General Terms & Conditions

“Carrier” means Bus-service.com, a charter bus and coach hire service operating across Europe.

“Client” means the individual, company or organisation that places a booking for transport services with the Carrier, whether directly or through an authorised representative.

“Passenger” means any person travelling in a vehicle provided by or on behalf of the Carrier under a booking made by the Client.

“Booking” means a confirmed reservation for transport services, established upon receipt of a signed booking confirmation or written acceptance (including e-mail) by the Client.

“Services” means the coach hire, bus charter, minibus rental, shuttle or transfer services as specified in the booking confirmation.

“Sub-contractor” means a third-party coach operator engaged by the Carrier to perform all or part of the agreed Services on its behalf.

2.1. All bookings are made through the Bus-service.com website, by telephone or by e-mail. A booking request does not constitute a confirmed reservation until the Carrier has issued a written booking confirmation.

2.2. By confirming a booking, the Client accepts these General Terms and Conditions in full. The Client warrants that they are authorised to accept these terms on behalf of all passengers included in the booking.

2.3. The booking confirmation will detail the date(s) of travel, pick-up and drop-off locations, vehicle type, number of passengers, agreed itinerary and the total price. The Client must verify all details within 24 hours and notify the Carrier of any discrepancies.

2.4. Changes to the itinerary, vehicle type, passenger numbers or dates requested after confirmation are subject to availability and may result in revised pricing. The Carrier will communicate any price changes before they take effect.

2.5. The Carrier reserves the right to decline a booking at its sole discretion, particularly where the requested service cannot be safely or lawfully provided.

3.1. A deposit of 50% of the total booking value is due within 7 days of receiving the booking confirmation. The booking is not secured until the deposit has been received.

3.2. The remaining balance of 50% must be paid no later than 14 days before the first date of travel. For bookings made within 14 days of travel, the full amount is due immediately upon confirmation.

3.3. Payment may be made by bank transfer (SEPA), credit card or PayPal. All prices are quoted in euros (€) unless otherwise agreed in writing. Bank charges incurred by the Client are the Client’s responsibility.

3.4. If the balance payment is not received by the due date, the Carrier reserves the right to treat the booking as cancelled by the Client and apply the cancellation charges set out in Section 4.

3.5. All quoted prices include VAT where applicable. Toll charges, parking fees, ferry crossings and any other ancillary costs not specified in the booking confirmation are payable by the Client in addition to the quoted price, unless explicitly included.

3.6. Overtime charges apply if the actual service duration exceeds the confirmed schedule by more than 30 minutes due to Client-initiated delays. The overtime rate will be communicated at the time of booking.

4.1. Cancellations must be submitted in writing (e-mail or letter) to the Carrier. The cancellation date is the date on which the Carrier receives the written notice.

4.2. The following cancellation charges apply, calculated as a percentage of the total booking value:

4.3. The Carrier reserves the right to cancel a booking in exceptional circumstances. In such cases, the Client will receive a full refund of all payments made, but the Carrier shall not be liable for any consequential losses.

4.4. No-shows (failure to appear at the agreed pick-up point at the agreed time) are treated as a cancellation of less than 48 hours and are charged at 100%.

5.1. The Carrier maintains comprehensive insurance coverage for passenger transport in accordance with EU Regulation (EC) No 1071/2009 and applicable European legislation.

5.2. The Carrier’s liability for personal injury to passengers is limited to the amounts prescribed by applicable law and the Carrier’s insurance policy. The Carrier shall not be liable for indirect, consequential or special damages including but not limited to loss of profit, missed connections, hotel costs or alternative transport.

5.3. The Carrier is not liable for delays caused by traffic congestion, road closures, adverse weather conditions, border controls, accidents involving third parties, or any other circumstances beyond the Carrier’s reasonable control.

5.4. Passengers travel at their own risk in respect of personal belongings and valuables. The Carrier accepts no responsibility for items left on board. Where the Carrier can reasonably recover lost property, a handling and shipping fee may apply.

5.5. The Client is liable for any damage caused to the vehicle by passengers during the journey, including damage to upholstery, windows, on-board equipment or excessive soiling requiring specialist cleaning.

6.1. Neither party shall be liable for failure to perform its obligations where such failure results from circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to: natural disasters, epidemics or pandemics, war or armed conflict, terrorism, civil unrest, industrial action (strikes), government restrictions, border closures, extreme weather events or mechanical breakdown not attributable to negligent maintenance.

6.2. In the event of force majeure, the affected party shall promptly notify the other party and make all reasonable efforts to mitigate the impact. The Carrier will endeavour to provide alternative transport arrangements where practicable.

6.3. Where force majeure prevents the Carrier from providing the booked service and no alternative can be arranged, the Client shall be entitled to a refund of payments made for the unperformed portion of the service, less any irrecoverable third-party costs already incurred by the Carrier.

7.1. Each passenger is entitled to bring the following luggage free of charge:

7.2. Additional, oversized or heavy items (including bicycles, musical instruments, sports equipment and wheelchairs) must be declared at the time of booking. The Carrier may need to arrange a vehicle with additional luggage capacity, which may affect the quoted price.

7.3. The Carrier reserves the right to refuse luggage that is improperly packed, leaking, hazardous or exceeds the permitted dimensions without prior arrangement.

7.4. Hazardous materials, flammable substances, illegal items and unsealed alcoholic beverages are strictly prohibited on board all vehicles.

8.1. Seatbelts must be worn at all times while the vehicle is in motion, in accordance with EU Directive 2003/20/EC and national road safety regulations.

8.2. Smoking (including electronic cigarettes), consumption of illegal substances and disruptive behaviour are prohibited on all vehicles. The driver has the authority to refuse boarding or terminate the journey for passengers who pose a safety risk or behave in an antisocial manner.

8.3. The driver is responsible for the safe operation of the vehicle and must comply with EU driving time regulations (Regulation (EC) No 561/2006). The Client must not request or pressure the driver to exceed legal driving hours, speed limits or load capacities.

9.1. Any complaint regarding the Services must be submitted in writing within 14 days of the date of travel. Complaints received after this period may not be considered.

9.2. Complaints should be sent by e-mail to quote@bus-service.com. Please include your booking reference, date(s) of travel and a detailed description of the issue.

9.3. The Carrier will acknowledge receipt of the complaint within 5 working days and provide a substantive response within 30 working days. If additional time is required for investigation, the Client will be informed of the expected response date.

9.4. If the Client is not satisfied with the Carrier’s response, the matter may be referred to a certified dispute resolution body in the Netherlands or, for consumers, to the European Online Dispute Resolution platform at https://ec.europa.eu/odr.

10.1. These General Terms and Conditions and any booking made under them shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales.

10.2. Any disputes arising from or in connection with these terms or the Services provided shall be submitted to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales, unless mandatory consumer protection legislation in the Client’s country of residence provides otherwise.

10.3. If any provision of these terms is held to be invalid, unlawful or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

10.4. These terms are available in English, German and Spanish. In the event of any discrepancy between language versions, the English version shall prevail.