FlixBus

FlixBus (German pronunciation: ['flɪksbʊs]; styled FLiXBUS) is a German brand that offers intercity bus services in 44 countries in Europe, North America, South America, Asia and Australia, with over 300,000 daily connections. It is owned by Flix SE[de], which also operates FlixTrain, Kâmil Koç[tr] and Greyhound Lines. FlixBus operates buses or – in many cases – just handles network planning, scheduling, pricing, booking and marketing, as well as customer service, for a commission, on behalf of over 1,000 bus operators.

History

FlixBus was founded in 2011 in Munich by Daniel Krauss, Jochen Engert and André Schwämmlein. They had met in university and began discussing the concept in 2009 after plans were made to deregulate the bus industry in Germany.

FlixBus launched its first three routes in February 2013 in Bavaria, Germany, to take advantage of Germany opening up its bus market to competition.

In January 2015, FlixBus acquired MeinFernbus, increasing its market share in Germany. In conjunction with the acquisition, General Atlantic made an investment in the company.

In November 2015, the company acquired LIINITA, a ridesharing company.

In August 2016, FlixBus acquired Postbus, an operator of German bus lines, from Deutsche Post. FlixBus then had control of roughly 80% of the German long-distance bus market.

Between 2015 and 2016, FlixBus launched services in France, Italy, Central and Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. In the following years, it added routes across Europe.

In July 2016, FlixBus acquired Megabus Europe from Stagecoach Group. Stagecoach became an operating partner.

In May 2017, FlixBus acquired the Hellö coach network, an operator of Austrian bus lines, from Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB).

In April 2018, FlixBus was the first to use all-electric vehicles on a long-distance bus route, between Paris La Défense and Amiens.

In May 2018, FlixBus entered the North American market, first operating from Los Angeles and the Southwestern United States.

Also in May 2018, FlixBus acquired Swebus Express, an operator of Swedish bus lines, from Nobina.

In April 2019, FlixBus acquired Eurolines operating businesses in France, The Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic and Spain and acquired Isilines from Transdev.

In May 2019, FlixBus expanded to the East Coast of the United States via a partnership with Eastern Bus.

In August 2019, FlixBus entered the Turkish market through the acquisition of Kâmil Koç, one of Turkey’s largest intercity bus operators, from Actera Group, a private equity firm.

In October 2021, FlixBus acquired Greyhound Lines from FirstGroup for $78 million. The acquisition extended Flix’s network to over 1,600 destinations in the U.S. and Canada.

FlixBus entered Latin America in 2021 with services in Brazil, expanding to more than 100 cities by 2024.

In April 2022, the company converted from a GmbH structure to an SE structure and was renamed Flix SE.

FlixBus launched service in Canada in 2022.

The company launched services in Chile in 2023.

FlixBus launched services in India in early 2024, connecting 46 cities through a network of 59 stops and more than 200 connections.

In March 2024, FlixBus launched its first electric bus, with service between Newport, Bristol and London.

Services in Mexico began in May 2025.

In November 2025, FlixBus launched services in Australia. The service operates between Central railway station, Sydney, Jolimont Centre in Canberra, and Southern Cross railway station in Melbourne and is operated by Deanes Coaches and the Donric Group.

In January 2026, FlixBus acquired a majority stake in Flibco, which offers bus service to/from airports, from SLG; SLG retained a minority stake in Flibco.

Financing history – parent company, Flix SE

In 2013, the company received equity financing from Mercedes-Benz Group and the Technical University of Munich.

In July 2019, the company raised €500 million in a Series F financing round led by TCV and Permira, valuing the company at over €2 billion.

In June 2021, FlixMobility GmbH raised $650 million in a Series G financing round at a valuation of US$3 billion from investors including General Atlantic, Permira, TCV, HV Capital, BlackRock, Baillie Gifford, and SilverLake.

In July 2024, EQT AB and Kuehne + Nagel acquired a 35% stake in the company for €1 billion. As part of the funding round, Porsche invested "low double-digit million" euros in FlixBus.

