Minibus Hire Across France

School trips with a driver, from class outings to residential visits

A morning at a museum and a week in Normandy start from the same place: the right number of seats, the right adults on board and paperwork that is finished before the vehicle arrives.

The framework your school works in

Outings and residential trips in écoles, collèges and lycées are governed by a circular dated 16 July 2024, and éduscol carries practical sheets to go with it. The school leads on the teaching side; the transport simply fits that framework.

For an optional trip, each family signs a written authorisation. When the trip leaves France, each pupil under 18 carries their own AST, the autorisation de sortie du territoire. Gather them weeks ahead so that departure morning is about pupils, not forms.

Executive Sprinter minibus, exterior
Executive Sprinter minibus, exterior

Adults, seats and belts

Primary-school outings have at least two adults, at least one of them a teacher. The driver never counts as a supervisor, so add the adult seats to the pupil seats when you size the vehicle.

Pupils stay in their seats, belts fastened wherever the seat has one. A coach does not call for child seats; in cars and other smaller vehicles the rules on restraints differ, so give the ages of your youngest pupils when you ask.

Rules worth knowing before you go

  • An optional school trip needs written authorisation from a parent or legal guardian; a trip outside France also needs an authorisation to leave the country (autorisation de sortie du territoire, AST) for each minor
  • Every passenger must wear a seat belt where the seat has one, and French law requires coach transport to use vehicles fitted with seat belts
  • France bans group transport of children on one or two summer Saturdays each year, set by ministerial order; trips within the pick-up département and into neighbouring départements remain allowed

Normandy, the Mont and the Loire

Mont-Saint-Michel takes some planning. Coaches stop at the mainland car parks, and pupils ride the free Passeur shuttle or walk the footbridge, about 45 minutes. School coaches book their parking a month ahead, and never on the busiest Red Days. Youth groups must also reserve an abbey time slot.

From Bayeux the D-Day sites are short hops, which keeps the day gentle on younger pupils. The Bayeux Tapestry museum is closed for renovation, with reopening announced for 2027, so leave it out of plans for now. In the Loire, a base in Tours keeps château drives short.

Your questions, answered

Is a minibus enough for one class?

For a small option group, a language exchange or a school team, often yes: sixteen pupils and adults fit beside the driver. A full class with its teachers usually needs a midi-coach or a coach.

Who checks the parental forms?

The school does. The group leader should carry copies on board, along with every AST on a trip abroad.

Can the vehicle wait while the class visits?

It can, and the waiting time is part of the driver's working day. For a long visit, say so in the request so breaks and parking are planned; in Paris, any coach that parks needs the city's PASS Autocar.

More places to explore

Other vehicles with a driver