Minibuses and coaches for groups

Seats and luggage together

The number of seats in a minibus says nothing about luggage. In a nineteen-seat vehicle with every seat taken, the hold often takes only ten to twelve suitcases.

So we always choose the size by two figures: passengers and suitcases. If a group is leaving the airport with a lot of luggage, we offer a larger vehicle or a separate luggage vehicle.

Why not always a large coach

A large coach is the cheapest per head, but its length and weight limit the route. In the streets of Old Tbilisi, in mountain villages and on narrow hairpin roads it simply cannot get through.

So we sometimes split a group's route across two minibuses instead of one coach. It costs a little more, but the group ends up where it needs to be, not wherever the coach has to stop.

The mountains and a group

The main road to Kazbegi is open to a large coach, but the climb to Gergeti Trinity Church is by 4x4 only. In that case the group travels to Kazbegi by coach and goes up from there in local 4x4s.

In Svaneti and Racha a large coach struggles on some stretches, so we choose a minibus. In Tusheti and Khevsureti a group moves only in a convoy of 4x4s - one vehicle for every four or five people.

All of this is worked out before booking and appears in the price. A group should never discover on the spot that the coach cannot reach the next point.

A group stop takes longer

A toilet stop for a group of twenty takes half an hour, a coffee stop longer. That is the nature of a group, and we allow for it when planning.

So a group's day includes fewer sights than a single traveller's. Four places in a day is often the maximum for a group, if everyone is not to be exhausted by the evening.

We choose the stops in advance too: places with enough toilets and room for twenty people at once. A small roadside café is often too cramped for a group.

The guide, the microphone and communication

Minibuses and coaches have a microphone and speakers for the guide, so everything can be heard in the back row too. A seat for the guide next to the driver is planned in advance.

Outdoors, in a crowded place, a group of more than twenty hears the guide poorly. For groups like that we offer a radio guide system - everyone has an earpiece.

One shared chat for the group in a messenger is the simplest way to announce meeting times and places. It is set up before the tour begins.

A driver's working hours with a group

We do not plan more than eight or nine hours of driving a day for a group's driver. Driving a large vehicle on a mountain road is tiring, and a tired driver is a risk to twenty people.

On a multi-day tour the driver's accommodation and meals are either included or charged separately - we set that out in advance. Their rest is built into the route, not thought up at the last minute.

On a very long day - from Mestia to Tbilisi, say - we sometimes plan a second driver. You will not notice it, but for safety it is decisive.

A corporate group

At a corporate event, transport often comes in several layers: arrivals from the airport on different flights, a shuttle between the hotel and the conference hall, and a day out for the team.

One coordinator runs all of it, and the organiser calls them rather than each driver. The list, the timetable and the changes all come together in one place.

Payment is by bank transfer, with a contract and an invoice. After the event we issue a certificate of completion, which the accounts department needs.

An event shuttle

When guests are staying in several hotels, a shuttle is the simplest solution: a minibus runs a loop on a timetable, and guests wait for it at the stop.

At the end of the event the shuttle runs on demand rather than by timetable - the last run leaves when the last guest is ready. At a night event that matters especially.

A clear sign or a person stands at each stop, and guests receive the timetable in advance by messenger. That way nobody gets lost and nobody stands in the street waiting for a taxi.

Wedding guests

Transport for wedding guests is often the most complicated logistics of all: the church ceremony in one place, the photo session in another, the supra in a third, and the guests staying in different hotels.

Minibuses follow that route on a timetable, and at night, after the supra, take the guests back to their hotels in several runs. Nobody drives after the feast.

At a Georgian wedding the supra goes on late, and we plan for that. We arrange the drivers' shifts so that there is a sober, rested driver even on the last run of the night.

A sports team with equipment

A sports team often has a lot of equipment: bicycles, skis, kit bags. That needs a coach with a large hold or a separate lorry.

For bicycles we arrange a special trailer or a lorry, so they do not travel in the cabin with the passengers. That is safer and protects the bikes too.

On competition day the timetable is strict, and the transport is fitted to it: an early start, waiting until the finish, the trip back. We plan that in advance, to the minute.

Pilgrimage and parish groups

Pilgrimage groups often come to Georgia's monasteries and churches, and their route is planned differently: service times, early starts, longer time at each place.

In a Georgian church women need a headscarf and a skirt, and men long trousers. We tell the group in advance, so there is no awkwardness on the spot.

Some monasteries stand high up at the end of a narrow road, where a large coach cannot climb. We take those places into account in advance and choose the right transport for the group.

