Eurolines

Belintoustri Bova Futura
Slogan Your connection across Europe
Founded 1985
Headquarters Metrologielaan 6, 1130 Brussels, Belgium[1]
Service area Europe
Service type Transcontinental coach services
Stops 48 European cities
Annual ridership 4 million
Operator 29 coach companies
Website www.eurolines.eu

Eurolines Organisation is an international non-profit organisation according to Belgian law.[1] It operates a transnational network, connecting 600 destinations, covering the whole of Europe, plus Morocco.[2] It was founded in 1985. Its forerunner was the Europabus brand network created by the Union des Services Routiers des Chemins de Fer Européens (URF), 11 European compagnies, in 1951.[3]

Eurolines is a network of 29 co-operating coach companies from all over Europe offering partially integrated ticketing and extensive connections, rather than a single company. For example, in Great Britain Eurolines services are operated by National Express, in Northern Ireland by Ulsterbus, and in the Republic of Ireland by Bus Éireann. Eurolines headquarters are in Brussels. Some Eurolines operators choose to compete on certain routes rather than complement each other.[2]

Due to its decentralised approach, standards of service vary between countries. In some parts of Europe, notably the Baltic states (operated by Lux Express) and former Yugoslavia (operated by Lasta Beograd, Centrotrans, and others), Eurolines is a major method of travel between neighbouring countries. In other parts of Europe, international rail and air travel are more common and Eurolines coaches service a niche market of mainly overnight links.

Eurolines sell passes for unlimited travel between 48 European cities for either 15 or 30 days under the name Eurolines Pass.[4] These passes do not provide access to all services, and may make booking tickets at regional offices impossible. The decentralized approach also makes administrative support difficult.

Czech Republic

In the Czech Republic, there exist several companies which use this mark:

  • Eurolines Česká republika spol. s r.o. (Eurolines ČR) is a small company owned by Naděžda Hofmannová, wife of entrepreneur Jan Hofmann, and established in 1996. Originally it really was a part of the Eurolines network. Nowadays, it operates one international line 000395 Praha (CZ) – Banská Bystrica (SK) in cooperation with a Slovakian company SAD BBDS. This company is considered to misuse the trademark[5] and is not mentioned among companies which represents Eurolines network.[6] However, none of the member companies of the real Eurolines network took any legal action against this company.
  • Touring Bohemia, s. r. o. (BOHEMIA EUROEXPRESS INTERNATIONAL, s.r.o. before 2007). The company was established in 1992, it became part of the Eurolines network in 1999.[7] However, later it claimed that it represents Eurolines just since 1992.[6]
  • Transdev Eurolines CZ, a. s. (Veolia Eurolines CZ, a.s before 2013, SODELI CZ, a.s. before 2007, SODELI CZ, s.r.o. before 2004). The company was established in 1999.

References

  1. 1 2 http://www.eurolines.com/en/terms-and-conditions/
  2. 1 2 About Us Eurolines
  3. ↑ Driving Europe: Building Europe on roads in the twentieth century, Proefschrift Frank Schipper, 14-8-2008 Archived 11 September 2016 at the Wayback Machine.
  4. ↑ Eurolines Pass Eurolines
  5. ↑ Firma EUROLINES Česká republika spol. s r.o. - Diskuze, názory, doporučení a hodnocení, kurzy.cz
  6. 1 2 eurolines.cz - Touring Bohemia: 20 let na cestách Evropou a budování značky, BusPortál.cz, 22. 9. 2012, dabra
  7. ↑ EUROLINES přepravily za prvních dnů stovky cestujících na lince Praha-Brno, BusPortál.cz, 7. 4. 2006, dabra
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