Why do there seem to be no long distance buses in France?

Question

User iHaveacomputer's answer to a question about smoking and EU trains and buses mentions that

in Germany the state-owned railway has a monopoly on long-distance travel.

On my first trip to Europe back in 2001/2002 one of my greatest frustrations was the seeming total lack of long distance buses as a cheaper alternative to trains - but especially in France which unlike Germany's multi-level train system only had really expensive TGV.

So are there long distance buses in France and I just couldn't find them?
Or is there an official state monopoly on trains as the only long distance transport?
Or is there some other reason that long distance buses don't compete with trains in France?

What am I missing?

Answer 1

Until few months ago, french railways had the monopoly of long distance travel. This has changed recently and Eurolines now offers a few hundred intercity connections.

Answer 2

First off all you don't have to take the TGV, you can still travel around on local trains, better known as TER. It requires some planning, but it can be quite charming. For example to get from Lille to Paris, you can take the quick TGV, or you take the local trains which will take you from Lille to Maubeuge and then to Paris.

But to answer your question regarding long distance bus journeys, there are options. The main provider is Eurolines. This is an umbrella company where different bus companies collaborate. But be aware buses are not always the cheapest solution.

The key to cheap traveling in Europe is planning all your traveling ahead and online. If you have to revert to ticket counters you are doomed to pay a lot.

Answer 3

There seems to be a new bus in town, iDBUS. Within France it currently only offers Paris - Lille, the rest is London, Brussels, and Amsterdam.

It is affordable and more importantly they have free Wi-Fi. I am a bit skeptical about the proposed travel times, but it is definitely worth a try.