Coach and Minibus Hire in the United Kingdom

Day trips and tours by coach, with a driver

A day tour is a timetable with limits. The driver can only drive so long, some stops take coaches and some do not, and several cities charge or fine vehicles that miss their emission standard.

How long can the day be?

Most private hire coach work runs under the assimilated rules: a daily limit of 9 hours at the wheel, 10 on two days a week, with a 45-minute break before 4.5 hours of driving is exceeded. Under the GB domestic rules a driver may drive up to 10 hours inside a 16-hour duty day. Ask which set applies; it changes how far the group can go.

Miles add up. London to Stonehenge is about 90 miles, around two hours each way before traffic. Inverness to Skye and back runs to roughly 220 miles, about 5 h 30 min of pure driving before the group stops anywhere. That leaves little slack for detours with one driver.

Setra 49-seat touring coach, exterior
Setra 49-seat touring coach, exterior

Stops that suit a coach

Check every stop. York keeps vehicles over 16 seats outside the walls. Bath limits its on-street coach bays to set-down and short stays, and longer stays go to Odd Down. At Urquhart Castle, only trade partners with a booked space can park a coach. The road to the Fairy Pools on Skye is unsuitable for large coaches. On Holy Island, the causeway follows published safe crossing times.

Where stops are tight, a midi coach or minibus often does the day better than a big coach.

Rules that apply

  • London's Low Emission Zone covers all London boroughs and runs 24 hours a day, every day; buses and coaches must meet Euro VI
  • Edinburgh's designated coach drop-off and pick-up is on Castle Terrace, for up to 30 minutes
  • Where the GB domestic rules apply (some journeys; most coach tours follow the assimilated rules), a driver may drive up to 10 hours in a working day within a 16-hour duty day

Emission zones on the route

London's Low Emission Zone covers every borough all day, every day, and buses and coaches need Euro VI. In the ULEZ, a minibus must be Euro 6 if diesel or Euro 4 if petrol. The Scottish zones in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee run 24 hours and cannot be paid to enter.

In Edinburgh, the Castle Terrace set-down allows up to 30 minutes. Elsewhere in the city a coach may stop on yellow lines for two minutes, only to drop off or pick up.

Questions

Does the driver act as a guide?

Not by default. The driver drives. If you want commentary, book a guide separately or ask whether one can be arranged with the vehicle.

Can we change the route on the day?

Small changes usually work if they fit the driver's hours and the vehicle can reach the new stop. Big additions may not.

Is the Congestion Charge added in central London?

Not for vehicles with 9 or more seats, which get a full discount; one not registered with DVLA as a bus has to be registered with TfL to claim it. Cars with fewer seats pay.

Cities

Vehicles