Flixbus, BlaBlaCar Bus & Co – compensation for delays?
In contrast to air and rail travel, there are no comparable compensation claims for long distance coach travel that are protected by the EU.
If your coach is cancelled or delayed by more than two hours, you can, however, still make a claim for reimbursement from the coach company. This is regulated by EU passenger rights.
Summary
- The journey must be at least 250 km or for three hours or more
- For shorter distances, national law applies
- The decisive factor is the delay on departure not the delay on arrival
- In the case of consecutive jouneys, compensation is also paid for missed connections
- The claims apply to all coach companies operating in Europe (Flixbus of Flix SE, BlaBlaCar Bus, Alsa, Rede Expressor, Pinkbus)
Contents
- My coach is late: what rights do I have?
- You miss your connection
- You coach trip is cancelled
- The coach broke down
- What happens in the event of a strike?
- General tips for long-distance coach travel
- What to do in certain situations
- Your luggage is damaged or lost during the coach trip
- Luggage tips for long-distance coach travel
- Reporting issues- free of charge
My coach is late: what rights do I have?
When travelling by coach, it always depends on how late the departure of the coach is. If the coach departs on time but arrives late because of a traffic jam, you will receive no compensation.
You will only get your money back if the departure is delayed by two or more hours and you do not board the coach when it eventually departs.
Coach delayed by at least 90 minutes
If the coach is delayed by at least 90 minutes, the coach company must offer you free snacks and drinks.
This does not usually happen. So make sure to take enough with you. You can always buy yourself something to eat or drink at a supermarket or shop. Make sure to submit the receipts to the coach company so you can receive compensation. Meals in restaurants are not paid for.
Coach is delayed by at least 120 minutes
If the coach is delayed by more than two hours, then you have a choice.
- Reimbursement of the fare and, if necessary, a free return journey to your departure point.
Or
- An onward journey with another means of transport.
If the coach company does not provide you with transport for the remainder of your journey you can book it yourself. The coach company must then reimburse you for the additional costs.
Example
Your coach is three hours late.
There are no other coaches available so you decide to take a train which is more expensive.
You are entitled to a refund of the coach ticket and the additional costs of the train journey or just the train ticket.
If you have not been informed of your rights, you can demand an additional 50% of the original coach ticket.
You can also decide to board the late coach, which you originally paid for, but you will not receive any compensation.
Important:
The type of transportation for the onward journey must be comparible, meaning it must be a bus/coach or a train but cannot be a taxi or an Uber. Exceptions may apply at night or if there are no other options. If your coach journey is less than 250km, national law may be in effect, meaning you could benefits from further legislation.
If the coach journey takes place overnight, the coach company must organise a hotel room for you (up to two nights per passenger and max 80. euros per night) if you would otherwise be stranded. This does not apply in the event of natural disasters or adverse weather conditions. You are not entitled to a hotel room if you simply arrive late to your booked destination, or if you wish to continue your journey privately but are not able to because of the late time.
You miss your connection
If you miss your connecting coach due to coach cancellation or delay, EU coach passenger rights provide for compensation if it is a single booking.
If you book the sections of your journey seperately or use the coach to get to an airport or train station, for example, the coach company does not automatically have to pay. You will have to take legal action to try to recover the incurred losses which may or may not work.
Be careful when booking through an agent: you will often receive a jumbled collection of bookings that don’t actually count as one single booking.
You coach trip is cancelled
If a coach from a station is cancelled , the coach company must offer snacks and refreshments free of charge.
For an alternative onward journey and/or overnight stay, a cancelled trip applies to the same rules as a delayed journey.
The coach broke down
If the coach breaks down or has an accident, you are entitled to another means of transport. You must be taken from the scene of the accident to a place where you can continue your journey (train station). If necessary, for example, travelling at night, you are entitled to appropriate food and accomodation (up to 80€ per person).
If the coach company does not offer you another means of getting to your destination, you also have the right of a full reimbursemeent of your coach ticket and, if applicable, a free return journey to the original place of departure or reimbursement for the costs of continuing your journey by other means. The following also applies here: the onward journey must be of equal value and be going to the same destination.
What happens in the event of a strike?
You are also entitled to EU coach passenger rights in the event of strikes, for example if the coach companies staff go on strike.
If the coach trip was booked as part of a travel package, you have rights protected by EU package travel law.
General tips for long-distance coach travel
- Always book a long-distance coach journey with sufficient time buffers between connections.
- Find updates on your journey as early as possible, via the coach company’s live tracker. This way you can see whether your coach is on time, whether it is stuck in traffic and how delayed it will be.
