Corporate EventsDeciding what Christmas party coach hire to go with is one of those decisions that feels optional in October and essential by December. Whether you are organising the office night out, a client hospitality evening, a social club dinner, or a big festive get-together for friends and family, the venue and the menu usually get sorted first. Getting everyone there together, and home safely at the end of the night, is the part that tends to be left until the last minute, and it is also the part most likely to go wrong.
Hire Society has run group transport from East Kilbride across Glasgow and Central Scotland for over 25 years, and December is one of our busiest months. Our fleet runs from a 19-seat midi coach for a small team up to a 74-seat coach for a full company night out (with more possible using multiple coaches), and every journey comes with a PVG-checked professional driver. This guide covers why festive transport is worth booking now, what Scotland’s drink drive rules mean for your night out, and how to choose the right vehicle for your group.
Why Christmas Party Transport Needs Booking Now
Christmas parties are squeezed into a handful of weekend nights, so demand for coaches lands on the same few dates at the same time. This year, Christmas Day falls on a Friday, which leaves the first three weekends of December, the 4th and 5th, the 11th and 12th, and the 18th and 19th, as the main window for weekend celebrations. Our Glasgow coach hire guide recommends booking two to three months ahead for December Christmas parties, which means early October is exactly the right time to secure your date and your vehicle.
If your party falls on a Friday or Saturday in the first three weeks of December, treat those dates as the first to go. Midweek parties give you more flexibility, but the same advice applies: once the venue is confirmed, confirm the transport straight after.
Scotland’s Drink Drive Limit and the Festive Crackdown
Scotland’s drink drive limit is lower than in the rest of the UK. The Scottish Government reduced the limit from 80mg to 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood, with the change taking effect on 5 December 2014. The evidence behind the change found that drivers are six times more likely to die in a road traffic accident with a blood alcohol level between 50mg and 80mg than with none at all. For a Christmas party, the practical meaning is simple: there is no reliable way to know how many drinks keeps someone under the limit, so the only safe plan is for nobody in the group to drive.
Enforcement steps up over the festive season too. Police Scotland runs an annual festive drink and drug driving campaign, which in recent years has started on 1 December. The 2024 campaign ran from 1 December 2024 until 19 January 2025, with road checks in towns and cities. According to reporting in the Edinburgh Evening News, officers carried out 4,779 breath tests and 963 roadside drug wipes over that festive period, detecting more than 1,300 offences, and the following campaign targeted patrols on hotspots including Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire and Edinburgh. The morning after matters as well, since alcohol can stay in the system for many hours after a late finish.
Cars, Taxis or a Coach: The Numbers
The alternative to a coach is usually a mix of taxis and a few volunteers who agree not to drink. The chart below shows how quickly that adds up. If everyone travels four to a car, a team of 40 needs ten cars and ten people who stay sober all night. A group of 74 needs nineteen. One coach replaces all of them.
There is a less obvious benefit too. When a group arrives together, the night starts together. Nobody is circling the block looking for parking, nobody turns up an hour late because their taxi did not arrive, and at the end of the evening nobody is left standing outside a venue in December waiting for a ride home.
What Employers Should Think About
For a company Christmas party, transport is not only a convenience, it is part of looking after your staff. The Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce reminds employers that Christmas parties are treated as an extension of the workplace, that employers have a duty to ensure the health and safety of employees as far as reasonably practicable, and that travel arrangements should be part of that thinking. The guide advises supervisors to watch for anyone still under the influence the next day, especially if that person drives.
Booking corporate coach hire for the party answers the travel question in one go. Staff travel to the venue together, leave at an agreed time, and get home without anyone needing to drive. It also gives you a clear finishing point for the evening, which many organisers find helpful when they are responsible for the whole group.
Festive Events We Cover
Our private coach hire covers most kinds of festive group travel. The most common bookings in December include office Christmas parties and Christmas dinners in Glasgow city centre, client hospitality evenings, social club, sports club and community group dinners, festive nights out and family celebrations, and group trips to festive shows and events. If your group is planning something further afield this autumn, our guide to autumn events in Scotland covers the big dates still to come before Christmas.
Planning Tips for a Smooth Night
A few details make the difference between a smooth evening and a stressful one. Confirm the exact venue address and the best pick-up point, since some city centre venues have restricted access or one-way streets outside. Agree the return time in advance and build in a little flexibility, because festive evenings rarely finish exactly on schedule. If your group lives in different areas, ask us whether more than one drop-off point works for your route. Finally, give us a realistic headcount with a small buffer, since late additions are common at Christmas and it is easier to plan for them in advance than on the night.
Choosing the Right Vehicle
| Group Size | Recommended Vehicle |
| Up to 19 guests | Midi Coach, ideal for a small team or family party |
| 20 to 53 guests | Yutong GT12, with reclining half-leather seats, USB charging at every seat and an onboard toilet |
| 54 to 74 guests | Large coach, for a full company or club night out |
| 75 guests or more | Two vehicles, which we can plan around the same venue and timings |
For larger groups, the Yutong GT12 is a popular December choice. Its climate control and LED mood lighting suit a festive evening, and the onboard toilet is a genuine advantage on the journey home.
Book Your Christmas Party Coach Hire Today
The first three weekends of December will be the first to fill. Tell us your date, venue, group size and pick-up area, and we will come back with a clear quote for your Christmas party transport. Get a quote from our team, or see our corporate coach hire page if you are booking for a business.
Frequently Asked Questions
As soon as your venue and date are confirmed. For December parties, two to three months ahead is a sensible target, and Friday and Saturday nights in the first three weeks of December are usually the first dates to go.
Yes. Most Christmas party bookings include both the journey to the venue and the return at the end of the evening. We agree the collection time and pick-up point with you in advance so everyone knows when and where to meet.
The limit in Scotland is 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood, lower than the 80mg limit elsewhere in the UK. It has applied since 5 December 2014, according to the Scottish Government. Because it is impossible to know exactly how many drinks keeps a person under the limit, a coach removes the question entirely.
Yes. We are based in East Kilbride and regularly cover Glasgow, Lanarkshire and the surrounding area. Tell us where your venue is when you get in touch and we will confirm the best vehicle and route.
It depends on your headcount. Our midi coach carries up to 19 guests, the Yutong GT12 carries 53, and our large coach carries up to 74. See our fleet page, or give us your numbers and we will recommend the right fit.
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