BlaBlaCar
✓ Verified by EU AltsEurope's largest long-distance carpooling and coach platform — a French alternative to Greyhound.
Overview
BlaBlaCar is a Paris, France-based European company building marketplace and mobility software since 2006. Despite its EU base, EU Alts has verified that BlaBlaCar independently owned, with its ultimate ownership based in France, and hosts customer data with AWS (Amazon Web Services) in Unconfirmed exact region, but provider is US-owned, so it may still fall under the reach of the US CLOUD Act — worth weighing against well-known US incumbents on this specific point.
Why European teams pick BlaBlaCar
Teams in Europe still consider BlaBlaCar for its marketplace product and France presence, operating since 2006, but unlike a fully EU-owned provider, BlaBlaCar independently owned, with its ultimate ownership based in France, and hosts customer data with AWS (Amazon Web Services) in Unconfirmed exact region, but provider is US-owned — so it does not fully avoid US CLOUD Act exposure the way some other alternatives to well-known US incumbents do.
See more EU marketplace tools or browse other startups from France.
About
BlaBlaCar is a French long-distance carpooling and intercity bus platform founded in Paris in 2006, with over 100 million members across 22 countries. It connects drivers with empty seats on their journeys with passengers heading the same way, reducing travel costs and carbon emissions. BlaBlaCar also operates BlaBlaBus, a low-cost intercity coach network across Western and Eastern Europe. It is headquartered in Paris and processes all EU user data in the EU under GDPR. BlaBlaCar is one of Europe's most successful consumer tech companies and is widely regarded as a model for EU-founded marketplace platforms.
Details
- Founded
- 2006
- Headquarters
- Paris, France
- Ownership
- Independently owned (France)
- Hosting
- AWS (Amazon Web Services), Unconfirmed exact region, but provider is US-owned
- CLOUD Act
- Exposed
- Company size
- 200+ employees
Categories
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Frequently asked questions
What is BlaBlaCar?
BlaBlaCar is a French long-distance carpooling and intercity bus platform founded in Paris in 2006, with over 100 million members across 22 countries. It connects drivers with empty seats on their journeys with passengers heading the same way, reducing travel costs and carbon emissions. BlaBlaCar also operates BlaBlaBus, a low-cost intercity coach network across Western and Eastern Europe. It is headquartered in Paris and processes all EU user data in the EU under GDPR. BlaBlaCar is one of Europe's most successful consumer tech companies and is widely regarded as a model for EU-founded marketplace platforms.
What does BlaBlaCar do?
BlaBlaCar is europe's largest long-distance carpooling and coach platform — a french alternative to greyhound. It is listed under marketplace and mobility on EU Alts because its core functionality serves teams looking for a European marketplace tool with EU data residency, typically as a switch away from well-known US incumbents.
Is BlaBlaCar a good European marketplace alternative?
BlaBlaCar is a fit for European businesses evaluating marketplace options where data residency and GDPR alignment matter — typical buyers include EU-based SaaS teams, public-sector projects, regulated industries (healthcare, finance, legal), and any organisation that needs to demonstrate that customer data does not leave the EU. It also overlaps with mobility use cases.
Is BlaBlaCar GDPR compliant?
BlaBlaCar is headquartered in Paris, France and processes user data under the GDPR by default. Customer data processing is supervised by France's data protection authority, the Commission nationale de l'informatique et des libertés (CNIL). However, EU Alts has verified that BlaBlaCar independently owned, with its ultimate ownership based in France, and hosts customer data with AWS (Amazon Web Services) in Unconfirmed exact region, but provider is US-owned, which means — unlike a fully EU-owned provider — it may still be reachable under the US CLOUD Act, similar to well-known US incumbents in that respect.
How do teams switch from well-known US incumbents to BlaBlaCar?
Teams evaluating a move from well-known US incumbents to BlaBlaCar should note: BlaBlaCar independently owned, with its ultimate ownership based in France, and hosts customer data with AWS (Amazon Web Services) in Unconfirmed exact region, but provider is US-owned, so this switch narrows but may not fully close the US CLOUD Act gap. Weigh that against the marketplace workflow fit before treating it as a complete Schrems II fix.
Where is BlaBlaCar based?
BlaBlaCar is headquartered in Paris, France. The company was founded in 2006. Its main website is https://www.blablacar.com.