BlaBlarCar

Instead of making a car trip alone, why not share the cost and have company for the ride? This is exactly what BlaBlarCar, a ridesharing initiative based in France, wants you to do, and many people are jumping on board. BlaBlaCar’s network extends throughout much of Europe with more than 1 million monthly users. They have recently expanded to Russia, Brazil and India. The idea is for riders to share spare seats and pay to help offset driving costs, reduce emissions and generally have more fun during the trip.

Users can participate in two ways: by offering rides or by searching for rides. Drivers set prices for a seat and indicate how talkative they are (bla, blabla or blablabla), and how much space they have for luggage. Travelers can also search profiles of drivers, including pictures of both the driver and the car, and read and write reviews. Depending on the popularity of the route, travelers are presented with a range of offers, which typically range from $5–7 per hour of travel. Ridesharing is usually a faster, cheaper alternative to bus and train travel.

The website is simple and easy-to-use, and the reviews are overwhelmingly positive. One of the major advantages of BlaBlaCar is that travelers can make last-minute plans without worrying about high prices.

BlaBlaCar advertises itself as the new, unlimited way to travel and urges travelers to share the cost. Judging by the way they are responding, travelers are taking that advice to heart.