Coach Hire Comparison

What Coach Hire Comparison does

Coach Hire Comparison operates a UK online marketplace that aggregates real-time quotes from a network of over 588 vetted coach and minibus operators managing more than 3,091 vehicles across the country. Founded in 2010 by James and Laura Stokes and headquartered in Accrington, the platform enables consumers and businesses to obtain instant quotes in under 60 seconds by entering journey details, then choose from three vehicle tiers — Standard, Executive, and VIP — across minibus (8–17 seats), midi-coach (20–30 seats), full-size coach (30–70+ seats), and specialty vehicle categories including double-decker and wheelchair-accessible options. The product includes an instant quote engine, online booking system with secure payment handling (25% deposit, balance due 30 days before travel), a personalised customer dashboard, WhatsApp-based 24/7 support, and location-based journey tracking. The platform has expanded its surface area to include dedicated service lines for weddings, corporate travel, school trips, airport transfers, festivals, stag and hen parties, and most recently international routes to Europe, while building a substantial SEO footprint via hundreds of location-specific landing pages. Coach Hire Comparison monetises through a transaction-fee model in which operators pay for leads and booking referrals; it is privately held and was acquired by CMAC Group in 2023.

Name

Coach Hire Comparison

Legal name

Coach Hire Comparison Limited

Website

https://coachhirecomparison.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Coach Hire Comparison is a UK online marketplace that compares real-time quotes from over 588 vetted coach and minibus operators across 3,091 vehicles, serving consumer groups of 8+ passengers and businesses needing group transport, with bookings monetised via operator referral fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ground Transportation Marketplace

NAICS

Charter Bus Industry (48551), Travel Agencies (56151)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter & Tour Coach Operators (TLAFAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Luxury / Premium Coach Operators (TLAFAFAE), Cross-Border / International Coach Operators (TLAFAFAD)

Keywords

• Coach hire booking
• Minibus hire
• Transport comparison platform
• Group transport booking
• UK coach marketplace

Headquarters

HQ city

Shirland

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Transaction-based bookings: Platform earns revenue by facilitating bookings between customers and coach/minibus operators. Customers pay the full service fee through the platform with a 25% deposit at booking and balance due 30 days before travel. Operators pay for leads/booking referrals from the platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Coach Hire Comparison operates a UK-wide online comparison and booking marketplace that connects customers seeking group transport with 588+ vetted coach and minibus operators across 3,091 vehicles. Customers enter journey details, receive multiple instant quotes, select a vehicle tier (Minibus £45-95/hr, Midi-Coach £70-120/hr, Coach £80-130/hr), and book online with a 25% deposit, paying the balance 30 days before travel. The platform serves weddings, stag/hen parties, airport transfers, school trips, day excursions, festivals, and corporate events.

Product overview

Coach Hire Comparison operates a quote comparison marketplace and booking platform connecting UK customers with independent coach and minibus operators. The core product aggregates real-time quotes from a network of over 588 live operators managing 3,091+ vehicles across the UK, presenting customers with three vehicle tiers (Standard, Executive, VIP) for each journey. The platform spans a fleet of minibuses (8–9, 10–12, and 16–17 seaters), midi-coaches, full-size coaches (30–100 seats including double-decker), and specialty vehicles (luxury, executive, wheelchair-accessible, and party buses). The service layers include vehicle hire, driver provision, and value-added features such as a customer booking dashboard, 24/7 support, and payment protection. The platform is optimised for group occasions including weddings, corporate travel, airport transfers, school trips, festivals, and sporting events, and covers both domestic UK and international routes to Europe. Founded in 2010 and now part of the CMAC Group, the company also publishes a blog covering travel trends and guidance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Coach Hire Comparison Marketplace Platform An online comparison and booking platform that aggregates 588+ vetted UK coach and minibus operators across 3,091 vehicles, enabling customers to obtain instant multiple quotes, compare vehicle tiers and book group transport online for events such as weddings, parties, airport transfers, school trips, festivals and corporate events.
• Minibus Hire Service Hire of minibuses for small group transport across the UK, priced at £45-£95 per hour, bookable online through the platform's comparison and booking flow.
• Midi-Coach Hire Service Hire of midi-coaches for medium-sized group transport across the UK, priced at £70-£120 per hour, bookable online through the platform's comparison and booking flow.
• Coach Hire Service Hire of full-size coaches for large group transport across the UK, priced at £80-£130 per hour, bookable online through the platform's comparison and booking flow in Standard, Executive and VIP tiers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Quotes delivered in under 60 seconds
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• CMAC GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023In 2023, Coach Hire Comparison partnered with CMAC Group, leveraging their innovation, investment, and expertise in ground transportation to enhance services. CMAC Group is described as the UK's ground transportation experts and acquired Coach Hire Comparison. The Stokes family (James and Laura) continue to lead the company while benefiting from CMAC's resources and expertise.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• FlixBus: European intercity bus operator and technology platform; comparable for shared coach-transport customer base and operator-network business model, though FlixBus operates scheduled rather than charter service.
• Trainline: UK's leading online train and coach ticket comparison and booking platform; comparable business model (online quote comparison marketplace) and overlapping customers searching for group and intercity transport, though significantly larger in scale.
• Arriva: UK and European bus operator with regional scheduled and contracted services; comparable for shared UK coach customer demand and operator-side competition, though primarily a regional scheduled operator.
• Stagecoach: Major UK bus operator with charter and private-hire services; comparable for shared customer demand and overlapping operator services, though predominantly scheduled rather than charter-focused.
• Megabus: UK and European low-cost intercity coach operator; comparable for the budget/standard coach customer base and overlapping long-distance group travel demand, though operates scheduled rather than charter routes.
• National Express: UK's largest scheduled coach operator with a growing charter and private-hire business; comparable as a broad incumbent with overlapping customer use cases (airport, corporate, events) and operator-level competition.

Direct peers

• Compare Coach Hire: UK-based online coach and minibus hire comparison marketplace serving the same consumer and operator pool with a near-identical quote-comparison and booking model, making it the closest direct competitor.

Emerging players

• Addison Lee: London-based premium chauffeur, taxi and minibus hire provider serving corporate and consumer accounts; comparable for the Executive/VIP tier customer overlap and corporate account motion, though focused on cars rather than full coach fleet.

Others

• CMAC Group: Parent company and UK ground transportation management specialist; directly comparable as the strategic acquirer of Coach Hire Comparison and an adjacent managed-transport provider with overlapping enterprise customers.
• FREE NOW (UK): Multi-modal UK urban mobility app covering taxis, PHVs and emerging transport modes; comparable as a UK on-demand transport booking platform with adjacent customer use cases, though focused on individual rather than group travel.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/coachcomparison
• Facebookfacebook.com/Coach-Hire-Comparison-117149511668613
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coach-hire-comparison

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Coach Hire Comparison