Liverpool to Bucharest Flixbus service

[radamfi]

Flixbus, the biggest coach operator in Germany with a network across much of Europe, now run in the UK beyond London. Route 1920 runs from Liverpool to Bucharest, taking two days.

https://meinfernbus.de/unser-angebot/linien/1920.html

There are frequent stops in England, not all shown in the main timetable. Manchester Chorlton Street, Keele services, Wolverhampton, Birmingham, Coventry, Northampton services, Newport Pangell, Toddington services, London Gateway services, Wembley Park, Edmonton, Victoria Coach station, Barking, Maidstone, Folkestone and Dover.

But it appears not to be available for booking for domestic journeys within the UK or countries along the route. There is a very long list of connection pairs where there is no journeys bookable below the timetable. As far as I can tell, only journeys between Romania and other countries are bookable.

Flixbus are now involved in German trains as well, selling cheap tickets between Stuttgart and Berlin:

https://www.flixbus.com/locomore?wt_eid=2150792576800830935&wt_t=1507926783969

Are you in the right place? Yes! You are wondering why? It's simple: Because the Locomore train is running again and you can book your tickets through FlixBus starting immediately.

It all starts on August 24; travel between Berlin and Stuttgart as usual. Trips are carried out by our partner, LEO Express, and we handle ticket sales. We believe in Locomore and the fact that mobility on the rails doesn't have to be expensive. Together, we are making sure that the trains will be back in action. At the same time, we are very excited by this perfect addition to our network of green long-distance buses.

 

[cambsy]

That’s a coach journey and a half, I’d be tempted to do this service one way and other way by train, make a really good trip, see lots of Europe.

 

[AlterEgo]

That’s a coach journey and a half, I’d be tempted to do this service one way and other way by train, make a really good trip, see lots of Europe.

Two days without a shower doesn’t sound like my idea of fun!

 

[AlterEgo]

Even madder is that this costs 80 Euro to book. Blue Air are offering flights that compete with that, taking three hours. I assume this bus will attract people with enormous amounts of luggage, or just those afraid of flying?

 

[cambsy]

Or nutters like me

 

[theageofthetra]

Even madder is that this costs 80 Euro to book. Blue Air are offering flights that compete with that, taking three hours. I assume this bus will attract people with enormous amounts of luggage, or just those afraid of flying?

Or those who want to avoid more strungent airport screening of them and their luggage?

 

[AlterEgo]

Or those who want to avoid more strungent airport screening of them and their luggage?

Heh. Good point.

 

[duesselmartin]

Or those who want to avoid more strungent airport screening of them and their luggage?

Would they not be checked at the channel tunnel or port? Also the risk of land controls as Schengen is still partially suspended for the forseeable future.

 

[radamfi]

Would they not be checked at the channel tunnel or port? Also the risk of land controls as Schengen is still partially suspended for the forseeable future.

I've used international coach services to London many times. Both the French and British check passports at Calais or Coquelles and everyone has to disembark the coach while the coach is checked over. You also have to put luggage through a scanner at the French check.

Romania is not yet part of Schengen so all passengers will get checked on leaving Romania.

 

[dutchflyer]

Even madder is that this costs 80 Euro to book. Blue Air are offering flights that compete with that, taking three hours. I assume this bus will attract people with enormous amounts of luggage, or just those afraid of flying?

Both-or rather-without many transfers/changes getting from near home to near other home/2nd home.
These very winding long coach routes are nothing new-esp. for PL-UK they are there since the Polish people came to the Uk starting to find work. Since a few years followed by Romanians/Bulgarians etc.-for the time being as one form or other of brexit is due to arrive.
The route itself is most likely also not new at all-its just now being branded and offered as a FLIX. In fact the former ROmanian branch of EUrolines (the long standing and well established-in Uk co-working with National Express) stepped over from Euro to Flix. As did the Hungarians partly, both following on the Astrians (blaguss reisen) who also left €lines to FLIX.
Oh-one does not get to see very much from coach windows-except for ''Autobahnen'' often protected for any views by sound walls/barriers-with heavy graffiti. For that trains-even with the terminal decline in international travel- are much better.
About passpt controls: Ive sued whatever coach (also Mega when it was there) to travel LON-NL(my home) about once/year since the last 6-7 yrs-at least 3 times there was not any French check at Dover coming back, nor at the French side and we just went as between any Schengen country-pair. I also think there is in fact some rule that they cannot stop you from going back to real home=country of citizenship. Schengen countries can refuse Romanians/Bulgarians etc from entry on some grounds-incl. not having enough funds to cover the expenses on the journey.
The so-called ''screening'' at airports is mostly hand-luggage you take on the plane and ist mostly the ''no fluids/sharp objects'' thing. Whithin the EU there are no barriers for taking goods with you, as long as they are not forbidden on other grounds.

 

[route101]

Ive seen Romainian Plated coaches sitting outside Victoria Coach Station , they are for workers no doubt so not likely to be sightseeing as such . I think vans pick up and drop people at services to connect onto them.
There was a coach from Glasgow to Poland , it even was on the stance timetable , not sure if it still runs but i did see a Slovakian coach earlier this ear at Buchanan Bus Station

 

[radamfi]

About passpt controls: Ive sued whatever coach (also Mega when it was there) to travel LON-NL(my home) about once/year since the last 6-7 yrs-at least 3 times there was not any French check at Dover coming back, nor at the French side and we just went as between any Schengen country-pair.

There is very little illegal immigration on travel from the UK to France so checking in that direction by French immigration has long been minimal or non-existent. However, passport information is now collected by the ferry operator or Channel Tunnel.

 

[Suraggu]

Unlikely to get Romanians using this as well. I house share with a few and told them about this new service. Their response was basically that is a crazy price for 48 hours. I could fly for cheaper. And hence Wizz Air and Ryanair serving regional Romanian airports and filling those planes.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

My cheap trip to Romania earlier this year involved Ryanair Manchester-Budapest, and then next day by cross-border IC train to Sighisoara.
I could also have reached Sibiu, Brasov or Bucharest the same day, but wanted to spend some time looking around the Saxon cities.
Something like a £50 flight and then maybe a €50 advance train ticket from Budapest (sometimes as low as €19 to Brasov).
Slow but scenic, particularly through Transylvania, restaurant car on some trains.
I went on from Bucharest to Sofia via Ruse (another good daytime leg) for €25 and flew back with EasyJet for another €50.
You might also see en route, as I did, ex-BR class 86/87s working freight in Hungary and Bulgaria.

 

[route101]

There is very little illegal immigration on travel from the UK to France so checking in that direction by French immigration has long been minimal or non-existent. However, passport information is now collected by the ferry operator or Channel Tunnel.

What about fleeing criminals ? It should be a consistent check its entry to the Schengen zone