Whole year-group school trips
An entire year travelling together to one destination, with staff spread through the coach and a single schedule for everyone.
School trip minibus hire
The 49 seater is the standard full-size coach in the fleet, built for groups of around 40 to 49: a whole school year group, wedding guests moving between the ceremony and the reception, or a company event at a venue outside town. A full-length luggage hold and the same coach comfort as every size above it.
The 49 seater is the first true full-size coach in the fleet, built for groups that have outgrown even the largest midi coach. It is the size most schools, wedding parties and companies reach for once a single department, the full guest list or a whole team needs moving together.
Whole-year school trips are a regular booking: a full year group, their teachers and helpers travelling to a single destination, where one coach keeps everyone on the same schedule rather than splitting the year into smaller groups arriving at different times.
Weddings use it to move the guest list between the ceremony and the reception, particularly when the two venues are some distance apart or parking at the ceremony is limited. A return leg later in the evening, for guests who do not want to stay to the end, is often booked at the same time.
Company events book it for staff travelling to a venue outside the usual office, from an annual conference to a team celebration, where arriving together is part of the occasion rather than an afterthought.
Group tours, whether a single day or several days, also use this size when the group is large enough to need a proper full-size coach but still wants the flexibility of a single vehicle rather than two smaller ones travelling in convoy.
We send this coach across the areas we cover, from school trips departing Bristol and Cardiff to wedding and corporate bookings in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Stepping up to a full-size coach from a midi coach is mostly about the hold and the number of seats; the comfort features, from reclining seats to Wi-Fi, stay consistent across the whole range, so nobody is trading comfort for capacity.
| Passenger seats | 49, plus the driver |
|---|---|
| Vehicle type | Full-size coach |
| Driver | Professional licensed driver included |
| Comfort | Reclinable cushioned seats, air conditioning, overhead storage |
| On board | Onboard restroom, entertainment system, Wi-Fi connectivity |
Four groups make up most of the bookings for this size.
Schools book it for whole year-group trips, where every pupil in the year travels on the same day to the same destination, with staff distributed across the coach rather than concentrated in one area.
Wedding couples book it to move their full guest list, often as two linked journeys: an outbound trip from a hotel or gathering point to the ceremony, and a later trip to the reception venue.
Businesses book it for staff events, away days and conferences, where the whole team or a full department needs to reach a venue together, sometimes alongside smaller vehicles for VIP guests arriving separately.
Tour operators and group travel organisers use it for day tours and multi-day trips where the group size sits comfortably in the 40s, large enough to need a full-size coach but not so large that a bigger vehicle is required.
Clubs and associations with a large membership also book this size for an annual dinner, a conference or a society trip, usually once their numbers have grown past what the midi coach range comfortably carries, such as the 33 seater coach.
An entire year travelling together to one destination, with staff spread through the coach and a single schedule for everyone.
School trip minibus hireMoving the full guest list between the ceremony, the reception and home again, often as two or three linked journeys on the same day.
Wedding guest transportA whole team or department reaching a venue outside the office together, sometimes alongside smaller vehicles for VIP guests arriving separately.
Corporate travelA day tour or multi-day trip for a group in the 40s, with the hold carrying luggage for the whole journey and the same coach used throughout.
The full-length hold is built for one suitcase per passenger on most trips. It is the single biggest practical difference between this coach and the midi coaches below it in the range.
For a day trip, most of the hold space goes unused; day bags and coats fit in the overhead storage, leaving the hold free for anything bulky the group is carrying.
For a multi-day tour, the hold comfortably takes one suitcase per passenger, which is the standard planning assumption for this coach, though golf bags or other bulky items should be mentioned when you book so we can confirm there is room.
For a wedding, the hold usually carries very little beyond coats and a few bags, since most guests arrive and leave without luggage; the detail that matters more is confirming the drop-off and pickup points at both venues.
For a school year-group trip, the hold takes packed lunches, coats and any shared equipment, with the cabin's overhead storage used for smaller personal items.
| Passengers | Luggage | What we would suggest |
|---|---|---|
| A school year group | Packed lunches, coats and shared equipment | Fits easily across the overhead storage and hold. |
| Wedding guests | Coats and small bags only | No trouble at all; the hold is mostly free. |
| A company event | Day bags and presentation materials | Comfortable, with room for materials in the hold. |
| A multi-day group tour | One suitcase per passenger | The standard assumption for this coach's hold. |
Mention golf bags, instruments or anything unusually bulky when you book.
The standard full-size coach, between the largest midi coach and the next step up.
Choose it for a group of around 30 that does not yet need a full-size coach.
Choose it for a year group, a large wedding, or a company event of around 40 to 49.
Choose it when your numbers are right on the edge of 49 and you want a spare seat.
Facts from our fleet details.
Every full-size coach booking includes a professional licensed driver, reclinable cushioned seats, air conditioning, an onboard restroom, an entertainment system, Wi-Fi connectivity, USB charging and overhead storage as standard.
The full-length hold underneath is what separates this size from the midi coaches, giving genuine one-suitcase-per-passenger capacity for longer trips.
