What Philibert does

Philibert (legal entity: CARS PHILIBERT SAS) is a family-owned, independent French transport and travel services group founded in 1925 and headquartered in Caluire & Cuire (Lyon metropolitan area), now led by third-generation PDG Marc Philibert. The group operates a vertically integrated platform spanning four core service lines: Philibert Transport (regular intercity and school transport on 33 lines serving approximately 212 communes across Loire, Rhône, Ain, Haute-Savoie, and Isère, transporting roughly 20,000 children daily to over 2,500 schools); Philibert Location (occasional coach and minibus rental with driver); Voyages Philibert (outbound travel agency running organized coach tours across France and Europe plus air departures from Lyon/Geneva); and Philibert Travel & Events / Agence Réceptive (B2B receptive tourism, MICE, and cruise shore excursions, including a 10-year partnership with Viking River Cruises). Supporting sub-brands include Croisières Philibert, Loisirs Philibert, Dessertes Scolaires, and Affaires & Événementiel, with contracted public transport operations for SIBRA in Grand Annecy.

The business operates a fleet of 531 vehicles (399 coaches, 43 minibuses, 89 light vehicles) distributed across 14 depots, supported by approximately 445 conductors who undergo mandatory 5-year safety re-certification. The proprietary technology layer is limited to a voluntary eco-driving and geolocation monitoring system (on-board devices tracking braking, speed, and fuel consumption) installed since 2008 — ahead of regulatory mandate — which contributed to a 2023 EcoVadis Silver Medal (67/100, Top 3% of 366 companies in 'Other Land Passenger Transport'). The group also holds Scania D.O.S. certification for its dealer/repair operations and transport license 2014/82/000773 from the French Ministry of Transport.

The revenue model combines recurring subscription-like streams (regular line and school transport contracted with public authorities and schools) with one-off professional services (occasional coach rental, outbound travel packages, custom B2B receptive tourism and event logistics). Go-to-market is direct-to-customer via a five-portal website ecosystem (philibert.fr and four sub-domain portals), supplemented by trade show presence (Mahana Lyon, Rendez-vous en France), radio advertising, and a dedicated recruitment portal. Customer segments span local government and schools (largest recurring base), SMBs and associations (occasional rental), enterprise event organizers (Caterpillar, Atlético de Madrid via Kuoni), and inbound tour operators (Viking, German receptive partners) — predominantly within Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, with outbound tourism extending nationally.

Name

Philibert

Legal name

CARS PHILIBERT

Website

https://philibert.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1925

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Philibert is a 100-year-old French family-owned transport and travel group operating 531 vehicles across 14 depots in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, providing regular and school bus services (33 lines, 20,000 pupils daily), coach rental, outbound travel, and B2B receptive tourism and cruise excursions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Passenger Transport Services

NAICS

Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation (48521), Charter Bus Industry (485510), School and Employee Bus Transportation (4854)

SIC

Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100)

akta.pro primary industry

Budget / No-Frills Coach Operators (TLAFAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Multi-Country/Regional Circuit Tour Operators (THAKADAK), Tourist/Attraction Circulator Shuttles (Downtown/Theme Parks) (TLAFAJAL), River Cruise Booking & Distribution (Direct/Agents/OTAs) (THAEACAF), Cross-Border / International Coach Operators (TLAFAFAD)

Keywords

• Passenger transport services
• School transport services
• Coach rental services
• Travel agency services
• Corporate event transport

Headquarters

HQ city

Caluire

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Regular and School Transport: Scheduled intercity and regional bus lines, school transport services, and private enterprise transport services. Philibert operates approximately 33 regular lines serving 212 communes across Rhône, Loire, Ain, Haute-Savoie, and Isère departments, transporting approximately 20,000 children daily to school.
2. Occasional Transport (Location): On-demand coach and bus rental with driver for a wide range of clients: schools, leisure centers, companies, works councils, associations, and individuals. Services include weddings, corporate events, ski trips, and airport transfers.
3. Travel Agency (Outbound): Organized coach tours across France and Europe (over 30 years of specialization), plus air travel destinations departing from Lyon or Geneva. Product lines include circuits, stays, getaways, and cruises under the Voyages Philibert brand.
4. Receptive Tourism and Events: Inbound travel services for French and foreign tour operators, handling leisure and business groups and individuals. Services include custom itinerary design, guided tours, half-day/day/stay programs, team-building activities, meetings, social programs, congress support, and shore excursions for river and maritime cruise ships. Philibert manages the full logistics as both a receptive agency and coach operator, providing a single point of contact.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Philibert is a diversified passenger transport and travel services group operating across the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. It provides scheduled intercity/school bus lines (33 lines serving ~212 communes), occasional coach rental with drivers, outbound organized travel (coach tours, circuits, cruises), corporate event and receptive tourism logistics, and school transport for 2,500+ establishments. The group runs 531 vehicles and 445 conductors across 14 depots.

