Tootbus

What Tootbus does

Tootbus is a pan-European hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus tour brand operated by RATP Developpement SA, the tourism and international development arm of the RATP Group (the Paris public transport authority). Established in 2021 to consolidate prior city tour operations under a unified brand, Tootbus runs open-top bus tours across six European destinations: Paris, Brussels, London, Barcelona, Madrid, and Tuscany. The service targets individual tourists, families, school groups, and couples seeking flexible, self-paced city exploration, with product variants ranging from 1-day to 5-day multi-city passes.

The core technology stack centers on a DTC digital platform comprising the tootbus.com website and a mobile application available on iOS and Android, which together handle ticketing, digital pass scanning, real-time bus location tracking, and route exploration. A proprietary AI-powered personal city guide branded Tootie provides real-time conversational Q&A, location-aware tips, and personalized recommendations in over 50 languages. Buses are equipped with a multilingual audio commentary system supporting 10-15 languages, including dedicated children's commentary and hearing-impaired accessibility via wireless multilingual looping. The fleet is marketed as 100% clean-energy (electric or gas). Back-office payment processing runs on VivaWallet, and B2B distribution is facilitated through a Ventrata reseller portal.

Revenue is generated predominantly through one-time transactional ticket sales priced between approximately €23-49 per adult per city (or £24-49 in London), with family and child discounts and free walking tours bundled into passes. Additional streams include specialty themed tours (Paris by Night, Christmas, Kids tours), promotional seasonal pricing, and commission-based bundles with partner attractions such as Versailles Palace, Seine cruises, Tower of London, and Mini Europe. The company operates through wholly-owned local subsidiaries (Société des Lignes Touristiques in France, The Original London Sightseeing Tour Ltd in the UK, RD Belgium, Bath Bus Company Ltd, and Autolinee Toscane in Italy). In December 2025, FirstGroup acquired the UK sightseeing operations under the Tootbus brand for approximately £17 million, representing a partial divestiture of the portfolio while continental operations remain under RATP Developpement SA.

Name

Tootbus

Legal name

RATP Developpement SA

Website

https://tootbus.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Tootbus is a hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus tour brand operated by RATP Developpement SA, offering open-top bus tours, walking tours, and an AI-powered city guide across six European cities for individual tourists and families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sightseeing Bus Tour Services

NAICS

Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Land (48711), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation (487), Tour Operators (56152)

SIC

Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Escorted Coach & Bus Package Tour Operators (THAKADAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Bespoke Multi-Day Itinerary Planning & Custom Tour Design (THAJALAB)

Keywords

• Hop-on hop-off tours
• Sightseeing bus services
• City tourism experiences
• Multilingual audio guides
• Walking tour packages

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour Tickets: Core revenue stream from selling tickets for open-top bus tours in 6 cities. Tickets available in 1, 2, or 3-day formats with unlimited hop-on hop-off access
2. Specialty Tours: Revenue from themed tours including Paris by Night, Christmas tours, Kids tours, and destination-specific experiences
3. Package Deals (Bus + Attractions): Bundled offerings combining bus tours with admission to partner attractions such as Versailles Palace, Seine cruises, Tower of London, and St Paul's Cathedral
4. AI Audio Guide (Tootie): Separate sales of AI-powered audio guide services through the mobile app
5. Promotional Tours: Seasonal promotional tours such as Christmas lights tours with discounted pricing

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Tootbus operates hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus tours across six European destinations (Paris, Brussels, London, Barcelona, Madrid, and Tuscany), selling flexible 1- to 5-day open-top bus tickets with unlimited stops, multilingual audio commentary, complimentary walking tours, and an AI-powered personal city guide called Tootie accessible via its mobile app and website.

Product overview

Tootbus is a hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus tour platform offering tours across six European destinations: Paris, Brussels, London, Barcelona, Madrid, and Tuscany. The core offering consists of open-top bus tours with flexible ticketing (1-5 days), multilingual audio guides, and complimentary walking tours. In Paris and Brussels, Tootbus operates its own fleet; in London, Barcelona, and Madrid, it partners with established local operators (The Original Tour, Barcelona City Tour, Madrid City Tour). The platform also offers themed tours (Paris by Night), attraction combinations (Versailles Palace, river cruises), and an AI-powered personal guide called Tootie. Services are bookable via the Tootbus website and mobile app, with payments processed through VivaWallet.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tootie: AI-powered personal city guide integrated into the Tootbus app, providing real-time answers, tailored tips based on user location, and personalized recommendations in over 50 languages across all Tootbus destinations.
• Tootwalk

