Boubet

What Boubet does

Boubet is a privately held, family-owned French passenger-transport and travel group founded in 1976 and headquartered in Arçonnay (Sarthe), operating across Normandy and Pays de la Loire. The company runs 139 vehicles on a diversified portfolio: daily school transport for 5,400+ pupils across the Orne, Sarthe and Manche departments (contracted by Région Normandie and Région Pays de la Loire); delegated public-service urban networks including Alto in Alençon (since 2016, 375 stops, 3 lines, 10 TAD lines) and Bagnoles-de-l'Orne (since 2011); the Blablabus Nantes–Paris franchise (since 2017, 4 daily trips); coach charter with driver; regular interurban lines (CAP Orne, Bus Verts, TIS 72); airport shuttles; on-demand TAD services; medical transport via Ambulances Cosneau (Domfront-en-Poiraie, 2015) and Coisnard (Argentan, 2025); and a travel division operating three Selectour-branded individual-travel agencies plus a group-travel manufacturing unit under the Boubet Voyages brand. The company employs 280 staff including 52 professional drivers and 5 in-house mechanics, and travels approximately 22 million km per year.

The technology stack is fleet-and-operations focused rather than AI-driven: TomTom Webfleet GPS tracking and Optidrive driving-behavior scoring provide real-time vehicle and driver monitoring on school and charter fleets; the Alto urban network operates contactless NFC ticketing, dematerialized transport titles, and a real-time itinerary application; Cassiopée driving simulators (Réunir network) support continuous driver development; and the TAD on-demand service uses phone-reservation dispatch with a dedicated TAD Access variant for >80% disability users. Eco-fleet investments include 6 hybrid buses and 1 electric hypercenter shuttle on Alto plus 5 electric/hybrid TAD vehicles. Boubet has held AFNOR quality certification since 2007 and is pursuing the Réunir RSE label.

The revenue model is a hybrid of recurring managed-services contracts (school-transport commissioning by regional councils, 6-year urban DSPs) and transaction-fee or quote-based revenue (Blablabus franchise fees, Selectour travel-agency commissions, charter and airport-shuttle on-quote billing, group-travel package fees, and ambulance billings). GTM combines enterprise/public-sector field sales (institutional tenders), direct-to-consumer engagement through 3 physical travel agencies plus boubet-voyages.com and phone channels, and channel partnerships (Réunir for transport, Selectour for travel, Blablabus for national-line distribution). The group is structured around SA Boubet (coach transport) and SARL Boubet Voyages (travel agency), with second-generation leadership by Jean-Luc and Stéphane Boubet since 2000, no external institutional investors, and growth financed via organic cash flow and bolt-on acquisitions (Gougeul 2007, Cosneau 2015, PIEL 2021, Normandie Tourisme 2022, Coisnard 2025).

Name

Boubet

Legal name

SARL Boubet Voyages / SA Boubet

Website

https://boubet.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Boubet is a family-owned French passenger-transport and travel group founded in 1976, operating 139 vehicles across school transport, urban bus networks, charter, regular lines, medical transport, and travel agency services for public-sector clients and consumers in Normandy and Pays de la Loire.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Passenger Road Transportation & Travel Services

NAICS

Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation (485), Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation (485210), Charter Bus Industry (485510), Taxi and Ridesharing Services (485310)

SIC

Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100), Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Operators (TLAFAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Budget / No-Frills Coach Operators (TLAFAFAF)

Keywords

• Coach charter services
• School transportation
• Urban bus networks
• Medical transport services
• Travel agency operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Alençon

