Our bus charter Sydney service gives your group a vehicle and a professional driver for as long as you need them. You set the plan, we supply the right sized minibus or coach, and the driver stays with you from the first pickup to the last drop-off. It is the simplest way to move 10 to 50 people around Sydney without anyone driving, parking or waiting on rideshares.

How a bus charter works

A charter is booked by time rather than by seat. You might book a 20 seater for five hours to pick up guests from three suburbs, take them to lunch in the city and bring them home again, or a 24 seat mini coach for a full day trip out of town. The driver follows the run sheet we confirm with you, and if the day changes, such as a lunch running long or an extra stop, you can work it out with the driver and our office.

Choosing your charter bus

Popular bus charters in Sydney

Dinners and functions with several pickups, weddings, sporting fixtures and club presentation nights, school and community outings, airport and cruise transfers, office team days, and day tours to the Hunter Valley, the Blue Mountains, the Southern Highlands and Canberra. If there is more than one stop, more than one pickup, or the timing is likely to shift, a charter is usually a better fit than a set transfer.

Planning help

Tell us what you are trying to achieve and we will help with the order of pickups, realistic travel times for the time of day, where the vehicle can set down at each venue and how much buffer to leave for a flight or a ceremony. Picking a reliable operator matters: ask any company you compare for its accreditation, insurance and whether the vehicle quoted is the vehicle that turns up.

Included in every charter

  • A professional driver who holds a Working With Children Check
  • Fuel and the vehicle for the hours you book
  • Private use, with no other passengers and no extra stops
  • Seatbelt-equipped vehicles, which can be confirmed when you book
  • Luggage trailers on request for minibus services

Get a quote

Send your date, start and finish times, addresses and headcount through our online quote form, or call 0452 104 173 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm). When you are ready, confirm through 24/7 online bookings.

Three charters we run often

A multi-stop dinner

Sixteen guests are collected from three suburbs, taken to a restaurant in the city and on to a dessert bar afterwards, then dropped home. Because the driver stays with the group, the second stop can move by half an hour without a problem.

A family day visiting relatives

Extended family visiting from overseas spend a day calling on relatives in several suburbs, with lunch in between. A 12 or 20 seater with a driver means nobody juggles directions or parking.

A club presentation night

A sporting club collects players from the club rooms, takes them to the venue and brings everyone back at the end of the night.

How many hours to book

Count from the first pickup to the last drop-off, then add a buffer for traffic and for the group taking longer than planned at each stop. It is usually better to book a little more time than to run short on the night.

Charters outside Sydney

For a day in the Hunter Valley, the Blue Mountains or Canberra, a charter keeps the vehicle and driver with your group all day. Send us the stops and the time you want to be home, and we will check the drive times and build in driver breaks.

Bus charter or bus hire?

Both give you a private vehicle and a driver. A bus charter is booked by the hour, so the driver stays with your group between stops and the plan can shift a little on the day. A straight trip, such as a hotel to a venue or a run to the airport, is simpler to book as the point to point bus hire Sydney groups use every week. If you are not sure which fits, send us the plan and we will tell you.

For groups of more than 24, the same approach works with a bigger vehicle. See coach charter Sydney for midi and full-size coaches booked by the hour, or coach hire for larger one way and return transfers.

Planning a bus charter step by step

  1. List every stop. Pickups, venues and drop-offs, in order, with the time you need to be at each one.
  2. Count heads and bags. The final number sets the vehicle size, and luggage or equipment may push you up a size.
  3. Check where the bus can stop. Ask each venue whether there is a set-down zone or a driveway a minibus can use.
  4. Add a buffer. Allow for traffic and for the group taking longer than planned, especially on Friday evenings and big event days.
  5. Share the run sheet. Give everyone the pickup times and the meeting point, and name one person as the contact for the driver on the day.

Charter ideas for small groups

A 12 seater suits a board dinner or a family day calling on relatives. A 20 seater handles a sports squad's away game or an office lunch with a second stop. A 24 seat mini coach is comfortable for a full day in the Blue Mountains or a winery run, and our Hunter Valley minibus tours page has sample stops.

Minibuses and coaches ready for bus charter in Sydney, with the Harbour Bridge behind
Minibus and coach charter in Sydney

Bus charter FAQs

What is the difference between a charter and a transfer?

A charter books the vehicle and driver for a block of hours, so the driver stays with your group between stops. A transfer is a set trip from one place to another at an agreed time.

Is there a minimum booking time?

Minimum hours depend on the day and the vehicle. Send your plan through the quote form and we will tell you what applies to your date.

Can we add a stop on the day?

Usually yes, as long as it fits within the hours booked and the vehicle can stop safely there. Talk to the driver and our office as early as you can.

Do you charter outside Sydney?

Yes. We run day trips to the Hunter Valley, the Blue Mountains, the Southern Highlands, Canberra and the coast, and can quote longer trips on request.

Will the same vehicle we were quoted turn up?

Yes. We quote a specific vehicle size, and that is the size that arrives on the day.

How many people fit on a charter bus?

Our charter minibuses seat 12, 20 or 24 passengers, with 28 and 33 seat midi coaches and 48 and 57 seat coaches for larger groups. Every passenger needs a seat.

Are your drivers checked for school and junior groups?

Yes. Our drivers hold Working With Children Checks, and seatbelt-equipped vehicles can be confirmed when you book.