School trips

School trips: bus or coach hire with driver

With school trip transport, safety matters most, followed by a driver who is used to working with groups of children.

Good fit: Coach or Double-decker
From around 45 people

Why a coach for school trips

The whole class travels together, so nobody arrives separately or late
No hassle arranging and insuring several parents' cars
The driver drives and finds the way, so no parent has to navigate

Worth asking about for school trips

These are the things people most often want for a school trip. Not every coach company offers all of them: mention what you need in your request, and check it before you book.

Seat belts on every seat

Drivers used to children

Pick-up at the school itself

A first aid kit on board

When is a coach for a school trip most expensive?

July and August are the most expensive months, January and February the cheapest, and a weekend or night surcharge is often added. You see what it means for your trip as soon as you fill it in.

+15%surcharge in July and August

-10%discount in January and February

What to look out for with a school trip

Explicitly ask for the driver's VOG (the Dutch certificate of conduct, a background check)
Count the supervisors in the number of people: you hire the whole coach, and they need a seat too
Check the first aid equipment on board

How many coaches do you need for the pupils and the supervisors? Work it out with the calculator. Does the day fit with one driver? Work out the driving times. And what does each pupil pay? Work out the cost per person.

Agreements on seat belts, supervision and emergency numbers on paper? Download the example protocol for a school trip by coach.

Popular destinations

Where the coach goes for a school trip, with what the place itself says about coaches and groups.

Photos via Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped: Efteling by Martin Lewison from Forest Hills, NY, U.S.A. (CC BY-SA 2.0); Walibi Holland by Christophe95 (CC BY-SA 3.0); Attractiepark Slagharen by Rémih (CC BY-SA 4.0); Duinrell by Richardkiwi (CC BY-SA 4.0); Toverland by Mw007 (CC BY-SA 4.0); Burgers' Zoo by Bkorsten (CC BY-SA 3.0); Wildlands by Donald Trung Quoc Don (CC BY-SA 4.0).

School camps and residential trips

Trips of several days with the class: the coach to the ferry to one of the Wadden Islands, or to a city abroad, with what the ferry company or the city itself says.

Photos via Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped: Texel by JoachimKohlerBremen (CC BY-SA 4.0); Ameland by Dickelbers (CC BY-SA 3.0); Berlin by Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de (CC BY-SA 3.0); Paris by Getfunky Paris (CC BY 2.0); London by Diliff (CC BY-SA 3.0); Rome by Wilfredor (CC0).

By place of departure

Where the coach for a school trip can pick you up in your own town, and which companies are nearby.

Photos via Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped: Amsterdam by Anne Dirkse (www.annedirkse.com) (CC BY-SA 4.0); Rotterdam by Kristoffer Trolle from Copenhagen, Denmark (CC BY 2.0); The Hague by Michielverbeek (CC BY-SA 4.0); Utrecht by Michielverbeek (CC BY-SA 4.0); Eindhoven by GVR (CC BY-SA 4.0); Groningen by Wutsje (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Which type of coach suits school trips

For a school trip that mostly depends on the size of the group; these types are used most often.

Questions about a coach for school trips?

Not sure whether a coach is big enough for 45 people, or what else such a trip involves? Ask your question; you get your own reference number with it.

Ask your question

Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions about school trips

Is a minibus or a midibus better for a school trip?

A minibus seats eight to nineteen people, supervisors included. From twenty people you choose a midibus (up to thirty-nine) or a coach.

Do supervisors travel free on the coach?

You hire the whole coach, so the price is for the coach and not per person: a supervisor does not pay separately. They do need a seat. So count the supervisors in the number of people, otherwise the coach is too small. Whether supervisors get into the park or museum for free is a different matter: that is shown with the destination.

Is there a seat belt on every seat?

That varies per vehicle. Ask in your request, and mention that it is a school trip.

How many days in advance should I book a school trip?

For the busy period in May and June we recommend booking at least 4 to 6 weeks in advance.

How much does coach hire for a school trip cost?

That depends on the distance, the number of pupils and therefore the vehicle, the day, and how long the coach waits at the outing. Enter your school trip in the search form at the top of this page and you will see straight away what the coach companies charge. Want a rough idea first? Look at the example trips on the prices page: they are fully worked out.

See the six fully worked-out example trips · Enter your own trip

Is school trip transport the same as pupil transport?

No. School trip transport is a coach for a school trip, excursion or camp: one journey with the whole group. Pupil transport is the daily transport to and from school, which the municipality arranges. For school trip transport, you compare coach companies here.

Is the price estimate I see final?

No, it is a price estimate based on your route and group size, not a confirmation of availability. The coach company itself confirms the final price and availability after you have sent a no-obligation booking request.

Does it cost anything to request a booking?

No, requesting a booking is always free and without obligation. You are not committed to anything until the coach company has confirmed the final price and availability and you agree.

Written and checked by Martijn Smeets, founder of BusOffer.com. Last updated on 15 October 2026.

Also of interest

Day trip with older people

More info

Compare providers for school trips