Coach Hire Guide
How to Hire a Coach for a Day
What It Costs & What to Expect
By Tigers Transport Team · 2 July 2026 · 6 min read
Whether you're organising a school trip, a club day out, a family celebration, or a corporate away day, hiring a coach for the entire day is often the simplest and most cost-effective solution. But the term "day hire" means different things to different operators — so here's exactly how it works with Tigers Transport, and what you should ask any company before booking.
Day hire — also called driver-for-the-day hire — means the vehicle and driver stay with your group for the duration of your trip. Unlike a simple transfer (pick up at A, drop off at B), day hire gives you the coach from your morning departure until your evening return.
In practical terms, that means:
This is far more flexible than booking separate outbound and return trips — and usually more economical, because the vehicle isn't double-running.
You can hire any size vehicle on a day basis. The right size depends on your group:
When you hire with Tigers Transport, the quoted price includes everything:
We don't add charges after the journey. The price you see is the price you pay.
Important: When comparing quotes from different operators, always confirm what's included. Some operators quote without fuel, driver, or road charges — then add them at checkout. Make sure you're comparing like-for-like.
Day hire pricing depends on four factors: vehicle size, distance covered, hours of hire, and the day of the week. As a general guide:
The single most important thing to understand is that coach day hire is a fixed price for the group — not per person. A coach of 53 students costs the same as a coach of 30 students on the same route. Book a size that makes sense for your group rather than a size that's too small and leaves people behind.
Groups typically take longer to load and unload than expected. If your attraction opens at 10am and is 90 minutes away, plan to leave at 7:45am rather than 8:30am. Your driver will thank you, and you won't be rushing.
The more detail you give us — pick-up address, stops, destination, expected duration at each stop, and return time — the more accurately we can quote and the more useful we can be on the day. If your itinerary changes before the date, just let us know.
If your group grows or shrinks after you've booked, tell us. We may be able to adjust the vehicle size, and it's always better to have the right vehicle than a half-empty coach.
For day trips where passengers are bringing bags, sports equipment, or purchases, check the luggage hold on your booked vehicle. Our coaches all have full-height underfloor luggage holds. Minibuses have more limited luggage capacity.
For journeys over 90 minutes each way, on-board toilets on our full-size coaches avoid the need for unplanned stops. If this matters to your group — particularly for school trips or elderly passengers — confirm the vehicle specification when booking.
Not sure where to go? Here are some of the most popular day trip destinations Tigers Transport groups visit:
For any of these routes, our driver knows the way, knows where to park a coach, and can advise on timing based on traffic — particularly useful for school trip organisers who haven't done the route before.
Use our instant quote tool on the homepage to get a price for your specific route and group size. Or call 0208 050 5180 — our team can quote immediately and answer any questions about your itinerary.
All sizes. All-inclusive pricing. Professional driver included. Get a quote in seconds.
