Coach and Minibus Hire in the United Kingdom

Coaches and minibuses for wedding guests

Wedding transport is mostly about the guests. Hotel to ceremony, ceremony to reception, and home again at the end of the night. The couple's own car is a separate booking and can sit on the same request.

Plan the guest runs

Count the guests at each hotel and the time they must be seated. A coach moves a large party in one run. Two minibuses can split between hotels and reach a country venue where a full-size coach would struggle. A midi coach copes with narrow lanes and small car parks better than a big one.

Ask the venue whether a coach can turn at the door, where the vehicle should wait, and whether the last stretch is single track.

Stretch limousine, exterior
Stretch limousine, exterior

City venues with coach rules

Bath's on-street drop-off bays allow stays of 10 to 30 minutes, and the historic centre is a Clean Air Zone. In York, nothing with more than 16 seats may enter the walls. Edinburgh's council set-down on Castle Terrace is free for up to 30 minutes. Oxford lets coaches set down in the centre but not park there. Brighton's Madeira Drive coach park closes on days of large seafront events.

Rules that apply

  • Vehicles with 8 or fewer passenger seats hired with a driver, including executive cars and limousines, are private hire vehicles licensed by the local council or TfL
  • Unless a limousine is adapted to carry more than eight passengers, its operation is likely to come under private hire licensing

Cars, limousines and licensing

Cars and limousines that seat up to eight passengers and come with a driver are private hire vehicles. The local council licenses them, or TfL in London; in Scotland, local licensing authorities do so under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982. A vehicle made to carry nine passengers or more for payment is a public service vehicle and needs a PSV operator's licence. Most limousines fall under private hire licensing; only one adapted to seat over eight passengers is likely to be treated differently.

Passengers must wear a seat belt where one is fitted. Licensed private hire drivers are not required to wear one while carrying passengers.

Questions

Can the coach wait through the reception?

It can, but waiting counts towards the driver's working day. If the last run is after midnight, the operator may send a fresh driver for the return. Say when the evening ends.

How many runs will we need?

Divide the guests by the seats, then add a run for anyone arriving late or leaving early. Two set departures in the evening usually work better than one at the very end.

Can the couple's car be booked at the same time?

Yes. Add it to the same request. It is quoted as a private hire booking alongside the guest vehicles, so the timings line up.

Cities

Vehicles