From Milan schools, trips of several days head in three directions: Venice and the Veneto, the mountains for the settimana bianca (the school ski week), and German-speaking cities such as Munich and Vienna. These are very different trips, and the role of the coach changes too: in Venice the vehicle stops at the edge of the lagoon, in the mountains it shuttles between hotel and ski lifts, and abroad it crosses borders and covers the longest stretches. A school trip by coach works when the programme takes these differences into account from the start.
From our Lainate base we look after schools and groups leaving from Lombardy, with the vehicles we own for bus and coach hire in Milan. Below we go into the detail of the three destinations and the costs to budget for.
Venice: where the coach stops and what it costs to enter
In Venice the coach takes the class to the edge of the historic city, then the group continues on foot or by vaporetto (the water bus). The City Council has set up a ZTL BUS (a restricted traffic zone for coaches) covering most of the municipal area: to enter it, tour coaches must buy a pass, online or at the check-in points along the access roads. The rate depends on the destination and the emission class of the vehicle, with better terms for less polluting vehicles. All the vehicles at our Milan base are Euro 6.
Parking is allowed only in authorised areas. At Tronchetto coaches can stop for a maximum of one hour, according to the rules published by AVM, the company that manages the ZTL BUS: the coach drops off the group and then goes to an authorised parking area until the pick-up time. That is why the time and place of the return are set in the morning, not with a phone call in the afternoon.
You can also stay on the mainland and enter the city every morning. This lowers the hotel cost but adds a passage through the ZTL BUS every day: do the sums with both items before deciding.
Ski week: skis, equipment and shuttles to the lifts
The ski week is the school trip where the coach works hardest during the stay. Besides the outward and return journeys, there is often a shuttle every morning from the hotel to the lifts and back in the afternoon. These runs need to be written into the programme, because they determine the driver’s daily hours of service and therefore the quote.
Skis, boots and helmets travel in the underfloor hold of our Gran Turismo coaches; with large classes it is worth checking in advance that everything fits in the hold together with the suitcases. Some mountain hotels are on narrow or steep roads that a 54-56 seat coach cannot reach. In those cases we use minibuses or a transfer point, and we set this at quote stage based on the hotel’s address.
The resort can be in Valtellina, Trentino or Alto Adige (South Tyrol). In winter it is wise to allow a little extra time for the journey and to speak to us in the days before departure if snow is forecast.
Munich and Vienna: school trips by coach abroad
A trip to Germany or Austria adds two sets of documents. For pupils, ministerial circular 291/1992 requires each participant to carry an identity document and, for travel abroad, a document valid for leaving the country. For the coach, the Ministry of Infrastructure lists the documents to be kept on board for occasional international services, including the journey form and the certified copy of the Community licence: these are the transport company’s responsibility, but it is useful to know they exist.
The rules on driver’s driving times are those of Regulation (EC) 561/2006, which apply across the European Union: 9 hours of driving a day, extendable to 10 no more than twice a week, and a break of at least 45 minutes after 4 and a half hours. On routes like Milan to Vienna the question is how to fit the journey within these limits. One option is an intermediate stop with an overnight stay, for example in Salzburg or Innsbruck, which also becomes a visit; in any case we organise the driving shifts in line with the law and with circular 291/1992 on school trips.
Munich is closer and allows a programme with a single base and day trips, for example to the Bavarian castles. Vienna almost always requires planning the stages. These trips are also covered by the rules on school trips by coach, with the general requirements on documents, checks and seat belts.
Costs to budget for
The written quote includes the driver, fuel, passenger insurance and maintenance. Tolls, including foreign ones, the driver’s overnight accommodation and any extra routes are shown separately. Depending on the destination, you need to allow for the Venice ZTL BUS pass, unscheduled shuttles in the mountains and the costs linked to driving shifts on long transfers. Extra hours have an hourly rate set in advance.
For a rough idea, our price guide to coach hire in Milan gives the indicative bands for a full day with a minibus, a bus and a Gran Turismo.
For trips of several days the most suitable vehicle is the Gran Turismo coach, with equipment that varies by model.
How to request a quote for a school trip from Milan
For a spring trip or a ski week it is best to write to us 2-3 months ahead. Send us the dates, the school address, the outline programme day by day with the planned shuttles, the hotel addresses, the number of pupils and accompanying staff and, for trips abroad, the route with any stopovers. Put “Milan” in the email subject line to reach our local contact directly.
Dates, times and responsibilities are easier to put in order with a checklist on how to organise a group coach trip.
For day outings during the year, Lombardy offers several school trip destinations that can be reached by coach.
With Lombardy schools we also organise school trips by coach from Milan throughout the year.
Schools leaving from the capital organise their school trip by coach from Rome with our Rome base.
Phone: +39 06 4882027. Email: info@toddebus.it (subject line: “Milan”).
Frequently asked questions
Can the coach drive into Venice with the class?
The coach reaches the edge of the historic city and drops the group in the authorised areas; the rest is done on foot or by vaporetto. To drive in the City Council’s ZTL BUS you need a paid pass, which has to be included in the budget.
What documents do pupils need for a school trip to Vienna or Munich?
Ministerial circular 291/1992 requires each participant to carry an identity document and, for travel abroad, a document valid for leaving the country. For pupils under 18 the rules on documents for minors also apply: check them with the school office and on the official Polizia di Stato channels.
During a ski week, is the coach available every day?
It can be, if the programme includes it. Daily shuttles between the hotel and the lifts need to be stated at quote stage, because they change the driver’s hours of service and the cost.
Do you need a second driver from Milan to Vienna?
It depends on the programme. If the vehicle is on the move for more than 9 hours in a day, the ministerial circular requires two drivers; with an intermediate stop, for example in Salzburg or Innsbruck, one driver is often enough.
Do skis fit in the coach hold?
Gran Turismo coaches have an underfloor hold that takes suitcases and equipment. With large groups it is best to tell us in advance how many skis and boots there will be, so we can check the space.
