Touring by coach in France - planning and organizing your next coach trip
TOURING BY COACH IN FRANCE - planning and organizing your next coach trip
Touring by coach in France is a safe and user-friendly means of transport.
Lots of moving pieces
Given the
number of moving pieces involved in booking this mode of transport for a tour
in France, we would like to give you some tips for planning and organizing your
next coach trip.
The
information is provided by French Incoming, a local tour operator in France,
also known as an “incoming operator” or a “Destination Management Company”. In other
words, French Incoming organizes group tours in France on behalf of foreign
travel professionals (and sometimes on a BtoC basis).
First, here are six key advantages of traveling by coach on a tour:
1. Cost-Effectiveness:
Coach travel is often more affordable compared to other forms of transportation
like flying or taking the train. Group tours also benefit from bulk pricing,
which can further reduce individual costs.
2. Comfort
and Convenience: Modern coaches are equipped with amenities such as comfortable
seating, air conditioning, and restrooms, making long journeys more
comfortable. Plus, you don’t have to worry about navigating or parking.
3. Scenic
Routes: Traveling by coach allows you to enjoy the scenery along the way. You
can relax and take in the views without the stress of driving, which can
enhance your overall travel experience.
4. Social
Interaction: Coach tours often involve traveling with a group of people,
providing opportunities to meet and socialize with fellow travelers. This can
make the trip more enjoyable and may lead to lasting friendships.
5. Stress-Free
Planning: Coach tours typically include a planned itinerary with scheduled
stops and activities. This means you don’t have to worry about planning routes,
booking accommodations, or dealing with unexpected issues, allowing you to
focus on enjoying the trip.
6. Flexibility:
Coach tours allow you to organize many types of group trips: sports
competitions, weddings, association outings, student weekends, etc.
GOOD TO KNOW - Here are the items you need to know about:
Be specific in your request
The first
step is to contact a carrier (a coach company) or a Destination Management Company
(such as www.french-incoming.com).
When
writing your quote request, it is important to be very specific about :
- ·
the loading points (pick-up location and drop-off location). This is particularly
important because it allows the supplier to check whether a coach may actually
be able to access the requested location. If not, the supplier will advise you
accordingly and may suggest alternative locations.
- ·
The desired schedule. Coach driver’s hours is the main limiting factor. Sometimes, a
secondary driver may be required. See driver’s hours here after.
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the number of passengers to be transported. You may also specify if the group is adult
only, adults & kids, seniors, etc.
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The luggage situation. You may specify how many pieces of luggage each person in the group is
carrying, and whether some luggage are large equipment (like ski bags, or music
instrument, etc). As you will see here under, not all coach has enough luggage
space.
- ·
the type of vehicle requested. Please see for more info on the type of vehicle
here after.
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the itinerary.
By describing your stops, the duration of each stop, the supplier will calculate
the mileage and the driving time, and will then be able to offer you a quote that
meets your request exactly.
Empty kilometers
Empty
kilometers (empty miles) take into account the distance that a coach covers
without passengers on board. It could be before a pick-up or after a drop-off. The
closer the carrier is to the pick-up point, the fewer empty kilometers it will
have to do. Always consult the closest suppliers to get a more competitive
rate. A local DMC like French Incoming has contact throughout France. It also
has agreements with several suppliers that won’t charge for empty kilometers
(under certain conditions).
Intermediaries
Specialized
companies, such as French Incoming, act as intermediaries between customers and
carriers to offer quotes. It may seem more economical to contact coach carriers
directly. However, local intermediaries have better prices than occasional customers
thanks to their buying power, and they know all the tricks. Also, local
intermediaries might be able to assist you with other parts of your trip
planning.
Driving regulations in France
The
regulations concerning working and rest times are very strict in passenger
transport. Depending on the requested schedules, the company will sometimes
have to put a second driver or organize a relay, which will have a direct
impact on the price of transport.
In France,
and in Europe as a matter of fact, the daily driving time is limited to 9 hours
which can be extended to 10 hours twice a week.
