Blah Blah Kar - how to find a travel companion by car? My review of the Bla Bla Car service

How to find a trip on a bla bla car that is suitable in all respects - cost, good car, adequate travel companion? Is it safe at all? Maybe, well, him, and better the old fashioned way, by bus? When in 2016 I first encountered a blah blah car - a site with fellow travelers - such thoughts were spinning in my head. Now, in 2021, I use this service all the time. I'll tell you more in more detail.

Then, on the May holidays, my friend and I decided to see Brest by all means. Train tickets from Minsk were already on the table, and the question of how to get to the capital of Belarus remained open. All transport was prohibitively expensive, and we honestly wanted to save money.

Where you can find a trip - we determined, the options were sorted out, and now the driver was found: the very next day a small red car marked “only for women” was taking us to Minsk. Since then, I regularly book cars on blablacar, and I am ready to share with you the secrets of how best to find a travel companion and how to save a decent amount even in Russia between cities, at least for a seaside vacation (you can also go to Crimea :)).

From the editor. The text was written by Victoria, but supplemented by my comments. Therefore, further there will be a lot of inserts from your personal account. I am an active user of the Bla Bla Car service since 2015. During this time, the profile has accumulated more than 50 travel companions: to Kazan, Moscow, Cheboksary, etc .; as well as to Munich, Prague and Moscow from Vilnius.

What is Blah Blah Kar? Pros and cons

Bla bla car is a site where you can find a trip by car from point A (for example, Chelyabinsk) to point B (for example, Yekaterinburg). Or find fellow travelers if you are driving the same car. And almost without registration - difficult and tedious.

Just enter the desired date, city of departure and arrival on the website. The system displays a list of drivers - it remains to choose the best option by reading the reviews. Every day is done more than 100 thousand trips 30,000 routes each.

Obvious pluses for the driver: gasoline fights back, and some also earn.

Pros for travelers no less significant:

+ the cost of a trip to Blablakar is cheaper than by bus, and the conditions are much more comfortable (if, of course, you choose the right car - and more on that below);

+ the road takes less time; I will also include flexibility here - you can always agree with the driver to pick you up or take you to a certain place;

+ this is a tolerable option for traveling abroad if you have to go through customs control: there are only 4-5 passengers in the car, cannot be compared with a packed bus;

+ sometimes Blablacar is the only way to leave. This applies either to small settlements, or during the holiday periods when everything moving is sold out.

Minuses the system has:

- drivers do not undergo strict checks, and therefore passengers carry out all trips at their own peril and risk - VERY IMPORTANT TO READ reviews on blah blah car;

- the reservation can be canceled at the last moment, so do not rely on the service of fellow travelers before important events; it is better to take air tickets or a train in advance;

- the passenger can do the same, which means that the driver will be left without profit;

- no telephone support service. If you have any difficulties or questions, you can write to support the site at the link https://www.blablacar.ru/contact

- the cost on the site may not correspond to reality - it depends on the adequacy of the driver. Somehow I needed to get from Ukraine to Moscow. I found a car, after which they called me back and announced that it was a bus, and the price was only twice the indicated one (and at the same time the cost of the usual Busfor).

From the editor. I also had a similar experience: I booked a passenger car, and a Mercedes Sprinter (minibus) was waiting on the spot. I had to go, they drove me fine. My mistake is not reading the reviews.

There are both legal and illegal buses on BlaBlaCar. The first ones are officially registered on the service and are shown as individual entrepreneurs, the second hide information and pass themselves off as one-time trips, it happens that cars are substituted.

Bla Bla Car is officially represented in 22 states. A dozen European, Russia with Ukraine, from the "exotic" - India, Brazil, Mexico. But, as you know, blah blah cars also plow the roads of other countries. Just look for a ride in the directions you want.