- Keep receipts for your payments.
- Use the information provided by bus drivers or other local staff for information purposes only. Legal information such as who assumes the cost may be different.
- Document delays by, for example, taking a photo of the display at the bus stop, taking a screenshot of the bus company’s app or saving emails.
What to do in certain situations
It’s not uncommon for a coach to leave without you realising it. This often happens during breaks where the coach stops so that passengers can eat, use the bathroom etc. There is often nothing that you can do if the coach leaves without you since it is usually the passengers fault.
- Always take bathroom breaks at official rest stops and not at boarding stops, unless the driver of the coach specifies a specific amount of time that you have to take a break.
- The same applies when boarding if you have already checked in.
- Let the person sitting next to you know.
- Always return to the coach a little early.
- Keep an eye out for other passengers.
If the coach departs from a different stop than the one that was intially communicated to you and you have not been informed, you will most likely receive your money back.
In most cases, however, the change of information will be reported to you via email, in the app or at the original coach station.
We recommend that you continuously look for updates until you are on the coach. This is especially important at large coach stations since it can quickly become confusing if the coach changes its departing station.
Sometimes passengers will not be allowed to board even though they have already booked their journey. There can be various reasons for this: lack of space for a large piece of luggage (eg. Bike), issues with the passengers ID, the coach is full or there is some other kind of misunderstanding with the coach driver.
There is no general rule on how to proceed in such cases. Even if the passenger concerned is in the right, finding proof can be difficult. In such cases, make sure to try and avoid additional costs so you don’t have to pay more than you should.
Whether and under what conditions minors are allowed to travel alone depends on both national law and the coach company’s policies.
There is no uniform law, so national regulations apply.
The following regulations may vary depending on the coach company :
- Child discounts/ child fares
- Transport of strollers
- Transport of minors (from what age, with or without a signed parental waiver)
- Monitoring programmes
Important: When travelling to other EU countries, minors should carry their ID documents and a consent waiver from both parents or legal guardians (here is a sample German form from the ADAC).
Attention! Some member states have particularly strict travel restrictions: in Greece, minors from abroad must carry an officially certified authorization form from both of their legal guardians, even if they are travelling with one of their legal guardians !
More details can be found at gov.gr.
When travelling by coach, coach companies, tour operators and travel agents cannot exclude guests who are disabled.
If you are refused a booking or a boarding, you can insist on another person travelling with you free of charge to help you adhere to safety regulations.
During the coach journey, you must be helped on and off the coach if there are any other staff members besides the driver.
You should notify the coach company, coach station operator, tour operator or travel agent at least 36 hours in advance if you require any type of assistance.
Your luggage is damaged or lost during the coach trip
EU bus and coach passenger rights do not cover your rights if your baggage is lost or damaged. Accidents are an exception. In this case, the amount of compensation is determined by national law, although it has to be above certain minimum amounts.
But even if luggage disappears or is damaged during a journey without a breakdown, passengers are not without protection. Long distance coach companies such as Flix SE or BlaBlaCar Bus are not only obligated to transport passengers but also to transport luggage properly*.
Anyone who loses luggage during the coaches journey is therefore entitled to compensation. The amount of compensation can be problematic because it is difficult to prove the value of what was in your luggage.
Sometimes it is possible to retrieve the luggage e.g via the company’s lost-and-found service. This service is especially useful if your coach left without you or if your luggage was accidently given to another passenger.
If your hand luggage is stolen from the passenger compartment, you are not entitled to compensation. Passengers are responsible for their own hand luggage and its best to report the theft to the police.
*In Germany this is established by case law, e.g judgement oft he Munich District Court (Ref.: 283 Js 5965/15.)
Luggage tips for long-distance coach travel
- Clearly write your name on all pieces of luggage before departure.
- Valuables (money, jewellery, electronic devices, medication) belong in your hand luggage.
- Take a photo of the contents of your luggage before travelling.
- Check your luggage during stops.
- Report any damages immeadiately to the coach driver and the police.
- Receipts and invoices for lost or damaged items serve as good evidence.
Reporting issues- free of charge
If anything goes wrong on your journey you should report it as quickly as possible. You must submit a written complaint no more than three months after the problem occured. If the company does not reply within two months, your complaint is deemed to have been accepted.
If you are unable to reach an agreement with the coach company, you can contact the ECC of your home country. An arbitration procedure at the Schlichtungstelle Reise und Verkehr e.V. is also possible, provided the company is a member.
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Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Innovation Council and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Executive Agency (EISMEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
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