Children and school groups

For a school or camp group, every seat in the vehicle has a working seat belt - with us that is a firm requirement. Adult chaperones travel with the group.

A children's group needs a stop every hour and a half, and long stretches of driving have to be broken into shorter ones. We plan the route accordingly.

The driver has experience with children's groups. And the chaperones always have our coordinator's number, available throughout the day.

A wine day for a group

A group wine day in Kakheti is one of the most common uses of a minibus: several wineries, lunch and the drive back, with nobody having to think about driving.

Wineries are small and often cannot take more than twenty people at once. We split a group like that in two, or choose larger wineries with room for a group.

Cases of wine that people buy go in the hold, and we allow room for them in advance. In summer the hold gets hot - so we keep the wine in the shade or in a cool bag.

Crossing a border as a group

Crossing a border as a group, into Armenia for example, takes longer than for a single traveller: every passport is checked individually, and the vehicle as well.

So we prepare the passenger list with passport details in advance and check each passenger's entry conditions before booking. One person missing a visa holds up the whole group.

Sometimes it is simpler for the group to cross on foot and be met by another coach on the other side. We compare both options on time and price.

Winter and weather

In winter a large coach on a mountain road needs chains and winter tyres, and the driver needs experience on snow. We check that when you book.

When the Jvari Pass closes, the group either waits or changes plan. So we always plan a winter mountain tour with a fallback - a Kakheti day, for instance.

In summer the main issue is air conditioning: nineteen people cannot travel without it on a hot day. All our minibuses have it, and it works.

Choosing the vehicle

Our minibuses are modern, with comfortable seats, seat belts and air conditioning. We do not send a twenty-year-old vehicle for a group, and if the model or year matters, we tell you in advance.

The coaches belong to licensed carriers, are insured and technically inspected. That is our obligation, and we confirm it in writing.

If the group has a special requirement - room for a wheelchair, a fridge, Wi-Fi - we need to know in advance. Not every vehicle has everything.

Group transport and a tour together

A minibus is often part of a tour: transport, driver, guide and route in one package. That is simpler than ordering and coordinating each piece separately.

But transport alone is possible too - if the group has its own guide or organiser. In that case we plan the route with them and take care only of the transport.

Either way the driver knows the route in advance, and the stops are agreed. Improvising with a group is expensive - in time and in nerves.

Booking and lead times

For a small minibus three days is usually enough. For a large coach, and in season, a week or more, because there are few of them and they are booked early.

On summer weekends, in the wedding season and during large conferences coaches are booked several weeks ahead. In those periods early booking is essential.

If the group's size is not yet fixed, we prepare options in two sizes. The final number is confirmed two or three days ahead.

What the price is made of

The price depends on the size of the vehicle, the length of the route and the number of days. The driver's accommodation on a multi-day tour and any long waiting are counted separately.

The price per head falls sharply as the group grows - the cost of the vehicle and driver is shared among everyone. That is exactly why group travel is economical.

The price comes in writing before booking and does not change. It changes only if the route or the group's size changes, and we agree that in advance.

Cancellation and changes

Cancelling a small minibus is usually free up to 48 hours ahead. For a large coach and a multi-day tour the terms are stricter and written into the contract.

If the group shrinks, we swap to a smaller vehicle if time allows. If it grows, to a larger one or an extra minibus.

A route change because of weather or a closed road does not count as a cancellation. In that case we offer an alternative and adjust the price accordingly.

What we need from you

The exact number of passengers, the volume of luggage and the dates. If the group includes children or people with reduced mobility, that too.

The route or the places you want to visit. That tells us which vehicle can reach every point, and whether local 4x4s are needed in the mountains.

And one contact person from the group, with whom we agree the timetable and changes. With a group, one clear contact is worth more than ten phone calls.

Passengers with reduced mobility in a group

If the group includes a wheelchair user, getting into an ordinary minibus is hard - the step is high and narrow. Adapted vehicles are rare in Georgia and have to be found in advance.

Often the answer is the group's minibus plus a minivan with a sliding door alongside it, with a folding wheelchair in the boot. The group moves together, in two vehicles.

We check the places on the route too: where there is a ramp and where there are only steps. We say so honestly, so that part of the group is not left sitting in the coach.

The driver and language with a group

A group's driver speaks Georgian and Russian, and often basic English too. Communication with the group usually goes through the guide or the group leader.

If a group is travelling without a guide and speaks neither Georgian nor Russian, we choose a driver with English or another language, or add an interpreter.

In any case the group leader has our coordinator's number. If anything is unclear with the driver, the coordinator interprets and sorts it out straight away.