Hi guys,

Just wondering if anyone has ever booked a minibus anywhere in Europe, namely France (the south). I'm looking to ideally pre-book one for a bunch of us so that we can collect it on arrival in France and return it just before we leave. Apparently Europcar can't supply minibus's to the part of France we are planning on going to. Can anyone recommend any other companies that might offer this service? And have an idea of how much it would cost to rent one for around 4 days, or per day?

Also, does anyone happen to know the laws regarding driving a 16-seater minibus in France? I'm 22 and have been driving for around 5 years..

Thanks in advance!

Think you'll need D1 category the same as you need for the UK and I doubt if you have this as you only passed 5 years ago you needed to pass before 1997 to have D1 without taking any further tests

Think you'll need D1 category the same as you need for the UK and I doubt if you have this as you only passed 5 years ago you needed to pass before 1997 to have D1 without taking any further tests

I have read that there are exceptions to this rule, not 100% sure on what they are though. Although, even if I can legally drive one (at over 21 years old with 2 years car experience), I think the problem is getting insurance from a hire company, who might set the limit at 25.. :S

You will need to fill out a D2 & D4 form to get the D1 added, the D4 is medical form

This is from the Gov site based on you having a full car license and over 21 years old

If you’ve held your car licence for at least 2 years you can drive a minibus carrying up to 16 passengers as long as you’re not driving it for ‘hire or reward’.

The minibus must not be larger than 3,500 kg or 4,250 kg including any specialist equipment for transporting disabled passengers.

Some rental companies insist that you have the full minibus entitlement (category D1) on your licence before hiring a minibus - check with the company to find out their rules.

Thanks for that info Nige, I'll have a good read of the gov site.

Can anyone recommend any companies that will hire pre-ordered minibus's abroad, through past experience?