Minibus Hire Across Germany

Accessible transport for groups

Accessible group travel starts with numbers. How many passengers stay in their wheelchair, how many move to a seat, and how many walk with difficulty? The vehicle follows from that.

On a private hire, it is arranged per booking

EU passenger rights give disabled travellers assistance on scheduled bus and coach services of 250 km or more, with 36 hours' notice. A private hire is not a scheduled service. On a hired coach or minibus, the accessible vehicle and any help are agreed with each booking, so say what is needed when you ask for a quote.

Anyone travelling seated in their wheelchair must have a dedicated wheelchair space, with one restraint holding the chair and another holding the person (§ 35a StVZO). On a bus, the 100 km/h motorway limit is allowed only if the wheelchair places in use also have seat belts.

Sprinter 19-seat minibus, side view
Sprinter 19-seat minibus, side view

What to tell us

Give the number of wheelchair users, the type of chair (manual or electric), and its size and weight if you know them. Say who can transfer to a seat, and how many companions or carers travel. Count carers in the passenger total.

For a large mixed group, a coach for most passengers and an accessible minibus travelling with it is often the practical answer.

Rules the organiser should know

  • EU bus and coach passenger rights give disabled passengers assistance on scheduled services of 250 km or more, if they tell the operator at least 36 hours before the trip
  • The Warnemünde Cruise Center terminals at berths P7 and P8 are step-free and have facilities for disabled passengers

Stops that need planning

Nürnberg lets a coach into Augustinerstraße only for passengers with reduced mobility, and only with a time-slot permit booked online with the city: one for set-down, one for pick-up. If several coaches travel together, put those passengers on one coach.

At Warnemünde, berths P7 and P8 have step-free terminal buildings. For the Rosenmontag parade in Köln, the LVR books places on an inclusion stand on the Hohenzollernring.

Questions organisers ask

Can a passenger stay in a wheelchair for the journey?

Yes, in a vehicle with a proper wheelchair space and both restraints. Tell us when you book.

Does the driver help passengers on and off?

Help on a private hire is agreed with the booking. Say what is needed and the operator confirms what the driver provides.

Do the EU passenger rights cover our hired coach?

No. They apply to scheduled services. On a hire, accessibility is part of what you book.

Cities

Vehicles with a driver