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Coach Charter with Driver (Location de car avec chauffeur): Rental of coaches with professional drivers for school excursions, day trips, group trips in France or abroad. Revenue generated per trip/contract. Target customers include schools, associations, companies, and committees.
2. School Transport (Transport scolaire): Daily pupil transportation across 3 departments (Orne, Sarthe, Manche) serving 5,400+ students. Contracted service commissioned by regional councils (Normandy and Pays de la Loire). Core historical revenue stream since 1976.
3. Urban Bus Network Management (Réseaux urbains): Direct management of urban transport networks for the Communauté urbaine d'Alençon (Alto brand, since 2016) and Bagnoles-de-l'Orne (since 2011). Operated as delegated public service with 375 stops, 3 lines, 10 TAD lines in Alençon and 43 stops in Bagnoles-de-l'Orne.
4. Regular Interurban Lines (Lignes régulières): Interurban coach lines serving rural and suburban areas, complementing school transport. Passengers can use regular school coaches outside school hours for economical travel. Partner networks include CAP Orne, Bus Verts, and TIS 72.
5. Blablabus National Line (Nantes–Paris): Franchisee co-management of the Blablabus Nantes–Paris line (383km, 5h15, 4 trips/day) since 2017, within the Réunir network and under the Bus Macron regulatory framework.
6. Medical Transport / Ambulances (Ambulances Cosneau & Coisnard): Medicalized patient transport between home and healthcare facilities. Cosneau (Domfront-en-Poiraie) and Coisnard (Argentan) acquired in 2015 and 2025 respectively to diversify service offerings.
7. Individual Travel Agency (Voyage individuel): Retail travel agency services for individual travelers including stays, organized circuits, cruises, thalassotherapy, and self-drive tours. Operated through 3 physical agencies (Alençon, Bagnoles-de-l'Orne, Argentan) and an online portal (boubet-voyages.com), under the Selectour network umbrella. Features 100+ destinations across 5 continents with brand partnerships including Nationaltours, Fram, TUI Marmara, Nouvelles Frontières, Jet tours, Costa, and MSC.
8. Group Travel Manufacturing (Voyage de groupe): Custom-designed group travel packages fabricated in-house by dedicated advisors. Services include themed catalogs, event-based travel (Armada de Rouen, Carnival of Nice, etc.), solidarity tourism, and custom itineraries. Minimum 30 passengers for groups, 15 for mini-groups. Satisfaction rate of 97% reported. Revenue from package tour sales and service fees.
9. Airport Shuttles (Navettes aéroport): Shared or private shuttle transfers from customer homes to airport terminals for groups of 6 or more. Quote-based pricing. Vehicles include Fiat and Renault minibuses (7–15 seats) offering comfort and door-to-terminal service.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Boubet is a French family-owned transport and travel group based in Alençon, Normandy, that provides passenger transportation services with professional drivers — including school transport, urban bus networks, regular interurban lines, the Blablabus Nantes–Paris national franchise, on-demand TAD, medicalised ambulance services and airport shuttles — alongside individual and group travel agency services distributed through the Selectour network. It operates a fleet of 139 vehicles and serves institutional clients (regional councils, urban communities) as well as individual consumers across Normandy and Pays de la Loire.

