L'EXPRESS DES ILES
L'Express des Îles (FRS Express des Îles) is a Guadeloupe-based maritime ferry company operating passenger and vehicle transport across six Caribbean destinations in the Lesser Antilles, serving tourists, regular travelers, and group bookings via online and terminal channels under the FRS Group.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1987
- HeadquartersPointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What L'EXPRESS DES ILES does
L'Express des Îles SAS, operating as FRS Express des Îles, is a French Caribbean maritime ferry company headquartered at Gare Maritime Bergevin in Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe. Founded in 1987 and formerly known as Perle Express, the company was rebranded in 2024 under the FRS Group umbrella. It operates passenger ferry services across six destinations in the Lesser Antilles — Guadeloupe, Martinique, Les Saintes, Marie-Galante, Dominica, and Saint Lucia — including vehicle transport capability on certain routes.
The company runs a transaction-based revenue model selling round-trip and one-way tickets at fares starting from €21 return on regional routes and €119 return on international routes. Distribution is conducted primarily through self-serve online booking platforms (booking.frs-express.com and goexpress-b2c.frs-express.com), with tickets purchasable up to 45 minutes before departure, supplemented by sales at maritime terminals. Supporting technology is conventional web infrastructure: a booking engine, Google Analytics, Hotjar behavioral analytics, Cloudflare CDN, and standard marketing pixels (Google Ads, Facebook Pixel, Awin, Adform, DoubleClick). The FRS EXPRESS + loyalty program addresses repeat-traveler retention.
The customer base consists predominantly of leisure tourists island-hopping across the Caribbean, regular inter-island commuters, and group travelers served via dedicated group packages. The business is exposed to Caribbean tourism seasonality and energy-cost-driven fare volatility, with a scheduled fare adjustment announced for March 31, 2026. As a subsidiary of the privately held FRS Group, L'Express des Îles operates with a lean 8-person headcount and benefits from group-level maritime and operational infrastructure.
L'EXPRESS DES ILES firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- L'EXPRESS DES ILES
- Legal name
- L'Express des Îles SAS
- Website
- https://express-des-iles.fr
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1987
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- L'Express des Îles (FRS Express des Îles) is a Guadeloupe-based maritime ferry company operating passenger and vehicle transport across six Caribbean destinations in the Lesser Antilles, serving tourists, regular travelers, and group bookings via online and terminal channels under the FRS Group.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
L'EXPRESS DES ILES industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Maritime Passenger Transport
- NAICS
- Coastal and Great Lakes Passenger Transportation (483114)
- SIC
- Water Transportation (4400)
- akta.pro industry
- Passenger Ferry Operators (Interisland/Intercity)Transportation & Logistics/Passenger Transportation (Air, Rail, Bus, Taxi/Rideshare)/Ferry & Passenger Water Transport OperatorsPassenger Ferry Operators (Intercity & Regional)Passenger Ro-Ro Ferries (Vehicle + Passenger)Ro-Pax Ferry Operators (Passenger + Vehicle Ferries)Transportation & Logistics/Passenger Transportation (Air, Rail, Bus, Taxi/Rideshare)/Ferry & Passenger Water Transport OperatorsCross-Border & International Passenger Ferries
Keywords
Where L'EXPRESS DES ILES is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pointe-à-Pitre
- HQ country
- Guadeloupe
Offices1 record
Markets served
L'EXPRESS DES ILES business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Passenger Ferry Tickets: Revenue generated from selling ferry tickets for passenger transport between Caribbean islands. Prices range from €21 return on regional routes to €119 return on international routes. The company offers round-trip and one-way options with vehicle transport capabilities.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Regional Routes |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | International Routes |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
L'EXPRESS DES ILES product offering
Product offeringCore offering
L'Express des Îles operates scheduled passenger and vehicle ferry services across the French Caribbean, connecting Guadeloupe, Martinique, Les Saintes, Marie-Galante, Dominica, and Saint Lucia. Tickets are sold directly to travelers, with return-trip pricing that distinguishes short regional hops from longer international crossings, alongside vehicle transport and a loyalty program for repeat customers.