We also recommend comparing prices for other "must get" services:

• KiwiTaxi - order a transfer online. If you are traveling with a company of 2-3 people, and even from / to the airport, KiwiTaxi can be more profitable and more reliable. We used it in Athens and Montenegro.
• FlixBus - buses to travel between cities in Europe and the CIS for an inexpensive. For example, for 1 euro, if you get a share 🙂

How to use Blah Blah Kar? Savings on the trip

Bla bla car really helps to save money. The reason for this is high competition, because of which drivers set prices below average, no one wants to go "empty".

In August 2018, I went to Minsk again: a trip in a comfortable sedan with ice cream and a blanket cost me 1,000 rubles. Compared to the bus, train and the same Belavia, it was cheap. Similarly, with trips to the south - you can take a car ride on a budget.

Prices in Europe are no less pleasant: the road from Vilnius to Moscow can cost 1,800 rubles. Just a minute: the bus usually costs 3500 and more. When choosing a trip, it is important to compare all the options - and there are very high price tags on bla bla car. What guides the drivers in such cases is a mystery, because both the car model and the check-out time are standard.

When I signed up, there were no instructions on how to use Blah Blacar on the Internet and I had to learn everything from my own experience. Next, I will tell you the moments that I look at when choosing a trip.

How to find travel companions by car correctly? What to look for

Here are a number of passenger rules that I follow all the time. Before going on a trip by car, pay attention to the following features of the service:

1. Feedback is paramount. After each trip, both the driver and the passenger can express their opinion about each other, more precisely, write it. This is where it becomes clear how much the car corresponds to reality, and the driver is friendly and punctual. With the help of reviews, you can calculate gazelles-buses - someone will even write that it was not the mythical Tatyana who was driving, but quite a real Vasily.
   It happens that the driver has no reviews at all - how, in this case, do you know if a newcomer is in front of you or a representative of a carrier? Check if he has trips on the same route in the coming dates. If there is, then this is clearly not a private trader.
2. When registering, drivers are asked to upload a photo of their vehicles or indicate the model. If all the data is entered, you roughly understand in what conditions you have to go. If nothing is known, please check the information in your personal correspondence - you can always cancel your reservation.
3. The number of people in the back seat should be indicated. My advice to you: choose where this number equals two. You will also see how many fellow travelers have already booked seats in the car, and who they are.
4. To reduce the likelihood of cancellation, take seats where someone else has already booked. In such cases, the driver will pick up 99% of passengers and the trip will take place.

How else to find a travel companion correctly? After booking, you will be shown the driver's phone number. Send him a message to let him know that passengers are already being dialed, or ask your questions. Do not forget to clarify the following information:

• The exact place and time of the meeting. If the driver is driving out of the suburbs, this option may not work for you.
• Place of arrival.Drivers usually indicate a point that is convenient for their route. But sometimes they can throw it right up to the house. If you are traveling in transit, inform about it to be sure: you will not be dropped off in the middle of the road and offered to walk a kilometer on foot.
• Baggage. You can take a small suitcase with you, but if you are going to carry something large, be sure to discuss it with the driver in advance.
• Payment. Most often, payment is made in cash at the end of the trip. If you do not have a cache, discuss the possibility of transferring to the card (in advance!).

How to register for Blah Blah Kar? Instructions for beginners

1. The service is very easy to use. Install the application or open the bla bla car official website page. You will be immediately asked to become a full member of the service by confirming your e-mail. But on bla bla car you can find a travel companion without registration - just log in via Vkontakte or Facebook. Fill out the form and tell us about yourself.

From February 2019, you can confirm your account with a Russian passport and get an additional security badge.

2. In order to find the most convenient and suitable trip among the offers on bla bla car, enter all the necessary data in the search bar: date, point of departure and arrival. A list of trips will appear in front of you.
3. Choose your option. Do not forget to read the reviews and clarify all the information you are interested in with the driver.
4. Book your trip. There are two types of booking confirmation - automatic and manual. In case of automatic confirmation, see the driver's comment on how to contact him. If there is no information, wait until he gets in touch himself. If the driver manually negotiates the travel companions, the waiting time can take up to 6 hours. During this period, he must either approve your candidacy, or the reservation will fly off.
5. Contact the driver. Once again, check all the details, including the place and time of boarding, car model, cost.
6. On day X, arrive at the meeting point, get in your car and travel. It is better to pay after the fact. And do not forget to write a review to share your experience and help other tourists.