Within this driving time, a driver must not drive more than 4.5 hours in
a row during the day and more than 4 hours at night. The night is very
precisely between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. This means that every 4 hours or 4.5 hours
at the most, the coach driver must stop. He must take a break of at least 45
minutes. This break may possibly be split into a break of at least 15 minutes
followed by another break of at least 30 minutes.
Consequently,
a well-planned itinerary shall take this mandatory driver’s rest into account.
It would be a good idea to plan for a visit or a meal during the mandatory
stop.
Daily rest:
The driver must take a daily rest of 11 consecutive hours. This rest period can
be decreased to 9 consecutive hours, with a maximum of three times between two
weekly rest periods. For example, a group arriving at a hotel at 11pm might not
start the next day (with the same driver) before 10 am. Be aware that the
driver’s daily rest starts when the coach is parked, cleaned, and ready to go
for the next day. Hence, next day’s departure time might be further delayed.
Weekly
rest: A driver must respect a weekly rest period of at least 24 hours after 6
days of work. A driver must be able to take a weekly rest period of 45
consecutive hours (a little under 2 full days), with a minimum of 24
consecutive hours once every two weeks (under certain conditions).
Finally,
the driving time must not exceed 56 hours per week and must not exceed 90 hours
over a period of two consecutive weeks.
Number of passengers and type of coach - Your group size, and the amount of luggage, will define which coach you may request.
If you are
a smaller group of people, it is not necessarily necessary to rent a coach. You
can rent a van (also called a mini-van) or a minibus from private companies.
This types of vehicle is ideal for small groups:
- ·
A van can accommodate up to 8 persons. But not all vans have luggage space! Note
that van’s drivers are not subject to the same driving regulations as coach
drivers. For very small parties, vans are a really good way to go about. Check
with French Incoming, which has its own minivan with luggage space.
- ·
A minibus can accommodate between 15 and 20 people.
Your group
seems too big for a minibus but not big enough for a classic coach? There is a
perfect solution called the “midibus”. The midibus is actually the in-between,
which allows medium-sized groups to travel with ease.
- ·
A midibus has a maximum of 35 seats.
You’re
travelling with a large group or you’ll be carrying lots of luggage, you should
request a standard coach. A classic coach can accommodate between 50 and 63
seats. This total capacity depends on the make, size and model of the vehicle.
- ·
The average capacity of a tourist coach in France is 53 passengers.
Lastly, if
your group is really big, with more than 63 people, if you do not want to rent
two different buses, you can also turn to a double-decker bus. This is a more
economical and more ecological option too. The cost price is to be divided by
the total number of passengers.
- ·
Double-decker coaches can accommodate 75 seats and up to 93 seats on two
levels.
Your itinerary, the number of people in your group and drivers’ hours
A long
journey with a very large number of people requires stops and breaks. Indeed,
the people being transported will need to go out, eat, go to the toilet, etc. Meanwhile,
the drivers, subject to the driving regulations, will have to take breaks,
depending on the duration of the journeys. Be careful, on a very long journey,
the regulations may require you to hire two drivers for one and the same coach.
Other things to know
Large coach with 2 doors
Midibuses and larges coaches have 2 doors. It allows for faster loading and unloading.
Parking fees
Some cities (Paris, Monaco, etc), airports (Paris CDG for example) and touristic sites (like the Mont Saint Michel) have parking fees. In some places, a coach permit is required.
Be sure to check whether these fees are included into your quote, same with tolls.
Driver's expenses
There are 4 types of coach service: a transfer, half-day, full-day and multiple-day service. During full-day tours and multi-day tours, the driver's expenses must be accounted for. Note that these expenses are usually not included in the quote. You then have 2 solutions: you may pay for the driver's expenses (meals and lodging) directly, or you may be invoiced by the coach company afterwards.
Quotes
French
Incoming may provide you with a full quote based on your needs. Contact us at info@french-incoming.com for a free
offer. You may also ask for additional services.
Should you
wish to have an idea of how much your coach service will cost before you ask for
a formal offer, you may start at www.planeteautocars.fr/devis
(in French only) where you will be given prices after you entered your
itinerary information.
We hope you’ll
have a successful coach tour in France and we remain at your disposal should you
need any other information.
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