Can my trip be done with one driver?

Enter what time you leave, what time the day ends and how long is driven. You see straight away whether one driver is enough under the driving and rest time rules, and what you can do otherwise.

Do you already know where you want to go?

Enter your trip and compare coach companies. Your price overview shows the same verdict on the driving and rest times, with the hours your price was calculated with.

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How the calculator works

One driver may be behind the wheel 9 hours a day. Above that limit a second driver comes along; together they may drive 18 hours.
After 4½ hours of driving a 45-minute break is mandatory. That break may fall in the time the coach waits.
Driving, breaks and waiting together are the working day. It is at most 15 hours, because a driver needs at least 9 hours of rest in every twenty-four hours. A second driver does not help with that: then an overnight stay or an earlier return journey is the solution.
On a trip of several days the limits apply per travel day, and we look at the heaviest: the outward or the return journey. The coach stays with the group in between.
The same verdict is on your price overview, with the same hours the price was calculated with. If it says a second driver there, that driver is included in the price.

Where the rules are

The European rules for coach drivers

The rules apply to drivers of lorries and coaches, and come from European Regulation 561/2006.
Driving: at most 9 hours a day, and at most 10 hours on 2 days a week.
At most 56 hours' driving per week, and at most 90 hours per two consecutive weeks.
After 4.5 hours of driving, a break of 45 minutes. It may be split into two parts: first at least 15 minutes, then at least 30.
Daily rest: at least 11 hours uninterrupted, which may be reduced to 9 hours three times between two weekly rests, or split into two parts of at least 3 and then 9 hours.
The new daily rest falls within 24 hours of the end of the previous one; with two drivers, within 30 hours.
The normal weekly rest lasts 45 hours.

Source: Dutch government (Rijksoverheid), what are the legal rules on driving and rest times in road transport?, read on 9 October 2026.

A summary in our own words of the main rules. There are exceptions we don't know about, such as agreements a coach company has made with its drivers; the coach company has the final say.

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More to plan your coach trip

Guide: driving and rest times on a day trip Calculator: how many coaches do I need? Calculator: what does the coach cost per person? Calculator: what can I do on my budget?

Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions about driving and rest times

How long may a coach driver drive in one day?

9 hours behind the wheel, and twice a week 10 hours. This calculator does not count on that exception: whether the driver still has a long day left that week, only the coach company knows.

Does waiting at the destination count?

Not as driving time, but as working time. As long as the driver stays with the coach and is available, he is working. That is why a day trip with little driving and a lot of waiting can still be too long.

Why is a working day at most fifteen hours?

A driver needs at least 9 hours of rest in every twenty-four hours (normally 11, three times a week it may be 9). That leaves at most 15 hours for driving, breaks and waiting.

How does the calculator work out the driving time if I enter a route?

With the same calculation as our price overview: the distance by road, the first 100 kilometres of each journey at 65 kilometres per hour and the rest at 75. The mandatory breaks are added separately. A coach drives at most 100 on the motorway, so this is on the cautious side.

Is this the final word?

No. These are the main rules of the European regulation 561/2006. There are exceptions we don't know about, and the coach company knows what its driver has already driven that week. Take the outcome as a guideline; the coach company plans the trip.