What other services are my faithful travel assistants? Airbnb - search for private accommodation around the world (via the link 4000 rubles for the first booking) Air ticket aggregators

Vehicle registration. How to find fellow travelers if you are a driver?

1. The driver also needs to register on the website / in the application, or log in using social. networks. Fill in information about yourself and your car - the more data, the more trust. Think what you would like to know in the passenger seat, write the truth!
2. Create a trip. Indicate the city of departure and arrival, the place of embarkation and disembarkation, the number of available seats, the date and time of departure.
3. Indicate the cost of the trip - the service itself will offer the average price, but you can change it.
4. Add comments (for example, about luggage) and indicate the method of communication. The more you write, the better. Make your ad stand out.
5. Choose how reservations will be confirmed - automatically or manually. If you want to select fellow travelers, you will have 6 hours to review each candidate, otherwise the application will be canceled. After confirmation, you will receive the passenger data - contact them and discuss all the details. Install the application on your phone, it will be more convenient.
6. You can always cancel the trip, but please notify your failed passengers about this directly - at least via SMS!

Passenger Tips - Frequently Asked Questions

Does Bla Bla Car charge a commission?
Some time ago, the service did withhold a commission of 20% of the cost of the trip, but for the winter of 2021 there is no such practice. That is, use is free.

Is it safe to ride Bla Bla Car?
As I said, the drivers on Bla Bla Car are not checked in any way. But if your potential chauffeur has a lot of good reviews in the profile, you can rest assured (although I still send someone close to me the car number - you never know?). If there are no reviews, and you are the only passenger who has reserved a seat, you travel at your own risk. In any case, before driving to another city, weigh the pros and cons.

If you are a girl and have booked a trip with several more fellow travelers (as can be seen on the website / in the application), and were the only passenger on the spot, it is better to politely refuse to see another car. Why risk it again?

The driver did not come. What to do?
Swear to yourself and look for a new car. Once again, I want to note that using bla bla car on the eve of important events, flights or the same going to work after vacation is a dubious idea.

But if the direction is popular, there are usually a lot of cars, and you won't have to wait long - there were such cases, the car was found within 1-2 hours.

The car broke down. What to do?
First of all, find out how serious the breakdown is. If you are in no hurry, and the car can be repaired in a few hours, it is better to stay and wait - it is not a fact that you will be able to find a travel companion and hit the road in a different car. If the car does not have a chance to resurrect in the next few hours, ask to drop you off at a gas station / hotel / store and look for a new ride. In this case, the trip is usually not paid.

Is it possible to rent a car for women only?
The service has implemented this option for a long time, I will not describe much, in short - you can find a trip only for women. You can read more at this link >>

My review and advice

• Usually I try to choose foreign cars for long trips with two people in the back, for small ones - no difference.
• I am looking for those trips where someone has already booked - such reservations are rarely canceled.
• I trust drivers who drive often and make money on it. They know the road well.
• You can search for departures and destinations from neighboring cities - often drivers, upon request, pick you up (again, you can always cancel - the main thing is to agree).
• There are about 30 minutes late, the main thing is to keep in touch. And wait.
• Do not save on car and comfort, otherwise, because of 50-100 rubles, you will be traveling five of us in Zhiguli.
• "Blah Blah Car became paid" - this news went on the Internet in the fall of 2018, but to this day the service remains free!
• If a trip for your time is not found, you can create a notification, and all new cars will come to your mail, you can book first.
• If you have just registered for the service, you can write to the driver about it, say that you are driving for the first time, therefore there are no reviews about you yet.