My Honest Review of Flix Bus in the U.S.
The U.S. is not known for its effective public transportation (understatement of the century.) Sadly, that extends to its intercity buses.
As someone who lives here without a car, I’ve found myself on buses all across the country. Sometimes they’re the only option. Other times, they’re the cheapest option. I’m also trying to limit my flying.
I took FlixBus in Italy in 2022 and had a great experience, so one day while traveling around the U.S in 2023, I had the option to take Flix, and I did. It was not like Europe.
Quickly, I learned why. In 2021, Flix acquired Greyhound, and while they still operate under separate names, the experience, from the booking platform to the buses themselves, is mostly the same. In fact, you can buy tickets for both through the same app, and your FlixBus might even show up with Greyhound branding (or vice versa).
There are countless travel blogs out there comparing FlixBus to Greyhound, as if they’re two separate things.
That might have been true a few years ago, before or just after the buyout. But today, riding a FlixBus in the U.S. is essentially just riding Greyhound with green paint.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing, if you go in with the right expectations. In this review, I’ll walk you through what it’s like to take a FlixBus in the U.S.
In terms of your Flix Bus survival guide, I won’t go in too deep because everything I covered in this article on Greyhound holds up here.
My Summary of FlixBus:
- It’s just like Greyhound. That means it shouldn’t be your first choice. If you’re in the Northeast, check Amtrak, commuter trains, or a bus service like Peter Pan before taking Flix. (And if you’ve never heard of Peter Pan, check out my review of them here.)
- It has flaws. The legroom is not great. My ride had no toilet paper. No wifi. The bus driver seemed annoyed to be there, and this reflected in his driving. But hey, it got me there on time, and that’s all I wanted when I bought a Flix bus ticket.
- There’s nothing “dangerous” about Flix, but this is not a luxury travel situation.
- It’s a good option when you need to get from one city to another, and it’s not well-served by other options. It’s an affordable option too. Cheaper than flying or trying or even Amtrak, it’s often the best price to get from point A to point B.
Booking and Boarding a FlixBus
I usually use the Greyhound app.
The app is pretty good. I have no complaints about the app or the website or the option that it provides.
I’d say the app goes above and beyond, including assigning you a seat, giving directions to the station, and allowing you to track your bus if it’s running late.
One Big Bag For Free, But Don’t Go Over the Size Limit
Flix, like all non-flying options, has more flexibility with luggage. However compared to other bus options, they’re more strict.
You can bring one carry-on and one suitcase to put under the bus for free. But don’t go over the size limits. Some drivers actually measure the dimensions and won’t let you put bigger bags on, even if there’s plenty of space. I’ve seen this with my own eyes. A lady with a big bag was not allowed to board.
Flix Rarely Uses a Station. Plan Accordingly.
When Flix bought Greyhound, they began selling off many stations, which were operating at huge losses. That means these buses are more and more just boarding in an empty parking lot at a city bus stop.
Depending on the city, though, it may be near a station. In New York, the Flix stop is at a lot next to Moynihan Train Hall, so if you’re early, you can go there.
Check if your pick-up and drop-off are near a station. If not, plan accordingly. That means…
- Will you need an umbrella?
- Should you schedule a rideshare pick-up when you get there? If it’s getting in at night and not in the best area, you may want to.
- Do you know where the nearest local public transit stop is once you get there?
- Maybe you don’t need to be 45 minutes early?
Boarding: Scan Your Ticket
This is 2025, so don’t print your ticket. Just have the QR code pulled up or have it ready on your Apple Wallet.
In my experience, boarding starts about 15 minutes before.
The On-Board Experience of a Flix Bus: Mid
Whether Flix or Greyhound, in my experience, you’re rolling the dice on the quality of the bus itself. Their fleet is of aging quality. My most recent Flix Bus ride didn’t even have a green Flix Bus logo. It was just a generic white bus.
Don’t Count on Legroom, Hand Sanitizer, Outlets, or Even Toilet Paper
That means your experience will vary. You might have wifi. You might not. You might have toilet paper and hand sanitizer in the bathroom. You might not. You might have your own row to yourself, but on a busy route like New York to Boston, you might be doubled up. You might have a bus with big overhead storage space. You might not. Or you may get stuck with a seat where it’s locked or stuffed with a first aid kit. The only certainty of a Flix Bus ride is uncertainty.
I’ve ridden enough U.S. intercity buses to know that you should prepare to have none of this, and be pleasantly surprised if you do.
- Bring hand sanitizer and either TP or (I know this isn’t ideal) some napkins.
- Charge your devices beforehand.
Make Sure You’re on The Right Bus
On my last trip I got on a bus and then, about halfway through, realized the driver never once said where we were going. This is odd, but not uncommon.
Unlike other bus companies like Vamoose or Peter Pan, with Greyhound and Flix, the drivers don’t seem to have standardized routines for talking to customers.
Double-check the bus and that it’s stopping at your stop.
I Don’t Mean to Be Too Hard on Flix. It’ll Get You There Safely.
Flix and Greyhound are in a tight financial spot, I’m sure. That means you’re not getting bells and whistles. But it’s also a reputable company that will get you there safely. Let’s not be so dramatic.
Flix vs Greyhound: Is There Any Difference?
In terms of the quality of the experience and the price, no. In the U.S., they are the same company.
- The quality is the same
- You book them on the same app or website
- You can book a combined ticket between them and transfer easily.
However, there are a few differences worth mentioning besides the color of the bus.
Different Network: Flix Routes Are Usually Shorter
Greyhound Buses are somewhat synonymous with long-distance travel. Today, you can still take a 32-hour bus from Los Angeles to Houston without transferring.
However, Flix runs some of the long routes today. You can get a Flix bus right now from New York to Chicago. It’ll take 20 hours, but you won’t have to transfer.
But these ones also run between hubs. I think Flix is going for the “hub and spoke” model of the airlines. They go from big cities to smaller cities, but not from smaller city to smaller city like Greyhound used to (and still might in some cases). This is similar to how, for example, Delta Airlines has a “hub” in Atlanta.
In general, though, Greyhound runs the really long routes.
This means Flix routes may not take you as far (with exceptions), but it also means they’re less likely to be hours behind schedule, still catching up from traffic in a different city a day before.
Different Stations: Penn Station vs Port Authority
In New York, Flix routes operate out of a parking lot next to Penn Station. Greyhound operates, as it has for decades, out of Port Authority Bus Terminal. I’m guessing this could be do to space at Port Authority, but I don’t know.
Final Thoughts: Not My First CHoice
I will always check Amtrak first. Then I’ll check a combo of commuter trains, like I do when I go from New York to Hartford. Then I’ll check other bus companies, of which there are more than you think. Every region has private bus operators. In the Northeast, we have Peter Pan, Vamoose, Trailways, Coach Bus USA, and many more that fill gaps trains don’t. Maybe because of price or timing or just because it’s the only option, I’ll end up on a Flix or Greyhound Bus. When I do, I don’t expect luxury.
Questions About Flix? What to Share Your Experience?
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