Europe’s largest intercity bus company is coming to Houston, hoping to carve out a niche as a low-cost premium ride in an already crowded market of carriers operating to and from the Bayou City.

Tickets for Flixbus became available Wednesday morning, with service starting March 14, the company announced in a release. Service along the Gulf Coast will operate from Houston, San Antonio, New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Biloxi, Miss. Additional service to other Texas cities and into Oklahoma is planned in the coming months, said Pierre Gourdain, managing director of FlixBus USA.

“By the end of the year, we can expect to have green buses, sea to shining sea,” Gourdain said, noting the company’s existing operations in California and Arizona, and plans for Florida.

Flixbus operates slightly differently from other carriers in that its ticketing and marketing is entirely online. It also offers overnight trips in many markets where others do not.

The company, currently in 29 countries, grew from Germany across Europe, before hopping the Atlantic and operating along the West Coast. Worldwide, Flixbus makes 350,000 connections daily, often with a handful of stops in certain cities near town centers and university campuses.

As it did in Europe, where crossing into other countries is common, the company also is looking at international trips in its markets near the Mexican border, Gourdain said. No firm plans for service, however, have been announced.

The first stop in Houston will be a parking lot at Gray and Smith, a few blocks from other bus operators serving downtown Houston and Metropolitan Transit Authority’s downtown transit center. A second Flixbus stop is planned near the Rice University campus.

Another two-to-four stops could open in the region, Gourdain said.

GRAND PARKWAY: Federal loan lightens debt burden for next phase of tollway

Flixbus is the tech and sales side of the operation, handling the smartphone app and branding of the company. As in other markets, Flixbus works with local bus operators, but rebrands the buses with its green logo. Along the Gulf Coast, AJL International, Louisiana Motor Coach, Star Shuttle and Wynne Transportation will handle daily operations.

Gourdain said the company’s aim is to offer competitive prices but a higher level of service, with free WiFi and power outlets at every seat. That is critical to luring new riders in places where car ownership historically has been high and people have less experience with bus travel. He said preferences for travel are changing among younger and older customers alike.

“If you dig a little bit more, they just don’t want to drive,” Gourdain said. “The shift from cars has started.”

Houston has an active bus terminal anchored by Greyhound, which also hosts Mexican bus firms Tornado, Turimex and El Expreso. Megabus, a low-cost carrier with service throughout the South, Midwest and the western states, picks up passengers in a lot a couple of blocks away. Charter companies and others also have active service in the region, with many of the companies serving Mexico offering depots across metro Houston.

Then there is homegrown Vonlane, a luxury bus company that does not compete with the others on price, but offers premium service similar to flying first class. Vonlane is popular with business travelers.

Texas is an active and growing market for bus service, said Joseph Schwieterman, director of the Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development at DePaul University in Chicago.

“I don’t think it is as simple as stealing market share, but there could be some competitive fallouts because there are only so many passengers,” said Schwieterman, who co-authored a report on the state of intercity bus service, released last month.

BUMPS IN THE ROAD: Metro investing in sidewalks so elderly, disabled can get to bus stops

In their assessment, Schwieterman and others found a strong economy is leading to growth in bus travel, but technology and more targeted offerings for students are driving much of the demand.

Still, there is a limit, he cautioned.

“It is hard to see if Greyhound, BoltBus and the Mexican carriers can all operate successfully,” Schwieterman said. “That’s just a lot of seats.”

If any of the companies can, Schwieterman said he is optimistic Flixbus will tap into new travelers, given its experience in California.

“They are aggressive in pricing, but they do not see the need to be the rock bottom,” he said. “I think they could tap middle income travelers who need some coaxing to take a bus.”

Those who have studied paid rides in major metros have seen a similar trend with other technology companies, such as Uber and Lyft. While they claimed many passengers from traditional taxi companies, they also appealed to riders who otherwise would have made their own car trips and were less likely to seek out a cab.

When it started service in the western U.S., Gourdain said Flixbus found 65 percent of its passengers had never taken a long-distance bus, meaning it had tapped into a new market.

“It is something that people don’t know they need the product, then they see it,” Gourdain said.

dug.begley@chron.com

twitter.com/DugBegley