Coach Hire Across Switzerland

Coaches for the Schulreise and the Klassenlager

A teacher booking a coach wants three answers. Is it safe for the children, is it allowed, and where will it stop? Federal rules settle the first two. The third depends on the town.

Belts and booster seats

Where a seat has a belt, every pupil wears it while the coach moves. The driver makes sure children under 12 are properly secured, and passengers are told about the belt rule. In a full-size coach, children from 4 years need no booster seat.

A smaller minibus is stricter. Any child below 12 and under 150 cm tall needs a child restraint on a belted seat, except on lap-belt seats from age 7. For a class of 20 to 25 with teachers, a midi-coach is often the right size; two classes together fill a full-size coach.

Setra 49-seat touring coach, exterior
Setra 49-seat touring coach, exterior

No permit for a single trip

Regular school runs carrying only pupils need a cantonal permit. A Schulreise or a week's Klassenlager is not a regular service, so the school needs nothing beyond the booking.

On a camp week where the same coach brings the class back to its starting point, the driver may postpone the weekly rest if the coach has a digital tachograph. One driver can then stay with the class all week.

Rules worth knowing before you book

  • Children under 12 must use a suitable child restraint on seats with seat belts, unless they are at least 150 cm tall; in a coach (Gesellschaftswagen) children from 4 years need no child restraint, and on seats with lap belts children from 7 years need none (Art. 3a Abs. 4 VRV)
  • Passenger vehicles are exempt from the Sunday and night driving ban (Art. 91a Abs. 1 Bst. a VRV)

Stops at the usual destinations

In Bern, coaches currently park at 19 city sites with no charge and no booking; a charge with online booking is planned, not yet in force. At the Rheinfall, the coach sets down at P1 or P2 on the north bank and parks at the Burgunwiese, or uses P5 and P6 at Schloss Laufen on the south side. In Luzern a voucher, booked in advance, is needed for the central coach stops, while the Inseliquai near the station and the boats needs none.

What organisers ask us

Can the coach leave at dawn or come back late?

Yes. The Sunday and night driving ban does not cover vehicles carrying passengers. The driver's own hours still count, so mention a 05:00 start or a late return in the request.

Can the class get off at the Inseliquai in Luzern?

Yes. The city keeps the Inseliquai outside the voucher system, especially for classic trips such as school outings. The coach may set down, pick up and load luggage there, but it may not park.

What should the school send with the request?

Pupils and adults, the date, start and finish times, each stop, and whether any child needs a booster seat or a wheelchair place.

Destinations

Vehicles, each with a driver