For a group of up to 7 people with up to 7 suitcases, book a Mercedes V-Class with a private driver. Groups of 8 to 19 travel in a minibus, and groups of 20 to 55 in a coach. Above 55, we run several vehicles on the same timetable.
Before you choose, add children to the passenger count and list any bulky items. A few ski bags or two pushchairs can push you up to the next vehicle size.
Which vehicle fits your group
| Vehicle | Passengers | Luggage | Typical groups |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercedes E-Class | Up to 3 | Up to 3 suitcases | Three colleagues, a couple travelling light |
| Mercedes V-Class | Up to 7 | Up to 7 suitcases | Families, groups of friends, small teams, ski trips |
| Minibus | 8–19 | Depends on the model | Company teams, wedding guests, day trips |
| Coach | 20–55 | Underfloor luggage hold | Conferences, incentive trips, school or club groups |
In Spain, a car with a driver that you book in advance runs under a VTC licence, the country's licensed private-hire category. A VTC licence only covers vehicles with up to 9 seats including the driver's, so the Mercedes V-Class with driver is the largest vehicle in our VTC fleet. It has a sliding door and room for 7 suitcases.
For minibus hire with a driver, we pick a size between 8 and 19 seats to match your passenger and bag count. Luggage space varies from one model to another, so we confirm everything fits before you book. Our coach hire with a driver puts the luggage in the hold under the passenger floor, and the coach has a microphone for a guide or the group leader.
Count the bags as well as the people
A group can fit in the seats and still overflow the boot. These examples show how we match a group to a vehicle:
| Your group | What we would suggest |
|---|---|
| 3 adults, 3 suitcases | Mercedes E-Class |
| 4 adults, one large suitcase each | Mercedes V-Class |
| 2 adults and 3 children, a pushchair and 5 suitcases | Mercedes V-Class, with child seats fitted |
| 7 adults, 7 suitcases and 2 golf bags | Minibus, or a V-Class plus a second car for the golf bags |
| A team of 12 with hand luggage | Minibus |
| 30 wedding guests, no luggage | Coach |
| 60 conference delegates | Coach and minibus on the same timetable |
When you ask for a quote, list large suitcases and cabin bags separately. A cabin bag takes far less room than a 23 kg checked case.
Bulky items
Ski and snowboard bags, golf bags, pushchairs, folding wheelchairs, musical instruments and trade-fair boxes do not count as ordinary suitcases. Tell us how many of each you have and we will confirm whether one vehicle can take it all.
Eight or nine people: one minibus or two cars?
With 8 or 9 people you are just over the V-Class's 7 seats. You have two options:
- A minibus. The whole group travels together, with one driver and one pick-up time.
- Two vehicles, for example a V-Class and an E-Class. This works if you split up on arrival, with each car going to a different hotel, or if part of the group leaves earlier.
Ask us to price both and compare. If you land on different flights, two cars also let us collect each part of the group as it lands.
Children and child seats
Babies and children count as passengers, and each child seat takes one place.
Spain's General Traffic Regulations set different rules by vehicle size. They may differ from the rules at home:
- In vehicles with up to 9 seats, such as the E-Class, S-Class and V-Class, children 135 cm tall or under must travel in a child restraint suited to their height and weight, and in the back seats, with a few exceptions.
- In vehicles with more than 9 seats, such as a minibus or coach, children aged 3 or over who are 135 cm tall or under must use an approved child restraint suited to their height and weight. If none is available, they must wear the seat belt, as long as it suits their height and weight.
- On a minibus or coach, the driver, the guide or the group leader must tell passengers that they have to wear their seat belts. Every seat on our minibuses and coaches has a seat belt.
Child seats are free if you request them when you book. Give us each child's age, height and weight and we fit the seats before pick-up. If you would rather bring your own seat, tell us so we can count it as luggage.
Meeting a group at Barcelona-El Prat airport
We track your flights, and the driver waits for the group in the arrivals hall, at the exit from baggage reclaim, holding a sign with the group or company name. Free waiting is 1 hour 15 minutes from the moment the plane lands.