Every feature listed here is standard on this coach rather than an optional extra, so there is nothing to upgrade or add once you have confirmed the booking.
49 passenger seats
Reclinable, cushioned coach seats
Onboard restroom
Wi-Fi and USB charging
Overhead storage inside, full-length hold underneath
Air conditioning
Onboard entertainment system
The vehicles closest in size, for groups deciding exactly where to land.
If your numbers are firmly under 40, the 33 seater coach is worth comparing. If you are right on the edge of 49, or want the comfort of a spare seat, the 50 seater coach is the next step.
| Vehicle | Seats | Luggage | Best for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 Seater Coach | 33 | Full hold, room for overnight bags | Secondary schools, Society weekends | Choose it for a group confidently under 40. |
| 49 Seater Coach | 49 | Full-length hold, one case per passenger | Year groups, Large weddings | The standard full-size coach for 40 to 49. |
| 50 Seater Coach | 50 | Full-length hold, generous for day trips | Day trips, Organised tours | Choose it for numbers right on the edge of 49. |
The journeys and events that make up most of the diary.
Year-group school trips often head to a single large attraction, such as a theme park or an educational centre, within a couple of hours of the school, with the return timed to the end of the school day or slightly beyond.
Wedding bookings frequently link two venues, such as a church in Chester and a reception venue a short drive away, with a second evening run for guests leaving early.
Company events often travel to a venue outside a city such as Manchester or Leeds, where parking for a whole team's own cars would be impractical.
Group tours cover everything from a single day trip to the coast to a multi-day itinerary, with the coach and driver booked for the whole programme rather than one leg at a time, and visiting guests can be added with group airport transfers booked as part of the same plan.
A full year group travelling to one destination, with staff spread through the coach.
The return time is usually set to fit the normal end of the school day, or slightly later with advance notice to parents.
Linking two wedding venues, with an optional evening return for early-leaving guests.
The driver confirms both drop-off points in advance, since many venues have a specific spot for coaches away from general parking.
Wedding guest transportA whole team or department reaching a conference or celebration venue together.
A return leg at the end of the evening is often booked at the same time, so nobody is left arranging their own way home.
Corporate travelA tour group travelling and staying together, with luggage for the whole trip in the hold.
The same coach and driver usually cover every leg of the itinerary, which keeps the group familiar with one driver throughout.
Plain explanations for anyone planning this kind of trip for the first time.
A coach built for 40 or more passengers, larger than any midi coach, with a full-length luggage hold.
A wedding booking moving guests between two venues, sometimes with a later evening return leg.
A school trip covering an entire year rather than a single class, usually needing one or more full-size coaches.
The standard planning assumption for how much luggage this coach's hold comfortably takes on a multi-day trip.
A smaller car or MPV booked alongside the coach for a guest of honour, such as a speaker or a couple, travelling separately from the wider group.
A booking made up of more than one leg, such as outbound and return, quoted and planned together rather than separately.
Send your group size, the date and the venues or destinations, and we will confirm the coach fits and reply with a written quote, whether it is a single trip or several linked journeys on the same day.
Genuine one-case-per-passenger luggage space for longer trips.
The whole group travels together on the same schedule.
Reclining seats, a restroom, Wi-Fi and USB charging on every booking.
Send the group size, date and venues or destinations.
We confirm the coach fits and send a written quote.
We confirm final details with you closer to the date.
For a group in the 40s, splitting across two vehicles creates more coordination than it solves.
Two minibuses or midi coaches mean two drivers, two pickup times and two arrivals, which is more to coordinate than one coach carrying everyone together.
For a wedding or a year-group trip in particular, keeping the whole group together for photographs, a welcome talk or the start of an event matters more than the marginal flexibility of splitting into two vehicles.
A single coach booking is also simpler to plan from our side: one quote, one driver briefed on the whole day, and one point of contact if anything needs to change.
Cost comparisons aside, there is also a practical safety argument for schools and large groups: a single headcount on one vehicle is far easier to manage than reconciling two separate lists from two different coaches arriving at different times.
Avoids two vehicles arriving at different times.
Useful for photographs, welcome talks or a shared start to an event.
One quote and one driver briefed on the whole day.
Grouped by schools and weddings, luggage, and booking details, covering the questions teachers, couples and event organisers ask us most often.
Yes. It is the standard size for a single year-group trip, with staff distributed through the coach and one schedule for the whole group.
Yes. This is a common wedding booking, often with a later evening return leg added for guests leaving before the end.
Yes. Whole-team and department events are a regular booking, particularly for venues outside the usual office.
The hold comfortably takes one suitcase per passenger as a standard planning assumption, with extra space for most trips.
Usually not. Most wedding bookings carry only coats and small bags, so the hold is rarely a limiting factor.
If your numbers are right on the edge of 49, the 50 seater gives a spare seat of headroom.
Yes, an onboard restroom is included as standard on this coach.
Yes. Tell us the destinations and we will plan realistic timings for the whole day.
Planning advice from our blog for groups travelling across the UK.
From confirming numbers to planning stops, a practical guide for teachers and trip organisers arranging group transport for pupils.
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