Flixbus domestic routes to launch on 26 April

Flixbus, the German transport company that offers bus service between European cities will begin a domestic service in Belgium starting on 26 April. It is the first private company to ever be allowed to provide service between two Belgian cities.

Last week Flixbus hinted at the new service when it invited local journalists to a press conference this week. It was a surprising announcement as, up until now, only public transport companies were allowed to operate services between cities within Belgium.

Flixbus has been operating stops connecting several Belgian cities to cities abroad, including Rotterdam, Paris and Berlin, for three years. The price for a return ticket is around €40 for Paris and Amsterdam, for instance, making it a bargain for city-trips.

SNCB relying on 'strengths'

The new domestic routes come with some governmentally imposed conditions: The cities cannot be too close to each other. So while you won’t see a bus from Brussels to Leuven, you will see Brussels connected to Ostend, Bruges, Antwerp and Liège. Flixbus has also confirmed connections between Antwerp and Bruges and between Ghent and Hasselt, Leuven and Liège.

The most obvious challenge to a competitor in Belgium is rail authority SNCB. “It’s definitely got our attention,” a spokesperson told VRT. “But we have the utmost confidence in our strengths: Not being hindered by traffic jams is our biggest advantage, but we have also invested heavily in packages and specially priced tickets over the last few years. So we have weekend tickets and special subscription formulas. We also run trains to and from Brussels on the busier lines every 15 minutes.”

Travellers can already book the Brussels-Antwerp route, and the rest of the routes can be booked starting on 26 April. Return tickets cost between €8 and €12.