFernbus is the market leader with 45% and Flixbus second with 24%. Surprisingly, DB is third with 12% of the coach market.

 

[radamfi]

Megabus have extended their Brussels to Cologne service to Munich via Frankfurt and Stuttgart, and for the first time are available for booking for domestic German trips.