“Tired of spending hours finding a place!”: in Sète, the success of the bus for getting around in the summer

Sur l’année 2023, 3,4 millions de personnes ont utilisé les bus Keolis. Midi Libre – Valentine GRAFF

Thousands of tourists each year prefer to use the bus to travel around Sète and the surrounding area. Feedback.

Every afternoon, at the "Passage du Dauphin" bus stop, there are dozens of tourists waiting. Some of them have decided to leave their cars at home, preferring to travel exclusively by public transport.

Avoiding "the number of traffic jams in Sète"

“Our friends and family told us that this city is 100% accessible by public transport. Buses are very frequent, regardless of the destination, and are generally on time”, explains Frédéric, who came with his family from Val-de-Marne. 17 bus lines leave Sète for the beaches and towns around the Thau basin, offering tourists several easily accessible destinations. “You can get everywhere quickly. There is even a free line (the 8) to go from the station to the city center", confides Camille, a Breton seduced by Sète.

Visitors are sometimes discouraged by the idea of ​​using their own vehicle in a very busy city. They see the bus as an alternative. "The main reason why we use it is the amount of traffic jams in Sète and around the beaches, explains Angélina, arriving from Toulouse. We want to enjoy our holidays and not spend hours driving around looking for a parking space!“

Responding to high demand

“In August 2023, Keolis recorded 362,000 validations, 100,000 more than in April of the same year. year, says Eric Vandeputte, director of mobility é of the Agglopôle of Sète. Every year, more and more tourists are using our services, so we are acting accordingly. Lines 1, 2 and 3, the busiest, now run every quarter of an hour. Line 5 (via Mont Saint-Clair) has even seen its number of services double. The timetables of some lines are also extended until midnight. We are doing our best to please everyone." In 2023, 3.4 million people took Keolis buses to Sète.

“Going on vacation has become a luxury”

“Going on vacation has become a luxury. We work all year to afford two weeks of vacation. So, there are no small savings, we use the bus, no choice! quot;, confides Flavie, a little embarrassed. "It costs us less to pay for each bus trip rather than having to pay hundreds of euros for parking and petrol, explains Sandrine, from Val-de-Marne, partner of Frédéric. Here, the ticket is 1.30 €, with us, 2.10 €, the calculation is quickly done."

An ecological thought

More and more tourists plan their holidays while giving importance to their carbon impact. Camille is one of these convinced people. "Today, it is important to take into account our impact on the planet, we can no longer close our eyes and pretend that everything is fine. With the bus, our footprint is reduced. These are the values ​​that I instill in my children." For others, this reason takes second place, but remains important nonetheless. "When we can use public transport, it is good to do it for the planet", concludes Toulouse resident Angélina.

Line 8 and the water bus are free.

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