Carpooling has been booming in recent years. It's a method of transport that has become commonplace, even among older travellers, according to statistics from BlaBlacar, France's leading car-sharing company. Eco-friendly, economical, user-friendly, more practical on certain routes poorly served by train, this mode of transport has indeed many advantages. However, to be successful in carpooling, whether you are a driver or a passenger, a few rules and tips are necessary. Here are all the tips you need to know from our user survey and Blablacar.
Conductor side
Propose your route in advance
Passengers like to get organized and the earlier you advertise your carpool, the more likely you are to have passengers.
Specify the meeting point
It is important to be as precise as possible about the exact meeting point where you will pick up your passengers. Avoid making an appointment on a large square, such as the Place de l'Opéra for example, without communicating a precise meeting point (entrance to a café or shop, corner of a street...).
Propose stopover cities
Rather than making a direct trip, offer stops in one or more cities that are on your route. This will increase your chances of filling your vehicle.
Choose the automatic acceptance option
Most carpool sites offer this option. If you automatically validate a request, you have a better chance of success. Making a passenger who needs to book his or her trip quickly wait a few hours can discourage him or her from booking elsewhere.
Give a lot of information about the route
The more information you give about the route, the better. This will reassure your passengers. If you like to take coffee breaks or take a break on the highway, this is an option that may please some people but displease others who won't want to waste a minute. If you're a chatterbox, it can be a hell of a journey for introverted passengers... By being proactive, you avoid any unpleasant surprises.
Update your profile
It is important to put a recent photo of you (avoid photos of pets or your favourite star, which are in any case regularly refused by car-sharing sites) as it is fundamental for passengers to be able to recognise you on D-Day. A picture of your car is just as important for the same reasons. Be sure to indicate if you are travelling with two or three passengers in the back as some people don't want to be cramped and want to be only 2 in the back.
Be responsive
As soon as a passenger sends you a question, answer quickly. That way you'll prevent him from booking another car.
Call your passengers
Once the reservation is made, call your passengers to inform them of the route. And it's immediately more user-friendly!
Be on time
Punctuality is essential because passengers rely on you. If you're late, remember to let them know promptly
Leave a notice for your passengers
It's always a good indicator of confidence for future drivers and even for passengers who like to have a comeback. In exchange, they are also encouraged to leave their opinions. This is the principle of collaborative tourism!Passenger side
Do your research in advance
Search for your route a few days before your departure and create an alert if you can't find the route you need. On the other hand, there's no point in looking for a carpooling place for your summer holidays in the South of France in winter, it's much too early!
Complete your profile
Add a photo of yourself and introduce yourself in a few words. Carpooling is often "a journey within a journey" because it is a more user-friendly mode of transport that allows you to broaden your horizons by meeting new people. So the more you say about yourself, the better.
Read the ad carefully
Before booking, make sure the route is convenient for you. You will thus avoid a journey with a multitude of stops when you are looking for a direct route.
Reserve your place
Don't wait too long to reserve your place, especially if you're going away for a weekend or going to a popular event such as a festival.
Contact your driver
It will always be simpler to organize ourselves in person, especially to define the meeting place together.
Charge your phone
It's the classic move... Your battery that gives out just before the appointment with the driver! So charge your phone well beforehand or provide a backup battery
Be on time
Remember, you're not the only one carpooling... If you're late, please let the others know, if only as a courtesy. You will avoid the grimace soup during the trip and the bad comments that go with it...
Confirm your route
At the end of the journey, it is important to validate the journey made on the car-sharing site. That way, your driver will be paid. Indeed, the payment of carpooling is never done from hand to hand but always via the site.
Respect other passengers
Think of the comfort of your neighbours. Avoid calling at all costs or falling asleep on their shoulders, even if it means taking a travel pillow!
Leave a notice for the driver
It is always useful to leave a notice to the driver so that he can possibly improve and especially to help the community of passengers of the site.
