The minibus: the right size for most groups
For family gatherings, club outings, hen parties and small tours, a minibus is the easy choice: big enough to keep everyone together, small enough to reach the hotel door.
Room inside
Most minibuses seat 16 to 19, and many are built on a Sprinter. The Sprinter Travel 75, for example, is 8.5 m long, takes up to 21 passengers plus the driver and carries about 2 m³ of bags in a compartment at the back. That's comfortable for day bags; with a case each, check the space against your list. If your group is flying in for a week with big suitcases, or bringing bulky sports kit, a midi coach may be kinder.
Typical features
- Buses carrying children must have seat belts or restraints for every child carried
- More than nine seats including the driver means a tachograph is required
- Licence category D1 covers up to 16 passengers and 8 m; larger minibuses need a category D licence
- Sprinter-based minibus; Sprinter Travel 75 is 8.5 m, up to 21+1 seats
Which licence the driver holds
The dividing line is 16 passengers and 8 m. Inside both limits, D1 is enough. Go to 19 seats, or to a longer bus such as the Travel 75, and the driver must hold full category D. You don't need to sort this out yourself. Give the operator an accurate headcount and it sends a driver with the right category.
Any vehicle with over nine seats, counting the driver's, must carry a tachograph, which records driving and rest times.
Where a minibus shines
A minibus turns in village streets and pulls into hotel forecourts and club car parks that a coach can't reach. That makes it ideal for country-house hotels, lakeside lodges around Killarney and medieval streets like Kilkenny's. One thing it misses: the Dublin Port Tunnel is toll-free only for buses seating more than 25.
Travelling with children
For juvenile teams, youth groups and family parties, the bus must have a seat belt or restraint for every child it carries. Check the seat count covers each child and adult, and remind everyone to buckle up before you set off.
Questions
Is a minibus big enough for 18 of us?
Often, yes. Typical minibuses seat 16 to 19. With more than 16 passengers the driver needs a category D licence, which the operator arranges.
Will our suitcases fit?
Day bags are no trouble, and a case each often fits on a short trip. For long-haul luggage or golf bags, tell the operator the numbers so it can suggest a bigger vehicle if needed.
Does a minibus need a tachograph?
It does once the seat count, driver included, goes above nine.
Other trips we arrange
- Getting your colleagues there and home again
- A school tour parents can relax about
- Travelling to the match as one team
- Getting everyone to the wedding, and home after the party
- Golf trips without the driving
- Your own day out, at your own pace
- Travelling together on pilgrimage
- Travel where everyone in the group comes along
Book a minibus
Share your date, where you're heading and how many are coming. You'll get a written quote from a licensed partner operator for the minibus and driver.
Request a quote or call 35312659159