Need a ride? Bus company includes Modesto, Merced in new service across three states

Modesto-area residents have a new option for travel with the arrival of FlixBus, a German company that has expanded to the western United States.

Its buses now connect 32 cities in California, Nevada and Arizona. FlixBus advertises a $14.99 fare between Modesto and Los Angeles, for example (though our stop is actually in Salida).

FlixBus bills itself as a low-cost service, but the website for Greyhound lists fares as low as $15 between Modesto and LA.

Merced and Stockton also are among the cities served by FlixBus. Some trips require a transfer. Like Greyhound, the buses have Wi-Fi service.

FlixBus has become a dominant player in Europe since its founding in 2013, the Associated Press reported in April. The three Western states are the first U.S. presence for the Munich-based company.

“The way we do things is fundamentally different from established transportation companies,” said Chief Execuctive Officer Jochen Engert.

FlixBus contracts with smaller companies to buy and operate the buses in each region it serves, under timetables and service standards that it developed.

FlixBus serves 27 countries in Europe, with about 250,000 connections between 1,700 cities.

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