Product overview

Boubet operates as a dual-universe transportation and travel company. The Transport division encompasses coach rental with drivers, school transport serving 5,400+ students daily across three departments, urban bus networks (Alto Alençon and Bagnoles-de-l'Orne), regular interurban lines, the Blablabus national franchise (Nantes-Paris), on-demand transport (TAD), ambulance/medical transport services, and airport shuttles. The Travel division includes custom group travel design and individual travel agency services through the Selectour network. Boubet has expanded through acquisitions including Gougeul (2007), Ambulances Cosneau (2015), PIEL (2021), Normandie Tourisme (2022), and Ambulances Coisnard (2025), now operating 280 employees across multiple locations in Normandy and Pays de la Loire.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Coach Rental with Driver (Location de car avec chauffeur) Rental of coaches with professional drivers for group excursions, day trips, weddings, corporate events and trips in France or abroad, using grand-tourism Mercedes and Volvo vehicles (53–61 seats) equipped with Wi-Fi, video, extra seat spacing, adjustable headrests and multi-position seating. Sold to individuals, companies, associations, schools and event organisers on a quote basis.
• School Transport (Transport scolaire) Daily school transportation across three French departments (Orne, Sarthe, Manche) serving 5,400+ students each day. Contracted by Région Normandie (Orne/Calvados since September 2017) and Région Pays de la Loire (Sarthe since 2018). Fleet managed with TomTom Webfleet geolocation, Optidrive connected-vehicle driver monitoring and continuous Cassiopée simulator training.
• Urban Transport Networks (Réseaux urbains — Alto and Bagnoles-de-l'Orne) Delegated operation of two urban bus networks under French public service delegation (DSP) contracts: the Alto network in Alençon (375 stops, 3 lines, 10 TAD lines, 6 hybrid buses, 1 electric hypercenter shuttle, since 2016) and a single-loop line in Bagnoles-de-l'Orne (43 stops, since 2011). Includes NFC contactless ticketing, dematerialised transport titles, a real-time passenger itinerary app and passenger-load-based routing.
• Regular Interurban Lines (Lignes régulières) Interurban regular coach lines serving rural and suburban areas, complementing school transport by enabling passengers to use regular school coaches outside school hours for economical travel. Operated in partnership with CAP Orne, Bus Verts and TIS 72 networks.
• Blablabus Nantes–Paris National Line National coach line franchise co-managing the Nantes–Paris route (383 km, 5h15, 4 trips/day) under the Blablabus brand. Buses equipped with free Wi-Fi, power outlets and toilets; line listed on blablabus.com alongside FlixBus.
• On-Demand Transport (Transport à la Demande TAD) On-demand taxi-style service using 5 electric or hybrid vehicles, triggered exclusively by phone reservation on the Communauté urbaine d'Alençon network. Includes a TAD Access variant dedicated to persons with >80% disability.
• Medicalised Transport / Ambulances (Cosneau & Coisnard by Boubet) Medicalised patient transportation between home and healthcare facilities (hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation centres, medical practices) in the Orne department. Delivered through Ambulances Cosneau (Domfront-en-Poiraie, since 2015) and Ambulances Coisnard (Argentan, since 2025).
• Airport Shuttles (Navettes aéroport) Shared or private shuttle transfers from customer homes to airport terminals for groups of 6 or more. Quote-based pricing; vehicles include Fiat and Renault minibuses (7–15 seats) providing door-to-terminal service.
• Group Travel (Voyage de groupe) Custom-designed group travel packages fabricated in-house by dedicated advisors at the Maison Boubet. Offers themed catalogues, event-based travel (e.g., Armada de Rouen, Carnival of Nice), solidarity tourism and custom itineraries for groups of 30+ (or mini-groups of 15+). Reported 97% customer satisfaction rate.
• Individual Travel Agency (Voyage individuel) Retail travel agency services for individual travelers — stays, organised circuits, cruises, thalassotherapy and self-drive tours — across 100+ destinations on 5 continents. Operated through 3 Selectour-branded physical agencies (Alençon, Bagnoles-de-l'Orne, Argentan) and the online portal boubet-voyages.com, with brand partnerships including Nationaltours, Fram, TUI Marmara, Nouvelles Frontières, Jet tours, Costa and MSC.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% group travel customer satisfaction rate, attributed to instant responsiveness, comprehensive before/during/after service, continuous improvement process, and hyper-selected local partners
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Région Pays de la LoirecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Since 2018, the Pays de la Loire Region has been Boubet's direct client and contracting authority for school transport in the Sarthe department, following the regional transfer of public transport competence. www.paysdelaloire.fr
• Blablabus (Ouibus / FlixBus)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2017Boubet has operated as a franchisee of the Blablabus network since 2017, co-managing the Nantes–Paris line (383km, 5h15, 4 trips/day) within the Réunir network. The line uses blue and pink buses equipped with free Wi-Fi, power outlets, and toilets. Boubet is listed alongside FlixBus on the Blablabus platform.
