How to Get to the Flixbus at Quai Bercy in Paris 75012

So, my next adventure is almost upon us. The only thing is that I need to find out how to get to the Flixbus in order to do it. Do you have any idea how do you get to the Flixbus at Bercy Seine? That is the question. So you're sitting there wondering what is the Flixbus I'm talking about. The Flixbus is a German run bus service that offers inter-European travel for a fraction of the cost of the plane and train. Here is a bit about them on Wikipedia:

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FlixBus

Flixbus' current logo, used since 5 May 2016
Type	Private
Industry	Transport, Travel, Travel technology
Founded	2011
Founders	Daniel Krauss, Jochen Engert, André Schwämmlein
Headquarters	Munich, Berlin
Area served	Europe and the United States
Services	Intercity bus service
Website	www.flixbus.com

Flixbus (styled "FLiXBUS") is a German brand which offers intercity bus service in European countries and the United States. Launched in 2013 following the deregulation of the German bus market, Flixbus aimed to establish an alternative to carpooling and Deutsche Bahn, the German state-owned railway.^[1] In 2015, after the merger with the competing startup MeinFernbus, Flixbus controlled^[2] 71% of the German market (measured in kilometres driven by the company).^[3] Flixbus is now rapidly expanding across Europe. The company's investors include General Atlantic,^[4] Holtzbrinck Ventures and Silver Lake Partners.

So, for my next adventure, I will be taking the Flixbus and the stop is at Quai de Bercy, right off the Seine. The problem is that most people seem to have the darndest time finding the place and I am notoriously horrible with directions. I can never find my way without a lot of help from kind strangers. How will I ever find this place?

Which is why I decided to do a dry run today. I did not want to take the chance of turning up on the day only to find myself utterly lost and then miss my bus. According to Google, the best way there is to take the line 14 to Quai de Bercy or Parc de Bercy or something like that then walk 15 minutes to the depot. Can that be right? It doesn't sound to me that it is right.

So guess what I did? I followed my gut and took a bus that was not even mentioned in Google maps or directions or any of those. Even Ratp.fr did not suggest taking the Bus 89 to Quai de la Gare or whatever that stop is called and getting off and crossing the bridge and its right there! You just walk across the bridge, turn right and go straight ahead and you can't miss the depot.

This area of Paris is not one I am terribly familiar with. I don't come over to this side very often at all. It is an interesting area in its own way. I took the time to take a few snaps along the way across the bridge to the depot:

So I finally made it to the depot and it was easy as pie, actually. Taking the Bus 89 is definitely the best way as far as I'm concerned. Well, maybe the Metro 14 was closer but coming from my place, the Bus 89 makes the most sense.

 The people grumbling online were right about a few things though. For example, the restroom is scary. I couldn't even use it. I held my business and took the line 14 to Madeline and went to use the Restroom at another venue, a bit more posh. 

Flixbus is definitely not a glamourous way to travel, that is clear as soon as you step into the depot. It reminded me immediately of back home in America in the days when I took Greyhound from New York to Atlanta. For me, Greyhound is like, "OMG." I vowed never to do to myself that again for the rest of my life - get on a Greyhound bus. And I say this with all due respect to the company and its customers. I don't want to sound like  a snob but I have to say, it is pretty darned awful, that experience. I concluded it was a way to travel if you want to be treated like savages and I did not want to be a savage or treated like one. So I decided no more 17 hour trips on Greyhound for me for the rest of my life (except if it is in an overnight, private cabin which does not exist).

This trip I am about to take here in Paris, that I will be taking is a 4,5 hour trip but it looks a lot like the same type of experience as when I took Greyhound. But I have to say that the bathroom at Flixbus Bercy Seine looks really bad. I have to be honest. It was like, "wow."

Greyhound did not have a fancy bathroom and it wasn't pristine but it did NOT look as bad as the one I saw today at Bercy for Flixbus. I was surprised by how bad it was. And it is so easy to fix that, I would think. All they have to do is make it a paid toilet (one euro per pee) and have a person who monitors the space. And a femme de ménage. That is all they need. The paid toilet option would help absorb the cost of the front desk person and the cleaning lady. And when people pay for things, they treat it better. Really, if they got a paid toilet, I think it could be a very, very appealing way to travel.

What will the experience be like? I have to admit I am a little bit nervous. But the price is unbeatable. I mean, for under 40 euros (sometimes under 20) you can get from Paris to another European city or to another major city or port in France. It is a good price. But will it be worth it when you factor in other things like restroom, fellow passengers and duration?

I will let you know just as soon as I have all the information.