Product overview

Philibert is a diversified transportation and travel services company operating as a unified platform of complementary services. The core offerings include Philibert Transport (regular and school transportation with 33 lines serving 212+ communes), Philibert Location (coach rental with drivers), Voyages Philibert (travel agency for organized trips), and Philibert Travel & Events (corporate events). Supporting sub-brands include Agence Réceptive (inbound tourism), Croisières (cruise shore excursions), Dessertes Scolaires (school transport), and Loisirs (leisure trips). The company operates 14 depots with 531 vehicles and 445 drivers across the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Philibert Transport (Regular and School Lines) Scheduled intercity and regional bus lines and school transport services operating 33 lines across 212+ communes in Loire, Rhône, Ain, Haute-Savoie, and Isère, transporting approximately 20,000 children daily to school and serving 2,500+ school establishments.
• Philibert Location (Coach Rental with Driver) On-demand coach, minibus, and light vehicle rental with driver for associations, leisure centers, companies, works councils, individuals, and schools. Fleet includes 399 coaches, 43 minibuses, and 89 light vehicles deployed for events, weddings, ski trips, corporate days, and airport transfers.
• Voyages Philibert (Outbound Travel Agency) Organized coach tours across France and Europe (over 30 years of specialization), plus air travel destinations departing from Lyon or Geneva, including circuits, stays, getaways, and cruises sold direct to consumers.
• Philibert Travel & Events (Corporate Events and Receptive Tourism) Business events, seminars, and congress organization, coordinating transfers, accommodation, guided tours, team-building activities, and on-site assistance for French and international corporate clients.
• Agence Réceptive Philibert (Receptive Agency) Receptive agency organizing leisure and business trips for groups, individuals, and companies (French and foreign tour operators), providing a single point of contact for complete trip logistics including guided tours, activities, and transportation.
• Croisières Philibert (Cruise Shore Excursions) Specialized excursion and land program organization for river and maritime cruise ships, including guided tours, monument entries, leisure activities, dining, transport, and airport or train station transfers.

Quantifiable outcome

• ~20,000 children transported daily between home and school
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Viking (River Cruises)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 March 2023A 10-year partnership (dating to approximately 2013) in which Philibert Travel & Events provides shore excursion logistics, guided tours, and transport for Viking river cruise passengers visiting the Rhône valley. The 2023 kick-off event was held aboard the Viking Buri ship in Avignon, demonstrating the depth of the operational collaboration.
• Only Lyon TourismeminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 October 2018Philibert Location and Philibert Travel & Events participated in the 'Rendez-vous à Lyon' workshop organized by Only Lyon Tourisme on a cruise ship. The event connected Philibert with 48 German tour operators interested in French destination products, with Philibert providing transport for pre-tours to Provence, Saint-Étienne, Burgundy, and Ardeche.
• SIBRA (Société d'Intérêt Collectif des Bus de la Région d'Annecy)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 27 August 2018Philibert Transport operates bus line 80 (inaugurated August 27, 2018) for SIBRA, the public transport company of Grand Annecy. Lines 161 and 162 were also renamed 81 and 82 under Philibert's operation. Seven additional daily trips were added to serve the rapidly growing Annecy metropolitan area.
• Tour de l'Ain (Official Partner)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 May 2018Official partner of the 30th Tour de l'Ain cycling race (May 18–20, 2018), providing VIP coaches for race guests at each stage start and finish. Event received media coverage from Le Progrès, Eurosport, and France 3 Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.
• Kuoni Destination ManagementcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerKuoni Destination Management serves as a GTM partner, connecting Philibert with major international events and VIP transport opportunities. Through this partnership, Philibert provided coach transport for Atlético de Madrid VIPs and families during the Europa League final at Lyon's Groupama Stadium, including airport and hotel shuttle services.
• Scania FrancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhilibert operates as a Scania dealer for heavy vehicle sales and repair, participating in the TOP TEAM competition (technician skills contest). Philibert's Lyon Nord team won three consecutive editions; in 2018, three Philibert TSD teams placed within the top 15 of 53 teams nationally. Philibert also holds Scania's D.O.S. (Dealer Operating Standards) certification.
• TSD (Expo et Démo Monistrol-sur-Loire)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPhilibert TSD served as a partner of the 'Expo et Démo' truck exhibition event in Monistrol-sur-Loire, which attracted 3,500+ visitors. The event featured 100 decorated trucks (80 Scania), classic cars, and off-road demonstrations.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Keolis: Keolis is a leading French public transport operator (SNCF subsidiary) running urban, intercity, and school bus networks nationwide. Overlaps with Philibert on delegated public service contracts and school transport.
• BlaBlaCar Bus (formerly Ouibus): BlaBlaCar operates long-distance intercity bus services in France, directly competing with traditional operators on interurban regular lines and representing both a competitor and potential B2B charter channel.
• Transdev: Transdev is a major global public transport operator with significant French intercity and regional bus operations, including school and regular-line services. A broad incumbent that competes with Philibert on public tenders but at much larger scale.
• FlixBus France: FlixBus operates a long-distance intercity coach network across France with strong digital distribution. Competes with Philibert's regular lines on interurban corridors and represents a structural threat to traditional coach operators.
• TUI France: TUI is one of France's largest integrated tour operators combining packaged tours, cruise distribution, and charter transport. Comparable to Voyages Philibert's outbound and group tour business, though at substantially larger scale.

Direct peers

• Lacroix Group: Lacroix is one of France's largest family-owned coach and travel groups with a similar vertically integrated model spanning regular lines, school transport, coach rental, and outbound travel — directly comparable to Philibert's structure and regional-leader positioning.
• Berthelet Group: Berthelet is a family-owned regional coach and tour operator in eastern France with comparable scheduled bus, school, and charter services — directly comparable in scale and business mix to Philibert.
• Perraud Voyages: Perraud is a long-established regional coach and travel operator based in Rhône-Alpes with comparable intercity bus lines, school transport, and tour operations — directly competing with Philibert in the same geographic corridor.
• Voyages Cattaneo: Cattaneo is a French family-run coach operator offering charter, scheduled, and tour services with a regional footprint — closely comparable in business model, fleet size, and target customer segments to Philibert.

Regional players

• Courriers Rhodaniens: Courriers Rhodaniens is a regional bus operator in the Rhône valley providing scheduled and on-demand services — a direct local competitor on the same geographic routes Philibert operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/philiberttransport
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/philibert-transport

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Philibert