To book a coach for a school trip, give the operator your pupil and staff numbers, the full itinerary with times, the exact pick-up point at school, and any access or accessibility needs, as early as you can. With that information we can match the vehicle to your group, check the route and safe stopping points, and give you an accurate price for your trip approval.
What to send with your quote request
- The number of pupils and the number of staff or helpers travelling
- The year groups or ages of the pupils
- Where the coach should collect pupils at school, and where it can stop safely
- The destination address, with a postcode, and any stops on the way
- Times: leaving school, arriving, leaving the venue and getting back to school
- Whether any pupils use a wheelchair or have limited mobility
- Whether pupils will eat on the coach, for example a packed lunch on the way home
- Whether you have a budget per pupil, so we can suggest a vehicle size that fits it
Our coach hire quote checklist covers the same details for any type of trip.
Matching the vehicle to your group
Our fleet includes 33 seat midi coaches, full-size coaches with up to 61 seats and double deckers with 79 to 86 seats. A whole year group can often travel together on a double decker, which keeps everyone on the same schedule. Our newest double decker, added in May 2026, is wheelchair accessible. If you are unsure which size you need, read our guide to choosing between a minibus and a coach.
What Quinns does to keep pupils safe
Our health and safety policy sets out how we operate. In summary:
- Our drivers hold a Driver CPC and have AccessNI checks, which are updated annually.
- Every vehicle has a daily inspection before its journey and a full safety inspection every six weeks.
- We assess every journey for its location, the route and safe parking at the destination.
- Fire exits, first aid kits and fire extinguishers are clearly marked on our vehicles.
- Our vehicles are fitted with tracking and CCTV.
What we ask of teachers and group leaders
In Northern Ireland, passengers aged 14 and over must wear a seat belt where one is fitted on a minibus, bus or coach (nidirect, Highway Code rule 99). Our health and safety policy asks teachers and group leaders to make sure children are wearing their seat belts before the journey begins.
It also helps if the lead teacher:
- does a headcount before the coach leaves school and before each return journey
- agrees a meeting point at the venue for the return trip
- has our office number, 028 8673 7325, to hand on the day, along with our emergency number, 078 3454 3580
An example day plan
This is a made-up example of a morning visit, to show the timings we find most helpful:
- 8:50am: pupils on board at the school’s front entrance, headcount done
- 9:00am: coach leaves school
- 10:15am: arrive at the venue
- 1:45pm: pupils back on board, headcount done
- 2:00pm: coach leaves the venue
- 3:15pm: arrive back at school
Giving us a plan like this, even a rough one, means the quote covers the whole time the coach and driver are needed.
School approvals and paperwork
Your school will have its own process for approving trips. If that process needs information from the transport operator, mention it when you ask for your quote so we know what you need.
Request a school trip quote
Send your numbers, itinerary and pick-up details using our coach and minibus quote form, choosing “School trip” as the reason for travel, or call us on 028 8673 7325. You can also find out more about our private coach hire service.
