The Midibus: room for the party, at home in the village

A midi-coach sits between the minibus and the full coach. It seats around thirty, still has proper luggage space, and copes better with narrow streets, vineyard lanes and small hotel forecourts.

When thirty seats is the right number

Wedding guests from one hotel, a choir, a whole school class with teachers, a club with partners: groups of 25 to 35 fill a midi-coach well. Two minibuses would split them; a full coach would be half empty.

Luggage goes underfloor or at the rear. The space is smaller than on a full coach, so mention big cases, instruments or a wedding cake that needs to travel flat.

Midsize coach cabin with forward-facing seats

Inside the vehicle

On a single occasional coach trip, national or international, the driver may postpone the weekly rest for up to 12 days
EU drivers' hours apply: at most 9 hours of driving a day (10 hours twice a week) and a 45-minute break after 4.5 hours
It is operated under a PBefG authorisation for occasional services (Gelegenheitsverkehr)
With more than 16 passenger seats, or more than 8 m long, it needs a category D licence rather than D1
Easier than a full-size coach in narrow streets, old towns and small venues

Licence and paperwork

With more than 16 passenger seats, or a length over 8 m, the driver needs category D rather than D1. The operator runs the trip under its authorisation for occasional services, the same framework as a full-size coach.

Planning the hours

A driver may spend at most nine hours a day at the wheel, ten on two days a week, and must stop for 45 minutes after four and a half hours. On a single tour the weekly rest may be pushed back, so one driver can stay with a round trip of a week or more.

Build those breaks into the plan: a coffee stop at the right moment costs nothing, and a vineyard or a lakeside café makes a better pause than a motorway services.

Questions travellers ask

Is a midi-coach easier in old towns?

Usually, though many historic centres keep all buses at the edge. The operator checks where it may stop.

Does it have a toilet?

That depends on the vehicle. If you need one on board, say so in the request.

Can it do an airport run with luggage?

Yes, for a group of about thirty with normal cases. For lots of bulky bags, a full coach has more hold space.

Is a midi-coach a good choice for a Rhine or Moselle tour?

Very often. It carries a club or a wedding party in one go and fits the smaller roads between the wine villages more easily than a full coach.