Products and services

• Paris Discovery Hop-on hop-off bus tour in Paris with 1, 2, or 3-day options, including access to the blue route, multilingual audio guide, and 5 walking tours, covering iconic Paris landmarks such as the Opera, Louvre, Notre-Dame, Eiffel Tower, and Champs-Elysees. Intended for individual travelers and families visiting Paris.
• Brussels Discovery Hop-on hop-off bus tour in Brussels covering two routes (red and blue) with access to must-see attractions, iconic landmarks, and vibrant neighbourhoods, including 4 walking tours and an audio guide in 11 languages. Targeted at tourists visiting Brussels.
• London Discovery (Must See London) Hop-on hop-off bus tour in London operated by The Original Tour, featuring 4 bus routes, walking tours, and a Thames river cruise, covering major London attractions with a multilingual audio guide. Targeted at tourists visiting London.
• Tuscany Travel Pass Multi-day intercity travel pass valid for 1, 2, 3, or 5 days covering Florence, Pisa, Siena, Lucca, and San Gimignano via two routes (Green and Terracotta), including walking tours and access to the AI-powered Tootie guide. Targeted at multi-destination travelers in Tuscany.
• Barcelona City Tour Hop-on hop-off bus tour in Barcelona operated under the Barcelona City Tour brand, featuring two panoramic routes (Orange and Green) with over 30 stops covering Gaudí landmarks such as Sagrada Familia and Park Güell, including a multilingual audio guide in 15 languages. Targeted at tourists visiting Barcelona.
• Madrid City Tour Panoramic open-top bus tour in Madrid operated under the Madrid City Tour brand, featuring 3 bus routes covering iconic neighbourhoods including the Prado Museum, Gran Via, and Santiago Bernabéu stadium. Targeted at tourists visiting Madrid.
• Paris by Night Non-stop evening panoramic bus tour in Paris offering a 2-hour experience viewing illuminated monuments including Opera, Place Vendôme, Champs Elysées, Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, and Moulin Rouge. Targeted at couples and travelers celebrating special occasions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Combined Google rating of 4.1-4.2/5 across 11,265 reviews
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• RATP Developpement SAcoreOthers · 11 December 2025RATP Developpement SA is the parent company and operator of Tootbus. The company is a French public limited company with share capital of €517,301,072.70, headquartered at 9 Rue Brahms, 75012 Paris. Tootbus was acquired by FirstGroup in December 2025.
• ETOA (European Tourism Association)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerTourism partnership with European Tourism Association, listed as a partner organization on Tootbus websites
• Atout FranceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial French tourism certification and marketing partner, providing certification of tourism services
• Visit BrusselsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Brussels tourism board partnership for destination promotion
• STIB (Brussels International Transport Company)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrussels public transport authority listed as a partner, supporting integrated transportation in Brussels
• Visit BritainminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial UK tourism board partnership for London destination promotion
• Visit EnglandminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial England tourism organization partnership
• UK InboundminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInbound tourism association partnership for UK market
• Destination FlorenceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Florence tourism board partnership supporting Tuscany operations and responsible tourism initiatives including #EnjoyRespectFirenze campaign
• Origami (Versailles Transport)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransportation partner providing round-trip coach service between Paris and Versailles Palace. White branded coaches transport visitors as part of the Versailles tour package.
• Explore FranceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial France tourism promotion partner
• Paris je t'aimeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Paris tourism association partnership
• Visit Paris RegionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional Paris tourism board partnership

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Gray Line: Long-established sightseeing tour operator offering hop-on hop-off and guided bus tours across Europe and globally. Overlaps directly with Tootbus in European city tours targeting independent travelers and cruise passengers.
• The Original Tour (FirstGroup): London's largest hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus operator, recently merged with Tootbus UK under FirstGroup. Same product, customer base, and city (London) as Tootbus; now operating as a sibling/adjacent asset within FirstGroup.
• Big Bus Tours: Largest global hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus operator, active in 20+ cities including Paris, London, Barcelona, Madrid, and Tuscany-adjacent routes. Directly competes with Tootbus on product format, target customers, and pricing structure.
• Barcelona City Tour: Local Barcelona HOHO sightseeing bus operator. Tootbus already lists it as a partner/sub-brand in Barcelona, indicating direct product overlap and partial operating integration.
• Madrid City Tour: Madrid's official HOHO sightseeing bus brand, listed by Tootbus as a partner/sub-brand in Madrid. Same product category, same city, overlapping tour routes.
• City Sightseeing Worldwide: Global franchise-based HOHO bus operator present in most major European cities with the same open-top, multilingual guided tour model. The closest direct competitor to Tootbus in product, customer base, and franchise-based geographic expansion.

Broad incumbents

• GetYourGuide: Global OTA for tours, attractions, and sightseeing experiences. While not a bus operator, GetYourGuide distributes Tootbus tickets and competes for the same traveler wallet, making it a key channel partner and indirect competitive force.

Regional players

• Stromma: Nordic (Sweden/Netherlands) sightseeing bus and boat tour operator offering HOHO services. Comparable HOHO product and sightseeing business model, primarily serving Northern European cities rather than Tootbus's Western/Southern European footprint.
• Open Tour (Paris): Paris-based HOHO bus operator offering 1/2-day sightseeing tours with multilingual audio guides. Direct competitor in the same primary city market as Tootbus.
• Les Cars Rouges: Paris-focused HOHO sightseeing bus brand operated by RATP Group alongside Tootbus Paris. Direct competitor in the same city, sharing the same parent (RATP) and overlapping routes/pricing.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TootbusParis
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tootbus

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Tootbus