Are you planning to hire or charter a bus in the near future, and are you familiar with hiring group transportation in Australia? These two questions pose legitimate concerns over trying to organise group transportation.
Many people who first try to hire a bus have never done so before, and looking for the best deal they simply opt for the cheapest rate. But this in itself is not easy, as rates are often never the same for every trip.
Bus hire rates depend on certain factors including, the type of vehicle, the time of the year, the type of event, the excursion distance, and so many more.
Here at CoachHire Bus Hire we have put together the information that will help you with your bus hire budget. Below are the rates that are a rough guide to Australian bus hire.
| Bus Type | Per Hour | Per Day |
| Coach | $100 - $175 | $850 - $1500 |
| Mini Bus | $60 - $120 | $500 - $850 |
As every trip is different, so is every bus hire quote and we continue to see how the CoachHire reservation team calculates the rates for hire.
No matter what the reason is for your bus hire each quote will be different. You may be in charge of planning a golf tour, or a company event, it does not really matter as each quote is calculated on six important factors.
Before you contact the CoachHire reservations team, there is certain information that you must have readily at hand, so we can give you the most exact quote for your bus hire.
As bus hire prices are calculated by the day, hour and kilometer this information will be needed. Normally there is some form of minimum distance, and when you travel locally your price will be calculated by the hour. Longer distances are priced either by the kilometer or per day.
Here at CoachHire we know that things can change, and last minute alterations will be accommodated for but may be at an additional fee should journey details alter significantly.
As a guide, the normal bus hire rates that are calculated by the hour are for things such as, corporate events, school excursions, and wedding trips. Longer excursions that are priced by the day or kilometer would be, multi-day festivals, sports tournaments, interstate travel and mission trips.
Were you aware that bus hire prices can be seasonal? Rates tend to go up during busy periods due to the high demand. But by the same token if you hire a bus in the low season it will be cheaper.
In Australia, the busiest periods are during May, June, and July when the school term dictates prices. Rates will be more expensive on public holidays, and at Christmas and New Year. The cheapest months tend to be January, February, and August.
Try to secure your bus hire early, as if you book say six months in advance you can sometimes get a better price.
Different Australian cities will have different bus hire rates, this is due to how many bus companies cover a particular area. If your party is travelling from a place with fewer group transportation companies then expect to pay more.
Also, bear in mind that if your pickup location is in a different place to where the bus is coming from you will be charged a premium. So try and pick a local company to your pickup location.
This is where CoachHire Bus Hire can offer such great rates, we have depots in every major city in Australia, so we are always local.
There are so many different types of vehicles you can hire, that it is vital you select the correct one suitable for your excursion. There is no point paying for extra seats or hiring a luxury vehicle for a school rugby trip.
Smaller groups will benefit from hiring a minibus, but larger groups are better having a full-sized coach to accommodate the passengers and their luggage.
All the drivers we use at CoachHire are licensed and fully professional, no matter what kind of vehicle you hire. So as a customer you must understand there are NHVR regulations that must be adhered to that govern the times that the driver must take a break and limit the amount of total hours the driver can work within a 24 hour period.
If your bus hire exceeds these times then you will be charged for a second driver, your rate will go up but this is a small price to pay for your passenger's safety. If your excursion is overnight and you have opted for the bus to stay with you then you might have to cover hotel accommodation for the driver.
If you are wise booking your group’s overnight accommodation, hotels often throw in driver’s rooms free of charge. Here at CoachHire we recommend 3-star rated accommodation for the driver, he will be well rested the following morning to safely continue your trip.
Most of our quotes do not cover any driver gratuity. Driver gratuity is not expected but should you receive service you feel deserving of a tip we recommend between 10-20% of the total hire. You can ask our friendly advisors for other options if you do not want to tip with cash.
The CoachHire reservations staff can assist you to calculate any additional fees that you may not have thought of that may occur during your trip. Such things as tolls for roads and bridges, parking permits, and various other transport expenses can impact the cost of hire.
Ensure you tell us the specifics of your journey so we can calculate expenses and build them into the quotation. Things like hotel parking permits are really up to you to deal with yourself and we can only plan and advise you if we are made aware.
The CoachHire reservations staff will send you the terms and conditions of hire once you have accepted our quote. We recommend you read this document carefully as it outlines any deposits due and payment schedules.
If you take all the above advice on board, you can calculate almost exactly what your bus hire will cost. This will help in working out your transport budget for your upcoming excursion and make your job of organising the trip far easier.