A group takes longer to come out than a single traveller. Some people get their bags on the first turn of the belt and others on the last. If you fly in from outside the Schengen area, from the UK or the US for example, you also go through passport control first. Agree a meeting point inside baggage reclaim and choose one person to stay in phone contact with the driver.
Different flights or terminals
Send us every flight number. We will suggest one pick-up per flight or a single pick-up after the last flight lands. For each pick-up, free waiting starts when that flight lands.
If part of the group lands at T1 and part at T2, remember they are separate buildings linked by a free Aena shuttle bus. Our Barcelona airport T1 and T2 guide lists the airlines at each terminal and which exit each flight uses.
Where the minibus or coach waits
Aena sets aside stops for occasional buses and minibuses, the ones that carry groups. At T1 they are on floor 0 (arrivals), with a North Zone, a South Zone and a separate minibus area. At T2 they are at the bays of T2A and T2C. Your driver meets you in arrivals and walks the group to the vehicle, so allow for that walk with your luggage.
Pick-ups from several hotels and the trip back to the airport
If the group is staying in different hotels, we agree the order of the pick-ups and the time at each stop with you, and the fixed price already covers that route. At hotels, offices and private addresses the driver waits 15 minutes as a courtesy from the agreed time at each stop. Ask everyone to be in the lobby on time.
Some hotels in the Gothic Quarter and El Born are on pedestrian streets or streets too narrow for a coach. We then choose a nearby point where the vehicle can stop and send it to you to share with the group.
For your flight home, checking in a whole group with hold luggage takes longer at the desk. Check when check-in closes on your airline's website, and we will set a pick-up time that leaves enough margin.
Long journeys by minibus or coach
Drivers of vehicles with more than 9 seats, which means most minibuses and every coach, follow the EU rules on driving time and rest (Regulation (EC) No 561/2006):
- After 4.5 hours at the wheel, the driver takes a break of at least 45 minutes, which can be split into 15 and then 30 minutes.
- Daily driving time cannot exceed 9 hours, extended to 10 hours twice a week.
- Between working days, the driver takes at least 11 hours of rest. The driver can reduce this rest to nine hours three times between two weekly rest periods.
A transfer to the Costa Brava or Andorra usually takes less than 4.5 hours. Breaks also depend on the driver's earlier driving that day. These limits determine the timetable for journeys to Madrid and long excursions. Send us the whole programme so we can plan the timetable with the required breaks.
What to send us for a quote
- Date, time and address of each pick-up, plus the destination.
- Number of passengers, with children's ages.
- Large suitcases, cabin bags and bulky items.
- Flight numbers, if you are flying in or out.
- Stops on the way and long waits, such as a lunch stop.
We reply with the right vehicle and a fixed price, with tolls and luggage included. You pay nothing to get a quote, and cancellation is free up to 24 hours before pick-up. Message us on WhatsApp, call, email or use the booking form. All the options are together on our group transfers page for 7-seat vans, minibuses and coaches. Our team helps you in Spanish, Catalan, English and French. Tell us your preferred language when you book.
FAQ
What is the largest group you can fit in one car with a driver?
Seven passengers, in our Mercedes V-Class. A VTC licence only covers vehicles with up to 9 seats including the driver's, so for groups of 8 or more we use a minibus or a coach.
There are 25 of us. One coach, or a minibus and a V-Class?
A coach carries all 25 together, with the luggage in the hold. Two vehicles make sense if the group splits up on arrival. We can price both options.
Does the driver act as a tour guide?
No. The driver handles the driving and the timings but is not a licensed tour guide. Coaches have a microphone if you bring your own guide.
Sources
- Royal Decree 1428/2003, General Traffic Regulations, article 117: seat belts and child restraints (BOE, in Spanish)
- Aena: getting to Barcelona-El Prat airport by bus, occasional buses
- European Commission: driving time and rest periods, Regulation (EC) No 561/2006
- Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 (EUR-Lex)
- Royal Decree 1211/1990, Land Transport Regulations (ROTT) (BOE, in Spanish)
