What is BlaBlaCar?

Your Guide to BlaBlaCar — Europe’s Premier Rideshare Company

Although we often hear most ridesharing news about either Uber or Lyft, they are not the only major rideshare companies to make a dent in the global market.

For those looking to Travel around Europe, there is another company – Blablacar – that may be exactly what you’re looking for (especially if you’re looking for a cheaper, and more social, ridesharing experience)!

What Is BlaBlaCar?

Initially launching in 2006, BlaBlaCar is no stranger to the European market. In fact, BlaBlaCar is actually the largest long-distance ridesharing community available, connecting drivers and passengers who would like to travel between cities for a significantly reduced cost.

Initially, members must register their profile and, in turn, other members can leave ratings and reviews based on their experiences (similar, in many ways, to peer-to-peer markets like AirBnB or CouchSurfing, but for travel). In April 2015, BlaBlaCar raised an incredible USD $100 million from various venture-capital firms (not including funding from previous rounds).

By September of the same year, the company raised another USD $200 million, valuing their company at approximately $1.6 billion USD. By that time, BlaBlaCar had already acquired their largest competitor — carpooling.com, as well as the Hungary-based service, AutoHope.

So…how does BlaBlaCar actually work?

Interested in using BlaBlaCar? Here’s What You Should Know 

Whether you’re a driver or a passenger, BlaBlaCar’s service is both effective and simple to use. As a passenger, all you need to do is:

• Find your ride — enter your departure and arrival points, as well as your travel date. Then, you can select a driver who is going in the same direction. Better yet, if you have any specific questions, you can reach out to the driver before you book your trip, and discuss any pertinent or pressing details!
• Pro Tip: since rides are generally posted 3-5 days in advance, set an email alert so that your desired date and destination are made available to you as soon as they’re posted.

• Book and pay — Next, you will book and pay online. At this point, you will receive the driver’s phone number so that you can make all of the arrangements (and if the driver cancels, you will receive a refund based on BlaBlaCar’s existing cancellation policy).

• Travel — On the date of your trip, you will simply need to show your booking code to the driver…and away you go!

For BlaBlaCar Drivers

Now, if you’re the driver, you will have a slightly different experience, which is equally simple:

• Offer — If you have empty seats, why not offer them up and cut your costs of traveling? Like passengers, you will need to enter all associated info (location points and date), then wait for passengers to book.

• Booking — Once a passenger books, you will also receive their phone number (in order to make the appropriate arrangements).

• Travel — Ask for your passenger’s verification code…and then hit the road!

• Request — Once you enter the booking codes, the money will be transferred based on your preferred payment method. If you do not receive a booking code, you can automatically transfer the funds 7 days after a ride.

BlaBlaCar Costs & Expenses

In terms of the cost, this will depend on where you’re located, and how popular that route is. Since you can travel long distances, on average, this service costs less per seat than a bus or plane. Overall, BlaBlaCar’s booking fees are calculated based on the price the driver sets for the ride.

Drivers receive the full amount that they set — BlaBlaCar collects a small fee. For example, if a BlaBlaCar drivers sets a rate between £1-£3, the fees will be £1.00. When rides are set at £79 or more, the booking fee is a fixed rate of £0.89 plus 9.9% of the price the driver is asking.

As of December 2016, this rideshare service had 40 million members across the globe. At this time, BlaBlaCar’s network stretches from the UK, to France, Spain, Italy, Russia, Portugal, Turkey, and Poland! BlaBlaCar encourages prospective users to check their own regional BlaBlaCar website when aiming to travel abroad. They also offer a number of transnational rides (such as Pari- to-London, or Marseille-to-Milan).

Check it out for yourself and ‘carpool in good company.’

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