The minibus (Kleinbus)
A minibus carries 9 to 16 passengers plus the driver. For a small club, a team or a school group, it often makes more sense than a half-empty coach.
Car rules or bus rules
The number of seats decides the regime. A vehicle of nine seats or fewer, driver seat included, counts as a car; hired with a driver, it runs under the Mietwagen rules. With more seats, it is a bus under the PBefG, and the driver needs category D1.
D1 covers vehicles for up to 16 passengers besides the driver and up to 8 m long. The minimum age is 21, or 18 during or after training as a professional driver.
Seats and luggage
- Seats: 9-16 passengers plus the driver
- Luggage: Rear luggage space; limited when every seat is taken
Rules and equipment on board
- Category D1 covers vehicles built for up to 16 passengers besides the driver and up to 8 m long; the minimum age is 21, or 18 during or after training as a professional driver
- With more than nine seats including the driver, a minibus counts as a bus (Kraftomnibus) under the PBefG
- A vehicle with up to nine seats including the driver counts as a car (Personenkraftwagen); hired with a driver, it runs under the Mietwagen rules
- Required seat belts must be worn while driving
- Children under 12 and shorter than 150 cm need a child restraint on seats for which seat belts are required, but this rule does not apply in buses over 3.5 t
Luggage, belts and children
The luggage space is at the rear and gets tight when every seat is taken. A full minibus on an airport run may need a bigger vehicle than the headcount suggests. Tell us the number of suitcases.
Seat belts must be worn where fitted. Children under 12 and below 150 cm need a child restraint in a vehicle with belts. The exception is only for buses over 3.5 t, so ask whether the booked minibus is above that weight. If not, younger children need child seats.
Trips it suits
Airport runs for a small group, a team to an away match, a museum visit for one class, or a club outing to a wine village. It parks more easily than a coach and can often stop closer to the door. In an Umweltzone it needs the green sticker like any other vehicle.
Questions organisers ask
Is a minibus with eight passengers a bus?
No. With up to eight passengers and the driver it counts as a car, and the Mietwagen rules apply.
Can a minibus go on a tour of several days?
Yes. The EU drivers' hours rules apply to the driver just as on a coach.
When should we choose a midi-coach instead?
When the group is over 16, or when luggage for every passenger will not fit at the rear.