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20 people

Coach hire for 20 people

With twenty you are between two sizes: the largest minibuses have nineteen seats, a midibus starts at twenty. Driving yourself is only possible here with licence D.

Our advice for 20 people

For twenty people we recommend a midibus with a driver. A minibus with nineteen seats is just too small if everyone has a seat, and a midibus also has a luggage hold. If a supervisor or a guide comes along, count them in the twenty.

Driving yourself with 20 people?

Only with licence D. If one of you drives, there are 19 passengers, and licence D1 covers up to 16. Without a certificate of professional competence you must be at least 24 for licence D. If someone from the group drives and it is not paid transport, code 95 is not needed; that is for people who drive professionally. With a driver from a coach company none of you needs to know any of this.

Which licence for how many passengers?

Bup to 8 passengers, up to 3,500 kg

D1up to 16 passengers, up to 8 metres

Dmore than 16 passengersyour group of 20

The driver does not count. It is about the seats in the vehicle, not about who comes along.

What the Flemish government says about the licence

With licence B you may drive a vehicle of at most 3,500 kg that is suitable for at most 8 passengers, not counting the driver.

Source: Flemish government, Which vehicles may I drive with licence B, read on 16 October 2026.

Licence D1 is for a vehicle with room for at most 16 people, not counting the driver, and at most 8 metres long.
Licence D is for a vehicle with room for more than 16 people, or a bus longer than 8 metres.

Source: Flemish government, Which vehicles may I drive with a licence C and D, read on 16 October 2026.

Without a certificate of professional competence the minimum age is 21 for licence D1 and 24 for licence D.

Source: Flemish government, Minimum age for a licence C or D, read on 16 October 2026.

Anyone who carries out commercial transport with a licence C or D needs the certificate of professional competence (code 95 on the licence).
Non-commercial passenger transport is exempt from that requirement.

Source: Flemish government, Professional competence for licence C and D, read on 16 October 2026.

Which coach suits 20 people?

The seats per type, from minibus to double-decker. The type that suits your group stands out. Click a bar for more about that type.

Which size do you choose for 20 people?

A midibus with twenty to thirty-nine seats is the safe middle for this group: there is room to spare, and it still gets into streets where a large coach struggles. A full-size coach for twenty people is possible too, but then you pay for seats that stay empty and the coach is harder to park in a village centre.

Types that fit

Midibus

20–39 people

What does a coach for 20 people cost?

A price without your trip would be a guess for 20 people, so it is not shown here. What you pay mainly depends on four things:

The vehicle. How many seats 20 people need, and what is on board.
The trip. How long the coach is on the road with your 20, how far it drives, and how far the coach company has to travel to reach you.
The day and the time. On a Saturday, a Sunday or public holiday, or at night, our standard rate adds a surcharge.
The month. Our standard rate differs per month: higher in busy months than in quiet ones.

How we work that out is explained on How we calculate.

Compare prices for 20 people

Practical points for 20 people

Twenty people is often a primary school class with supervisors, a club visiting a brewery or a family on its way to a jubilee. Agree on a pick-up point where a bus of that length can stop safely, not the narrow street in front of the door. In Antwerp, Ghent and Brussels a low-emission zone applies to buses too.

Low-emission zones and your coach

What to look out for with 20 people

Always count the supervisors in your number. A group of eighteen children with three supervisors is a group of twenty-one.
A midibus does not always have a toilet on board. If that matters to you, put it in your request.
On a day trip with a fixed programme it helps if the driver gets the programme in advance, with the times and the addresses.

Frequently asked questions

Questions about a coach for 20 people

Which coach suits 20 people?

A midibus. The largest minibuses have nineteen seats, a midibus has twenty to thirty-nine. That way everyone has a seat and there is room left for bags.

May I drive a coach for 20 people myself?

Only with licence D. Licence D1 covers up to sixteen passengers. Without a certificate of professional competence you must be at least 24 for licence D.

Does a coach for 20 people have a luggage hold?

A midibus usually does, under the floor or at the back. A minibus often does not. If you bring suitcases, mention it in your request.

What does it cost to hire a coach for 20 people?

That depends on your trip: how far and how long, on which day and at what time, and which vehicle fits 20 people. Fill in your route and date, and within a minute you see what coach companies charge for your trip with 20 people.

Written and checked by Martijn Smeets, founder of BusOffer.com. Last updated on 16 October 2026.

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