BlaBlaCar: A ride sharing service for seriously cheap car trips

Try BlaBla Car for ride-share trips in Europe. Photo: BlaBla Car

Looking for a cheaper way to travel by car around Europe? You might want to try a ride-sharing service like BlaBlaCar. Founded in 2006, this sharing economy business is a good option to get between points A and B, especially on longer routes or those without an affordable public transport option. It can also work really well for travelers who don’t want to rent a car, but still want to visit small towns or villages near a big city.

Currently the BlaBlaCar carpooling service is available in the following European countries: Belgium, Brazil, Germany, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Serbia, Turkey, United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Russia, and Ukraine.

What is it?

BlaBlaCar is a lot like Lyft or Uber, but generally geared towards longer-haul car trips. Ride-shares include everything from popular routes in one country, like the trip from London to Stonehenge, to longer trips that cross borders, like the drive from Amsterdam to Paris, or even across oceans, like the ride from London to Brussels. In Barcelona, you can even find a ride to El Prat airport for €5 or less, which is actually cheaper than the Aerobus.

When it comes to budget car travel in Europe (especially in countries where Uber and Lyft haven’t really taken off), the service is a game changer. It’s much cheaper than taking a cab, and at least most of the time, it has the added bonus of a much more interesting travel experience. Most drivers are locals making a commute or a trip and are usually pleased to share their insights into area attractions, places to eat, and their life in Europe.

Searching for rides between Paris and Lyon.

How it works

1. Find the right website

In English: It’s a bit annoying, but in order to get search for details in English, you need to go to BlaBlaCar’s English language page (blablacar.co.uk), even if your trip is between cities in other countries. Unfortunately, your results will always be priced in British Pounds, no matter your destination or where you’re using the service.

Local languages: Localized versions for each country are in its main language and currency (for example, euros and French for France). Thus, if you’re fluent in the local language of your destination, and would like to see prices in the local currency, choose that country on the drop down menu at blablacar.com.

2. Register for an account

Use your Facebook account or an email address to fill out a BlaBlaCar profile and confirm a phone number where drivers can reach you. (If you need tips on how to buy and use a local SIM card in Europe, check out our article before you go!)

3.  Search for rides

On the main search page, enter your departure point and destination and the date and hit “search”. Then compare prices and drivers on the results page. Be sure to check out the driver’s ratings and don’t hesitate to send the driver a question before booking. On member profiles, you can see who has more experience as well as their Facebook and LinkedIn connections, preferences and a mini-bio. You can also see what kind of car they drive.

4. Book your seat

Book your seat and pay for it online through your BlaBlaCar account. When your payment goes through, you’ll get the driver’s phone number.

5. Meet your driver

Once you have the driver’s contact info, you can arrange any final details for the meetup location. You’ll also get a booking code to present as proof of payment when the driver picks you up. Meet the driver at the agreed pick-up point, then sit back and enjoy the ride.

6. After your ride

When you reach your destination, leave a rating for the driver — it will encourage them to leave you a rating (they can’t see your rating until they leave you one). Having some ratings will make it easier for you to book rides in the future. You can also leave an anonymous evaluation of the driver’s driving skills. This is part of an average score displayed on driver’s profiles and helps future users.

What if something goes wrong?

If the driver cancels your ride or for whatever reason doesn’t show up within 15 minutes of the scheduled pick-up time, you’ll be refunded the full fare and all service fees for your ride. If you need to cancel and do so 24 hours in advance or more, you’ll get a full refund minus the booking fees. If you cancel the same day, you’ll be refunded 50% of your fare minus booking fees, unless you’re a no-show at the meeting point. You also have 30 minutes after booking (even within the 24-hour window) to cancel your trip for a full refund minus service fees.

Passengers and the driver are protected by the driver’s car insurance (required by law in most countries and by BlaBlaCar), as well as supplementary insurance from AXA which covers the cost of things like accommodation and alternate transportation in the case of a breakdown.

Every BlaBlaCar driver has a public rating and reviews.

Safety tips

All BlaBla travelers and drivers are rated and verified using the same type of system as Airbnb to create a better and safer user experience. For the safest experience possible, try to stick to drivers with an “expert” rating (six months of experience and positive ratings of 80% or higher) or “ambassador” rating (12 months of experience with 90% positive ratings or higher). If you’re sharing the car with other passengers, try to make sure they’re either people you know or intermediate or experienced users with positive ratings. Trust your instincts. If a driver or passenger makes you uncomfortable, don’t book the ride.

For women who aren’t comfortable using a ride-share with men they don’t know, there’s an option called “Ladies Only” that you can select when you search for a trip. “Ladies Only” means that all passengers in the car will be women. This is a great option for solo female travelers who may be nervous about taking the plunge. If a member is bothering you or behaving inappropriately, contact the customer service department. And remember, for your own protection, never take a ride offered through anything but the official booking platform.

BlaBlaCar vs. taxis

In theory, per the company’s current terms and conditions, BlaBlaCar drivers aren’t supposed to be turning a profit or making a living. That said, there are drivers that are driving the same route back and forth several times a day.

Why does it matter? Because unsurprisingly, in many European cities, taxi drivers are protesting the legality of a service that many regard as unfair competition. BlaBlaCar drivers don’t have the added expense of a taxi license or special insurance for transporting passengers.

So before you book in a given location, it is worthwhile to check up on the legality of the service, and in general, avoid meeting up in taxi pick-up locations like airports and train stations.

How to Get The Cheapest Rides

Booking rides with BlaBlaCar is a lot like booking other kinds of transportation. The more people offering rides on a route, the lower the price will probably be. Inexperienced drivers are also likely to be cheaper, but for safety reasons, we don’t usually hire a ride from a driver that has a rating below the “intermediate”, unless we’re traveling in a group and up for an adventure.

If you have some flexibility on dates and times, choose a day with more rides available, as the increased competition tends to lower the price.

To get an idea of how much you can save, here is a quick example. We recently did a quick search on BlaBlaCar ride-shares between Barcelona and Madrid:

• BlaBlaCar: €27
• ALSA bus company: €30
• AVE high-speed train fare: €60 and above
• Budget airfare: €70 (plus transportation to and from both airports).