WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A LUXURY MINI-BUS & A CHARTER BUS?

 

If you’re in the process of considering bus hire in Dublin, or organising a trip for a group of any kind, you’ll probably be trying to decide whether to hire a large charter bus, or something a bit smaller, like a luxury party minibus.

Your decision on which one to go for will be influenced by the size and nature of the group, as well as factors like level of comfort and services required, distance to be travelled, and of course, your budget.

Whatever the influences on your final decision, it will help to know the differences between the two options.

CHARTER BUS HIRE

Also known as a coach, a bus is the larger of the two options and will provide you with more comfort and flexibility should you have a big group to cater for. Typically a coach is the best option if you have more than 30 passengers to accommodate.

In the case of Bus Hire Dublin, we have coaches catering for up to 53 passengers, in different levels of comfort, depending on your budget. These coaches typically have on-board bathrooms, which makes them great for longer trips with the likes of corporate groups, tourists, sports teams and for school outings.

LUXURY MINIBUS HIRE

A luxury mini-bus, on the other hand, is a much smaller vehicle, catering for up to 30 people in comfort. They are usually used for shorter trips and smaller groups, but can also offer a high level of comfort for longer trips if not too crowded.

The bathroom facilities of course, are excluded with a mini-bus. They’re most often used for airport shuttles or sightseeing trips, and for transportation to events and sports activities for small corporate or private groups.

THE LUXURY MINIBUS VERSUS A COACH

Here are a few things to consider while mulling over the options:

HOW FLEXIBLE IS YOUR SCHEDULE?

If your group is time-restricted, going to be hopping on and off the bus, or needing to whip around the city with no set itinerary, then the luxury mini-bus is the one to go for.

Even if you have a large group you might prefer to hire a couple of mini-buses, rather than one large coach, which has parking limitations and is obviously slower and more cumbersome, certainly in the city.
t on a longer trip outside of the city, with a large group, there’s no denying that a luxury coach is the one to go for.

ARE YOU SPLITTING UP YOUR GROUP?

In some cases, particularly with corporate events, you may need to split up a larger group and send them off to different venues at the same time. If this is the case, then obviously you have no option, but to use a couple of, or even several mini-vans.

HOW PERSONAL DO YOU NEED TO EXPERIENCE TO BE?

Luxury mini-buses are great if you have a smaller close-knit group that you want to spoil with a special and more intimate experience. Think wedding groups, small sports teams, or party hopping. There are all sorts of extra luxuries that you can negotiate with professional operators like Bus Hire Dublin, who are only too happy to help you make your occasion extra special.

But don’t discount larger luxury coaches. If your group is large, you can still organise to provide them with a more personal experience. It’s the little things that matter here of course.

HOW FLEXIBLE IS YOUR BUDGET?

It goes without saying that a large coach costs a lot more to run than a mini-bus. And so here it’s all down to the numbers.

If the trip is short and you can legally squeeze all of your people into a couple of mini-buses, rather than a large coach, then that might just be the best option. That is if creature comforts are not a big thing with the group.

You’ll have to negotiate with your chosen operator to determine which is the best option for you.

DO YOU REQUIRE TAILOR-MADE SERVICES OR ENTERTAINMENT?

No matter your choice of coach or luxury mini-bus, you can get pretty innovative when it comes to extra services, luxuries or entertainment. In both cases there are options to spoil your special friends, customers or employees.

Luxury Party minibuses come with music, wi-fi, leather seats, air conditioning and the like. And so do some coaches. But, if you’re hosting a larger group of guests, a coach can be more flexible when it comes to being able to serve food and drinks, as well as offer additional entertainment on board.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT BUS OPERATOR

Choosing the right transport vehicle is only the first step in the process. It can all go extremely pear-shaped if you make the wrong choice of bus hire operator. Think reliability, safety, level of comfort, and unexpected costs, to name a few.

Bus Hire Dublin has been providing bus hire services in Dublin for over twenty years, and has an enviable reputation for supplying exquisite services, driven by an ongoing commitment to high-quality customer focus.

Whether planning your next corporate, entertainment, or personal group travel event, or even if requiring a luxury party minibus, it makes total sense to get in touch with them.