Yes. Tootbus belongs to RATP Dev, part of the group that runs the Paris metro, and its refund rule is one of the clearer ones: free up to 24 hours before the tour date. In Brussels the weak point is frequency, above all on the Atomium shuttle.
7.7/10
Traveller rating · 7.7/10 across 695 reviews
Company details checked on 5 October 2026
Tootbus at a glance
Founded2021
Head officeParis, France
OwnerRATP Dev, the subsidiary of the Paris public transport group RATP
Average of the ratings on Civitatis for the cities below, weighted by the number of reviews.
Is Tootbus reliable?
Who is behind it
The owner is RATP Dev, a large public transport operator controlled by the French state group RATP.
The Brussels service is run by a Belgian subsidiary under an arrangement with STIB.
This is a transport company with depots and staff, not a ticket reseller.
Contact is by web form or WhatsApp, and the site lists no phone line.
Refunds and cancellation
The general terms make tickets exchangeable and refundable free of charge up to 24 hours before the date of the tour.
You ask through the contact form on the website.
Requests inside 24 hours are refused.
Events in the city that disrupt the service and are outside the company's control are not refunded, and lost tickets are not replaced.
When something goes wrong
In Brussels the main issue is the timetable.
The Atomium shuttle leaves every 2 hours in the timetable valid from 1 October 2026 to 3 January 2027, and central stops move during the Christmas market weeks.
The service update page lists changes.
The terms cap liability at the price of the order and promise an answer to a complaint within 30 days.
Errors on a ticket must be reported within three working days of receiving it.
What to expect on the day
In Brussels the Red Route has a bus every 20 to 30 minutes and takes about 60 minutes for a full loop, with the last bus at 17:00.
The Atomium Blue Shuttle leaves every 2 hours, takes about 105 minutes and has its last departure at 16:00.
Commentary is an audio guide in 11 languages, with a children's channel in English, French and Dutch.
Central stops move during the Christmas market weeks, and there is no service on 21 July.
The table below shows how travellers rate it in each city.
Good at
Owned by a major public transport group, with clear published terms.
Free exchange or refund up to 24 hours before the tour date.
Electric buses in Brussels and an app with live bus positions.
Two and three day tickets cost little more than one day.
Watch out for
The Atomium shuttle runs every 2 hours in the winter timetable.
No refund for disruption caused by city events outside its control.
Customer service is by web form and WhatsApp only.
Wheelchair access in Brussels could not be confirmed. Ask before you book.
Tootbus, city by city
The same company can be worth the ticket in one city and a poor deal in the next. These are the cities we have checked.
Tootbus is a brand launched in 2021 by RATP Dev, the subsidiary of the Paris public transport group RATP.
It replaced older names that RATP Dev already owned, The Original Tour in London and Open Tour in Paris.
The contracting company in its terms is RATP Développement SA, at 9 Rue Brahms in Paris.
It runs its own buses through local subsidiaries.
In Brussels the tourist bus service was entrusted to Tootbus Brussels by STIB, the city's public transport company, in 2020, and it started in November 2021 with electric double-deckers.
The company describes that fleet as the first fully electric open-top tour bus fleet.
Its own company page names three cities: London, Paris and Brussels.
One website, one app and one set of terms cover all of them.
The app shows buses and stops in real time and carries the audio guide and self-guided walks.
How Tootbus tickets work
Brussels tickets are sold for 1, 2 or 3 days and each covers both the Red Route and the Atomium Blue Shuttle. The terms count consecutive days from the first boarding, not hours. Every ticket includes the audio guide in 11 languages and self-guided walks in the app. Bundles add the Ferris wheel or Mini-Europe.
The ticket arrives by email and can be imported into the Tootbus app, where it is scanned on boarding. It has to be validated with the driver on every journey. Buying on the Tootbus website is cheaper than the full price, by up to 25% when we checked.
If your plans may change, book directly. The 24-hour refund rule in the terms applies to tickets sold by Tootbus, and a ticket bought through a reseller follows the reseller's rules.
Tootbus: quick answers
Is Tootbus a legitimate company?
Yes. It is the tour bus brand of RATP Dev, part of the Paris public transport group RATP, and has run in London, Paris and Brussels since 2021.
Can I get a refund from Tootbus?
Yes, free of charge, if you ask through the contact form at least 24 hours before the tour date. Later requests are refused.
Who runs Tootbus in Brussels?
Tootbus Brussels, a subsidiary of RATP Dev. STIB, the Brussels public transport company, entrusted it with the tourist bus service in 2020.
Is a Tootbus 1 day ticket valid for 24 hours?
The terms count consecutive days from first use, so treat it as a calendar day and start in the morning.
Does the Brussels ticket include the Atomium?
It includes the shuttle bus to the Atomium, which runs every 2 hours in winter. Entry to the Atomium is not included.
Sources
Read on 5 October 2026. Timetables and prices change with the season, so check the operator's page before you travel.
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