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How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Coach? UK Coach Hire Prices
A full day of coach hire with a driver costs about £650 to £850 for a 34 seater and £700 to £1,050 or more for a 55 seater. This page shows how that number is built, so you can check any coach quote.
Updated November 2026
Coach hire prices with a driver
| Vehicle | Seats | Local one-way transfer | Full day, 8 to 10 hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 seater minicoach | Up to 22 | Quoted by route | £530 – £700 |
| 34 seater coach | Up to 34 | Quoted by route | £650 – £850 |
| 55 seater coach | Up to 55 | Quoted by route | £700 – £1,050+ |
Prices are a guide only and are subject to availability, date, route and timings. Every price includes the driver, fuel and insurance, and your fixed quote is confirmed before you book.
A coach with a driver costs from around £650 a day for 34 seats, and from £700 for 55 seats. Where in the range yours lands depends on the five things below. For minibuses from 8 to 16 seats, see mini bus prices by seat count.
How a coach quote is built
An operator adds up the real cost of running your journey, then prices it as one total. The parts are:
- Mileage, including the empty legs. The distance from base to your pickup and back from your drop-off is called dead mileage. A pickup close to base keeps it low.
- Hours on the booking. You pay for the time the coach and driver are held for your group, including time parked at a venue.
- Driver time. Drivers must take legal rest breaks, so a very long day with a lot of driving has to be planned around them.
- Vehicle size. A 55 seater costs more to run than a 34 seater, but less per person when it is full.
- The date. Peak dates cost more because there are fewer coaches left to hire.
The quote adds these into one fixed total, and that total includes the driver, fuel and insurance.
Three typical coach bookings
A day trip for a club or school group
Forty people to the coast for the day on a 55 seater, collected in the morning and brought back in the evening. A full day falls in the 55 seater range, £700 to £1,050+, towards the top for a long journey.
A works outing
Thirty colleagues on a 34 seater from the office to an event in the city and back. A full day falls in the 34 seater range, £650 to £850.
A one-way group transfer
A team travelling one way to a venue outside London. The price is quoted by route, because the distance, and whether the coach waits or returns empty, sets the figure.
For corporate groups, 55 seater coach hire for corporate groups covers what to expect on the day.
What a coach quote should state
Ask for these in writing before you book:
- The vehicle size and how many seats you can use
- Pickup, stops and drop-off, and the return if there is one
- The hours the coach is booked for, and what happens if the day runs over
- That the driver, fuel and insurance are included
- The total price, fixed, with nothing to be added later
Extra charges to check before you book lists the questions that catch out most quotes.
Keeping the price down
The levers are simple. Choose a quieter day if the date can move, ask for one larger vehicle instead of two smaller ones, and give exact postcodes so the mileage is calculated rather than padded. How to save money on minibus hire has the longer list.
Your questions
Does the coach price include a driver?
Yes. A professional driver, fuel and insurance are in every price. For multi-day or overnight trips, ask for a quote and we will confirm exactly what it covers before you book.
Is it cheaper to hire a coach on a weekday?
Usually. Saturdays, bank holidays, event days and school holiday periods are the busiest, so prices are higher and vehicles go first. Tell us your range of dates and we will say which are cheaper.
What is dead mileage?
It is the distance the empty coach drives from its base to your pickup and back from your final drop-off. It uses fuel and driver time, so it is part of the price. Exact postcodes let us work it out precisely.
How long is a full day on a coach?
A full day is eight to ten hours on the booking, not eight to ten hours of driving. Waiting at a venue counts as part of the day.
Why is a one-way coach journey quoted by route?
Because the coach still has to get back. A short one-way trip close to base costs very little more than the miles, while a long one-way trip prices the return leg too.
Can I get a coach for a single transfer?
Yes. One-way and transfer journeys on our 34 and 55 seaters are quoted by route. Send us the pickup, destination and date.
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