Coach and Minibus Hire in the United Kingdom

Coach hire for sports teams and away fixtures

Away days go wrong on timing, not seats. Kick-off, the warm-up and the drive home after the final whistle decide the vehicle, the number of drivers and when the coach leaves.

Match-day access

Streets close around big grounds. In Cardiff, the roads around the Principality Stadium, Westgate Street and St Mary Street among them, shut for most of an event day. Coach and minibus parking is set up at places such as the Civic Centre and Lloyd George Avenue, booked ahead. At Wembley, the Pink Parking coach park on Lakeside Way has 290 covered bays about six minutes on foot from the stadium.

At Royal Ascot, coaches stay off the High Street and use Car Park 8 or 10. For the British Grand Prix, Silverstone offers no drop-off at the circuit, so agree the plan long before race weekend.

Mercedes-Benz 59-seat coach, exterior
Mercedes-Benz 59-seat coach, exterior

Kit, seats and licence category

Fourteen players with kit bags fill a 16-seat minibus fast. Category D1 covers minibuses with up to 16 passenger seats and 8 m in length; anything bigger needs a category D driver. For a full squad with coaches and medical staff, a midi or full-size coach with underfloor lockers is usually easier.

Drivers who do this for a living hold a Driver CPC and complete 35 hours of training every five years.

Rules that apply

  • Category D covers any bus with more than 8 passenger seats; D1 covers minibuses with up to 16 passenger seats and up to 8 m long
  • Drivers taking regular weekly rest (45 hours or more) may not take it in the vehicle; it must be in suitable accommodation
  • Passengers aged 14 and over must wear a seat belt on a coach where one is fitted

Tours abroad

Trips across the Channel run under the AETR rules. On an occasional international coach trip the weekly rest can be put off for up to 12 days, which helps a tour that moves daily. The driver cannot spend a full weekly rest, 45 hours or longer, sleeping on the coach, so put a room for the driver on the team's hotel booking.

At home, private hire coach work normally follows the assimilated rules: up to 9 hours at the wheel a day, 10 on two days a week. An evening kick-off at the far end of the country may need an overnight stay or a relief driver.

Questions

Do players have to wear seat belts?

On a coach, passengers aged 14 and over must wear a belt where one is fitted. Tell the operator if juniors are travelling, especially in a minibus, where child restraint rules apply to younger children.

Can the coach stay at the ground during the match?

Only where the club or council allows it. At many grounds the coach drops the team and then moves to a separate car park. Ask the home club for its coach instructions and pass them on.

Can we book a whole season of fixtures?

Yes. Send the fixture list in one request. Each trip is quoted with its own times and route, because distances and kick-offs differ.

Cities

Vehicles