The Midi-Coach for Mid-Size Groups

A midi-coach seats 29 to 35, so it fits the group too big for a minibus and too small to fill a full coach. It is also easier to handle in narrow streets and at small venues.

Why choose the middle size

Many groups land between 20 and 35: a works team, a choir, a society on a day out, the guests at a smaller wedding. A midi-coach carries them without rows of empty seats. Luggage goes underfloor or at the rear, in less space than a full coach offers, so a long tour with large suitcases may still need the bigger vehicle.

Seats and luggage space

Seats: 29-35
Luggage: Underfloor or rear luggage space, smaller than a full-size coach

On board, and the rules that apply

Easier than a full-size coach in narrow old-town streets and at small venues
With more than 16 passenger seats, or more than 8 m long, it needs a category D licence rather than D1
It is run under a public transport authorisation, like a full-size coach (LOTT art. 42)
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
On a single occasional coach trip, national or international, the driver may postpone the weekly rest for up to 12 days

Licence and hours

Its size puts it past the D1 limits of 16 passengers and 8 m, so the driver holds a full category D licence, and it works under the same public transport authorisation as a big coach. The EU hours apply in full: nine hours behind the wheel daily, extendable to ten twice a week, and 45 minutes off after 4.5 hours. During one occasional trip, the weekly rest can be deferred by as many as 12 days, useful on a touring week.

Where it helps on a Spanish route

Old towns are where the midi-coach earns its place. It will not enter Granada's Albaicín or reach the Mezquita in Córdoba, where only microbuses go, but it turns more easily into narrow streets and copes better at small venues. On Mallorca's mountain roads, and on hill-town tours inland from the Costa del Sol, a shorter vehicle makes the day easier. The operator confirms the route for the vehicle booked.

What organisers ask us

Is a midi-coach the same as a minibus?

No. A minibus carries up to 16 passengers and its driver needs D1; a midi-coach seats 29 to 35 and needs a category D driver.

Does a midi-coach have a tachograph?

Yes. Every vehicle built for more than nine people, the driver included, records driving and rest on a tachograph.

Can a midi-coach do an airport run with luggage?

Yes, for a group with normal suitcases. For ski bags, bikes or a long tour, compare its luggage space with a full coach first.