• Région NormandiecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Since September 2017, the Normandie Region has been Boubet's direct client and contracting authority for school transport in the Orne and Calvados departments, following the transfer of public transport competence from departments to regions. www.normandie.fr
• Alto (Communauté urbaine d'Alençon)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Boubet operates the Alto urban transport network for the Communauté urbaine d'Alençon (CUA) under a 6-year delegated public service contract (2016–2022), in close collaboration with the Réunir network. The network covers 375 stops across 3 lines and 10 TAD lines, with a fleet of 6 hybrid buses and 1 electric hypercenter shuttle.
• Ville de Bagnoles-de-l'OrnecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Since 2010, the municipality of Bagnoles-de-l'Orne has entrusted Boubet with the direct management of its urban transport network — a single-loop line with 43 stops around the spa town lake and château.
• RéunircoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004Boubet has been a member of Réunir, France's leading network of independent passenger transport companies, since 2004. The network comprises 200+ members across France. Membership provides access to shared innovation tools (bus connectivity, Cassiopée driving simulator), AFNOR-Réunir LeRéso certification, professional working groups, best practice exchanges, and the collective credibility of a national independent network. Réunir also enables Boubet to participate in the delegated service public management of urban networks (e.g., Alto CUA).
• SelectourcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 1989Boubet Voyages has been a member of Selectour, France's largest network of independent travel agencies (1,200 agencies), since 1989. This affiliation enables Boubet to offer individual travelers access to 100+ destinations across 5 continents with the buying power of a large network, while maintaining its local independence. Boubet operates 3 physical Selectour agencies and an online portal under the Selectour brand.
• FNTV (Fédération Nationale des Transports de Voyageurs)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoubet is a member of FNTV, the professional federation covering all coach transport professions in France. The federation represents approximately two-thirds of France's coach fleet. FNTV membership provides industry advocacy, professional standards, and collective representation.
• CAP Orne (Lignes régulières)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner for interurban regular line services in the Orne department. Boubet operates regular lines as part of the CAP Orne network, complementing school transport services for non-school travelers.
• Bus Verts (Lignes régulières)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner for interurban regular line services in the region. Bus Verts is a local transport partner in the Boubet regular lines ecosystem.
• TIS 72 (Transport intermodal de la Sarthe)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner for interurban regular line services in the Sarthe department. TIS 72 is the intermodal transport service for the Sarthe, used by Boubet for regular line operations.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves15 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Transdev: Global and leading French multimodal passenger transport operator (urban, intercity, school, medical) backed by Caisse des Dépôts/Rethmann. Directly competes with Boubet for delegated public service and regional council contracts across France.
• Keolis: SNCF subsidiary and one of the largest French urban and intercity transit operators. Competes head-to-head with Boubet for French urban DSP tenders (Alto-class contracts) and school transport markets.
• RATP Dev: RATP subsidiary operating urban transit, intercity, and tourist coach services in France and internationally. A direct competitor for delegated urban networks and a potential alternative operator for Boubet's CUA Alençon contract at renewal.

Direct peers

• Cars Philibert: Family-run regional French coach/charter and school transport operator with comparable service mix (charter, school lines, urban/interurban). Closest direct peer in size and operating model to Boubet outside Normandy.
• FlixBus: Parent network of Blablabus, of which Boubet is a franchisee on the Nantes-Paris line. FlixBus is also Boubet's partner-of-record on national intercity coach and competes more broadly as a digital intercity platform across France.
• Havas Voyages: Major French retail travel agency chain offering package holidays, cruises, and group travel. Closest large-scale comparable to Boubet Voyages' Selectour-affiliated individual and group travel business.

Others

• Selectour: Largest French network of independent travel agencies (1,200 members) to which Boubet Voyages belongs since 1989. Network counterpart rather than direct competitor; relevant for understanding Boubet's distribution scale and supplier negotiating power.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/boubetvoyagesetautocars
• Xx.com/boubetstb

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Boubet