We have more than 8 people in our party, how can you take care of us?

Having operated as tour guides for years and years, our owners had the chance to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of travelling with busses versus minivans.

Since our activity primarily revolves around Tuscany Touring, Enjoytuscany has decided to own vehicles only up to 8 passengers, since this is what we consider ideal in our area, but we could certainly book bus services with one of our most trusted associate bus companies, for those parties of 9 or more persons who want to travel in a single minibus or bus, but before you request a bus, we suggest you read through the following points.

Ideal Touring Solution: There are certain areas of Tuscany which are best visited using small vehicles therefore you may consider dividing your group between 2 or 3 minivans. There are areas where you can also easily use a bus. We will advice case by case what’s best to do depending on your needs and preference, but since the factors involved in such a choice are too many to list them all, if you are interested in evaluating the specific advantages of using multiple minivans versus a bus, please call us and we will help you to understand the best solution for you. This type of evaluation would take too long if done by email and would not take into account all the needed factors. Nevertheless in the following point we will give you an idea of what you may want to consider.
Less Walking. More Sightseeing, Less Stress and Tiredness. Licensed Limo Service Minivans up to 8 Passengers, per our traffic law are considered equivalent to taxis, can enter all the restricted areas of each city center all throughout Italy, reducing to zero the walking time otherwise required to go from the Bus Pick Up/Drop Off Point to the city centers, and vice versa at each visit. This is HUGE advantage when you go to places like Siena, San Gimignano, Pisa. where using a 16 seater or bigger, passengers would be forced to walk long distances to just reach the center from the drop off point and back for the pickup. This means a lot of saved time therefore more sightseeing within the same number of touring hours.
Guidance and Assistance. Enjoytuscany as a company has always believed that the best way to tour Tuscany is indeed with a Driving Guide but in Italy Driving Guides can only drive minivans up to 8 passenger, there are no Driving Guides in this country licensed to drive busses, because for traffic reason is too impractical to be done. A guide needs to follow the group at all times, and while it’s relatively simple to park a minivan, a bus driver due to all the drop off, pick up and parking regulations cannot leave the bus park/unattended near a city center and is forced to stay with the bus at all time (or almost), and could never escort his passengers once they reach a destination.
More flexibility. Dividing 10 to 16 people between 2 vehicles, since they may be different families or groups of friends with different needs will give more options for each party to do whatever they want without needing to compromise the rest. For example on a day where the plan was to visit A, B and C, it may be that one minivan would do only A and B and the other B and C making everybody happy.
Economy. Cost-wise there is no major advantage in using 1 x 16 seaters versus 2 x 6/8 seaters since 6/8 seaters don’t pay pick up and drop off permits which are charged by most municipalities in Tuscany and main art cities in Italy only to 16 seaters or larger busses. For instance on a typical tour to Siena and San Gimignano: a 16 passenger Minibus would pay = euro 100 Siena permit + euro 30 San Gimignano permit. Since 6/8 seaters don’t pay such permits, doing a tour to Siena and San Gimignano in total would cost only a little more than 1 single 16 seater.
Comfort. 6/8 seaters are more comfortable and better air conditioned than 16/25 seaters and can reach places in Tuscany (especially in Chianti) where 16 seaters cannot, or even where certain places could be reached by a 16 seater, sometimes the roads are so narrow that the driving time increases tremendously with such as vehicle, and the ride gets much more uncomfortable for the passengers.
Limousine Chauffeur versus Bus Driver. Even if you don’t want a but just a chauffeur service, it has to be clear that there is a substantial difference in the personability and customer care level of a bus driver versus a limousine chauffer. Chauffeur service drivers are trained and used to dealing with the needs of the most discriminating and demanding clientele, since they mostly deal with wealthy travelers who travel at 5 star level and expect the best of every service. While a bus driver, is primarily there to “conduct the bus” a chauffeur is there to primarily “take care of the clients’ needs while driving”.