Renting a bus for 25 to 30 people: costs with driver, vehicles and examples
A coach with driver for 30 people costs EUR 1,100 to 1,500 per day, i.e. EUR 37 to 50 per person. Which bus fits 25 to 30 people, what determines the price and how to lower the price per head.
The short answer
A coach with driver for 30 people costs EUR 1,100 to 1,500 per day, including driver and VAT – that is EUR 37 to 50 per person. For a half-day tour of four to six hours you are looking at EUR 800 to 950. For 25 people the same coach runs at the same price, which works out at EUR 44 to 60 per head.
The driver is always included. Here we explain why a minibus is no longer enough, which coach makes sense for this group size and how to bring the price per person down.
Your price for 30 people in 30 seconds
Enter route and date – group size and bus type are already filled in.
Which bus fits 25 to 30 people?
A minibus has at most 17 seats – from 18 people it is out. So for 25 to 30 people you need a coach, and there are two options:
The small coach with around 30 to 35 seats is made for this group size. It is more agile than its big brother, copes better with narrow city centres and country roads and is somewhat cheaper with many operators.
The standard coach with 48 to 53 seats is the vehicle most bus companies have in their fleet. For 30 people plenty of seats stay free – pleasant on long journeys, and it usually costs no more than the small coach, because the price depends mainly on driver, distance and time, not on the number of seats.
In both cases you get air conditioning, reclining seats, usually a toilet and a luggage compartment that fits one large suitcase per person. How the seats are distributed across all bus types is covered in our overview How many people fit in a coach?
What determines the price for 30 people
Duration
The day tour from morning to evening is the normal case at EUR 1,100 to 1,500. A half-day tour – transfer out, waiting time, transfer back – costs EUR 800 to 950. On multi-day trips add EUR 80 to 120 per night for the driver's accommodation, which should be listed in the quote.
Distance
Up to about 150 kilometres one way you stay at the lower end of the range. From around 450 kilometres a day or more than nine hours of driving time the law requires a second driver – plus EUR 200 to 350. That affects day trips across Germany and most trips abroad.
Date
School trips in spring, club outings in summer, Christmas parties in December: when everyone wants to travel at the same time, prices rise. A weekday date outside the school holidays is noticeably cheaper.
Waiting time and approach
If the bus stands on site and waits, that costs EUR 40 to 60 per hour. And the bus has to get from the operator to you: the closer the operator, the shorter the empty run and the cheaper the offer. On Busly you can see where the company is based.
Four example calculations
School trip: day excursion to the next big city (2 × 100 km) Coach for 28 pupils plus two teachers, bus waits on site. → Guide price: EUR 1,100–1,250, i.e. EUR 37–42 per person
Company outing with wine tasting (2 × 60 km, bus waits 4 hours) Coach for 30 employees, departure in the afternoon, return late evening. → Guide price: EUR 1,100–1,200, i.e. EUR 37–40 per person
Team trip to an away game (2 × 120 km, bus waits 3 hours) Coach for 25 players, coaches and staff, Saturday afternoon. → Guide price: EUR 1,100–1,250, i.e. EUR 44–50 per person
Weekend trip with overnight stay (2 days, 400 km in total) Coach for 30 people, including the driver's accommodation. → Guide price: EUR 2,300–2,600, i.e. EUR 77–87 per person for two days
Renting a bus for 30 people without a driver?
In practice that is not possible. Vehicles with more than 16 passenger seats require a category D bus licence – professional drivers have it, hardly anyone else does. Even the small coach for 30 people falls under it. On Busly we therefore only arrange buses with a driver; the driver's wage is included in the price.
The advantage is obvious: nobody in the group has to stay sober, look for parking or drive three hours of motorway after twelve hours of programme.
How to lower the price per person
- Fill the bus. A coach for 30 costs hardly more than one for 20. Every additional person lowers the price per head.
- Keep the date flexible. Tuesday instead of Saturday, October instead of June – that often makes a difference of EUR 100 to 200.
- Count precisely. State the exact number of people so the operator calculates the right vehicle and does not price in a reserve.
- Request regionally. An operator nearby saves the empty run.
On Busly you get an instant price estimate with your request and then offers from verified bus companies in your region – many standard tours directly at a fixed price.
Conclusion
A bus for 25 to 30 people is a coach and costs EUR 1,100 to 1,500 per day with driver, EUR 800 to 950 for half a day. That is EUR 37 to 60 per person – usually far less than travelling in seven cars, and everyone arrives together. Duration, distance and date decide the price. Driving yourself is not an option at this size, so plan the driver as part of the package.
Compare prices or find the right bus
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Frequently asked questions
A coach with driver for 30 people costs EUR 1,100–1,500 per day, i.e. EUR 37–50 per person. Half-day tours of 4–6 hours cost EUR 800–950.
For 25 people the same coach runs as for 30 – at EUR 1,100–1,500 per day. That is EUR 44–60 per head. A minibus is not enough, it has at most 17 seats.
EUR 1,100–1,500 for a day tour. It gets more expensive from around 450 km or more than 9 hours of driving time, because a second driver is then mandatory (EUR 200–350 extra), and on weekends in high season.
No. Vehicles with more than 16 passenger seats require a category D bus licence. On Busly, buses of this size are always arranged with a professional driver – included in the price.
A small coach with around 30–35 seats or a standard coach with 48–53 seats. Both cost about the same, because the price depends on driver, distance and duration and hardly on the number of seats.
A day excursion of 2 × 100 km comes to EUR 1,100–1,250, i.e. EUR 37–42 per person. On multi-day school trips add EUR 80–120 per night for the driver's accommodation.