Safety incidents

On 12 May 2017, the driver of a double-decker bus outside Berlin, Germany, attempted to drive under a railway bridge with insufficient clearance, resulting in a bridge strike that completely ripped off its roof. No passengers were on board.
On 19 May 2018, a bus rolled and crashed near Udine, Italy. There were 43 people on board, of whom 26 were injured.
On 17 August 2018, a bus travelling from Stockholm to Berlin with 63 people onboard veered off a highway in northeast Germany and ended up in a ditch, seriously injuring 16 passengers.
On 16 December 2018, a bus crashed on a motorway near Zurich, Switzerland, killing two people including the co-driver, who was not driving at the time. The driver was sentenced to 20 months in prison.
On 19 May 2019, on Bundesautobahn 9 in eastern Germany, a bus rolled and crashed into a road safety barrier due to drowsy driving; the driver fell asleep. One person was killed and 60 were injured.
On 6 October 2019, shortly before 1:00PM, a bus rolled and crashed on the A61 autoroute near Bizanet, France. One person was killed and 17 were injured.
On 3 November 2019, a bus skidded off the A1 autoroute near Amiens, France, and flipped on its side, injuring more than 30 people.
On 25 February 2023, in a bike accident, an Uber Eats bicycle courier was struck and killed by a bus in Brussels. Two months after the incident, the government and FlixBus were criticized for not moving the bus stop away from the bike lane.
On 5 June 2023, a bus crashed in Avellino, Italy, when it swerved to avoid another car, resulting in one death and injuries to 26 passengers. The company was criticized by a passenger for the lack of support offered after the incident.
On 17 July 2023, a bus crashed into another bus on the D2 highway near Brno, Czech Republic, killing one of the drivers and injuring 76 people, including 14 serious injuries.
On 19 September 2023, a bus overturned near Micheldorf, Austria, killing a 19-year-old Austrian woman and injuring 20 people. The bus driver was microsleeping. He was sentenced to two years' imprisonment, suspended in full.
On 17 December 2023, at around 8:00AM, an overcrowded bus with 53 passengers traveling from Vienna, Austria to Kyiv, Ukraine overturned in Trebišov district of the Košice region of Slovakia, injuring 9 passengers.
On 5 January 2024, one person died and 11 others were injured, after a bus that was bound for New York City from Montreal, Canada, rolled over near Lake George on Interstate 87.
On 24 March 2024, one person died in Italy after a bus travelling between Milan and Rome crashed into a guard rail near Modena.
On 27 March 2024, at around 10:00AM, five people died and 20 others were injured when a bus bound for Zürich from Berlin crashed near Leipzig, Germany, after veering off a highway. The driver received a suspended sentence.
On 7 November 2024, at around 7:10AM, a bus operated by Tribal Sun Bus LLC left the roadway and rolled over on I-490 in Chili, New York, just west of Rochester, New York. All 28 passengers were injured and transported, one critical patient died at the hospital that night. The bus left New York City around midnight, bound for Niagara Falls. The driver was charged for fatigued driving, excessive speed, unsafe lane change, and no seatbelt.
On 3 January 2025, at around 12:00PM, a bus crashed into two cars between the Perušić and Gospić junctions, in the direction of Dubrovnik.
On 11 January 2025, at 3:00PM, a bus carrying 13 passengers crashed when exiting the Autobahn 11 between Berlin and Szczecin, causing 2 deaths and 11 injuries.
On 4 May 2025, at 1:00PM, a bus from Arlington, Virginia to New York City was involved in a rear-end collision with another bus on the New Jersey Turnpike, injuring 39 people.
On 4 July 2025, at 2:40AM, a bus overturned on the Bundesautobahn 19 in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, leaving 23 injured.
On 22 July 2025, two buses bound for Amsterdam were involved in a crash on the A4 motorway near Nieuw-Vennep, Netherlands. No serious injuries were reported.
On 26 April 2026, at 12:35AM, a bus carrying 40 passengers overturned on the Baltimore–Washington Parkway in Laurel, Maryland. One person was seriously injured.
On 27 April 2026, at 11:20PM, a bus hit a moose near Zgierz, Poland. The driver continued driving with the entire right side of the windshield cracked, in violation of safety standards.
On 3 May 2026, in Dobrá Niva, Slovakia, a bus veered off the road and overturned. There was one minor injury and no serious injuries among the 16 passengers.
On 14 May 2026, at around 4:00PM, a bus carrying 28 passengers crashed through a barrier and rolled onto its side along the Bruce Highway near Gumlu, Queensland. One passenger was killed and more than 20 other passengers were injured.

Legal issues

Buses inaccessible for wheelchair users

FlixBus has been sued in the U.S. and investigated by U.S. regulators for allegedly not making buses accessible for wheelchair users, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Allowing for domestic travel within Switzerland

In March 2017, FlixBus was fined CHF3,000 for cabotage by allowing domestic travel within Switzerland, in violation of the monopoly of Swiss Federal Railways for passenger transport within Switzerland.

Greenwashing

In March 2025, FlixBus was fined by German authorities for greenwashing by making misleading claims regarding its environmental record, including claiming that it is "the most environmentally-friendly means of transport".

Logos

Flixbus – 2015
Meinfernbus.de
MeinFernbus Flixbus – 2015
Flixbus – 2015 –2016
FlixBus – 2016–2024
FlixBus 2024 – present