Coach Rental Across France

School trips by coach

A school trip by coach rests on paperwork as much as on the road. This page covers what the school keeps on file and the rules that change the coach plan.

Consent and supervision

The rules for outings and trips are set by the circular of 16 July 2024, with practical sheets on éduscol. For an optional trip, a parent or legal guardian must give written permission. For a trip outside France, each minor also needs an authorisation to leave the country, the AST.

Primary classes go out with two adults or more, and a teacher must be among them. The coach driver does not count towards that number, so plan your adults without the driver.

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

Seats, belts and child restraints

Children carried as a group travel seated. Each pupil wears the seat belt wherever the seat has one, and French law requires the coaches used for this work to have belts. A coach counts as public transport, so child seats are not required on board.

Smaller vehicles are different. In a car, or any vehicle that is not public transport, every passenger under 18 must use a child restraint or a belt, and children under 10 an approved restraint. Raise this early if part of the group travels in a car or van.

Rules organisers should know

  • French school trips are organised under the circular of 16 July 2024 on outings and trips in schools, collèges and lycées, with practical guidance sheets published on éduscol
  • In vehicles carrying groups of children (transport en commun d'enfants), the children must travel seated
  • School trips travel by coach with professional drivers, by public transport or on foot, depending on the distance

Summer bans and booked sites

France bars the group transport of children on one or two Saturdays each summer. The days are set each year by arrêté, so check that year's list before you fix a date in July or August.

Some sites ration coach access. At Mont-Saint-Michel, coaches park at P7 on the mainland. School coaches book a month ahead, and cannot book on the busiest Red Days. The abbey requires every youth group under 25 to book a time slot. At Giverny, groups of 20 or more book Monet's house and gardens ahead.

Organisers ask

Can a small class use a minibus?

Yes, for up to 16 passengers, staff included. Belts are worn wherever fitted. Confirm the child-restraint rules with the operator for younger pupils.

How long can a school day out be?

One driver may drive 9 hours in the day, with a 45-minute stop after 4.5 hours. A return run of several hours each way may need a second driver or a night away.

What does the school need to send us?

Pupil and adult numbers, the date, the pickup address, each stop with its booked time, and any pupil who needs step-free access.

Cities

Vehicles with a driver