The minibus: the right size for most small-group days

A minibus has 9 to 17 seats including the driver, so up to sixteen of you travel together. It is the natural choice for families, friends, teams and wine days, and it fits where a coach cannot.

Count bags as well as people

Luggage goes in the rear space, which gets tight when the minibus is full. For a full load heading to the airport, give the number of cases and anything bulky: golf bags, pushchairs, boxes of wine on the way home.

If the luggage outgrows the space, a Sprinter-style minibus with its own luggage area behind the last row, or a midi-coach, solves it.

On board

In vehicles other than public transport, the driver must make sure every passenger under 18 uses a child restraint or a seat belt; children under 10 use an approved child restraint suited to their size
Every passenger must wear a seat belt where the seat has one
Carried for hire, a minibus with more than 9 seats including the driver comes under the licence communautaire; one with 9 seats or fewer comes under the licence de transport intérieur
A D or D1 licence needs a medical check with an approved doctor, and is renewed every 5 years (more often from age 60)
Category D1 covers passenger vehicles of up to 17 seats including the driver and up to 8 m long; the minimum age is 21, or lower on a professional driver course

Who can drive it, and under which licence

Category D1 covers vehicles of up to 17 seats including the driver and up to 8 m long. The minimum age is 21, lower on a professional driver course, and an approved doctor must pass the driver as fit, with the licence renewed every 5 years and more often from age 60.

Hired with a driver, a minibus with more than 9 seats including the driver comes under a licence communautaire; one with 9 seats or fewer comes under a licence de transport intérieur.

Travelling with children

Belts are worn on every seat that has them. In vehicles other than public transport, the driver must see that every passenger under 18 uses a child restraint or a belt, and that children under 10 have an approved restraint suited to their size. Give the children's ages when you book so the right seats can be arranged.

Your questions, answered

Can a minibus enter city low-emission zones?

It needs a Crit'Air sticker that meets the city's rule. Zones differ from one city to the next, so the sticker is matched to the cities on your itinerary.

Can the minibus reach a village centre?

Often more easily than a coach, though some villages close their centres to traffic or keep visitors' vehicles in a car park outside. The driver confirms the nearest stopping point.

Minibus or two cars?

For up to eight people, a van-type car with driver can be enough. From nine upwards, a minibus keeps everyone together with a single driver.