Product overview
FRS Express des Îles is a maritime transport company operating a single integrated ferry service connecting Caribbean islands in the French West Indies. The core offering consists of the FRS Express des Îles Ferry Service, supported by an Online Booking System for ticket purchases, Vehicle Transport Service for passengers traveling with cars, and the FRS EXPRESS + Membership loyalty program. The company operates regional routes (starting from €21 return) and international routes (from €119 return) across six island destinations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Regional inter-island passenger ferry
Companies that use L'EXPRESS DES ILES
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
L'EXPRESS DES ILES technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration13 records
L'EXPRESS DES ILES partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- FRS GroupcoreFRS Express des Îles is part of the FRS group. The company operates under the FRS brand and logo, indicating membership in a larger maritime or transportation group.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
L'EXPRESS DES ILES competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Madinina Ferries: Operator of fast ferry services between Martinique and Guadeloupe, directly competing with FRS Express des Îles on the Martinique–Guadeloupe interisland corridor with similar passenger ferry offerings.
- Compagnie de Transport Martiniquaise (CTM): Regional ferry operator connecting Martinique with neighboring French Caribbean islands, directly overlapping with FRS Express des Îles on Martinique–Guadeloupe corridors and similar passenger/vehicle services.
- Bruddy's: Dominica-based ferry and water-taxi operator serving Dominica and surrounding islands, directly overlapping with FRS Express des Îles on the Dominica route and competing for the same Caribbean passenger traffic.
Broad incumbents
- Baleària: Large Spanish ferry operator with expanding Caribbean presence; offers broader passenger and vehicle ferry services overlapping with FRS Express des Îles' RoPax model across multiple geographies.
- Irish Ferries: Operator of passenger and RoPax ferry services between Ireland, the UK, and France; comparable operating model combining passenger tickets and vehicle transport on scheduled routes.
- Corsica Ferries: Mediterranean ferry operator running passenger and RoPax services between France, Italy, and Corsica; comparable in passenger ferry + vehicle transport model and route-based operations.
- DFDS: Major European ferry and logistics operator offering passenger and freight ferry services across multiple regions; comparable business model in passenger/vehicle ferry operations at much larger scale.
- Anek Lines: Greek ferry operator running passenger and RoPax services across Greek and Adriatic routes; shares the passenger-plus-vehicle transport model and route-based scheduled service structure.
- Stena Line: Large Northern European ferry operator with passenger and RoPax services across multiple corridors; shares the passenger-plus-vehicle ferry operating model with FRS Express des Îles at significantly larger scale.
- Brittany Ferries: France-based ferry operator running passenger and freight routes between France, the UK, Ireland, and Spain; comparable passenger/vehicle ferry business model and French operational base.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
L'EXPRESS DES ILES social profiles
Digital presenceL'EXPRESS DES ILES financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
L'EXPRESS DES ILES leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
L'EXPRESS DES ILES funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
L'EXPRESS DES ILES M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about L'EXPRESS DES ILES
What does L'EXPRESS DES ILES do?
L'Express des Îles operates scheduled passenger and vehicle ferry services across the French Caribbean, connecting Guadeloupe, Martinique, Les Saintes, Marie-Galante, Dominica, and Saint Lucia. Tickets are sold directly to travelers, with return-trip pricing that distinguishes short regional hops from longer international crossings, alongside vehicle transport and a loyalty program for repeat customers.
Is L'EXPRESS DES ILES a public or private company?
L'EXPRESS DES ILES is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was L'EXPRESS DES ILES founded?
L'EXPRESS DES ILES was founded in 1987. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is L'EXPRESS DES ILES based?
L'EXPRESS DES ILES is headquartered in Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe.
How does L'EXPRESS DES ILES make money?
One revenue line is on record: passenger Ferry Tickets.
Who are L'EXPRESS DES ILES's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Madinina Ferries, Compagnie de Transport Martiniquaise (CTM) and Bruddy's. Broad incumbents are Baleària, Irish Ferries, Corsica Ferries, DFDS, Anek Lines, Stena Line and Brittany Ferries.
Does L'EXPRESS DES ILES have an API?
No public API is recorded for L'EXPRESS DES ILES.
What industry is L'EXPRESS DES ILES in?
L'EXPRESS DES ILES's product category is Maritime Passenger Transport. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLAFALAA, Passenger Ferry Operators (Interisland/Intercity), with a secondary code of THAEAGAA, Passenger Ferry Operators (Intercity & Regional). Its NAICS code is 483114 and its SIC code is 4400.