Getmeacoach.com Articles

X Factor Live Tour 2012

22 Nov 2011 14:12:20 GMT

Even though there are still a few more weeks left before the X Factor 2011 champion is crowned, for those of you who just can't get enough of the X Factor tickets for the X Factor Live Tour 2012 are now available.

This years Live Tour promises to be bigger and better than the previous years, so you are being advised to book your tickets and arrange private coach hire to ensure stress free travel to and from the show before they sell out. If you are stuck thinking what to get for that perfect christmas present, then look no further than a ticket to the X Factor Live Tour 2012.

If you are thinking of travelling in a group, but don't want to have the hassle of arranging your own transport and also facing the problem of finding a car park space when you get to the arena, why not use GetMeACoach.com who can help to find and arrange coach hire for your visit.

The tour dates are as follows:

SAT 25 FEB 2012 14:30 - MEN Arena Manchester, Manchester, GB
SAT 25 FEB 2012 19:30 - MEN Arena Manchester, Manchester, GB
MON 27 FEB 2012 19:30 - Liverpool Echo Arena, Liverpool, GB
WED 29 FEB 2012 19:30 - Capital FM Arena Nottingham, Nottingham, GB
SAT 3 MAR 2012 19:30 - Wembley Arena, London, GB
SUN 4 MAR 2012 14:30 - Wembley Arena, London, GB
FRI 9 MAR 2012 20:00 - Odyssey Arena, Belfast, ND
SAT 10 MAR 2012 20:00 - Odyssey Arena, Belfast, ND
TUE 13 MAR 2012 18:30 - AECC, Aberdeen, GB
SAT 17 MAR 2012 14:30 - SECC, Glasgow, GB
SAT 17 MAR 2012 19:30 - SECC, Glasgow, GB
MON 19 MAR 2012 19:30 - Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle Upon Tyne, GB
WED 21 MAR 2012 19:30 - Motorpoint Arena Sheffield, Sheffield, GB
SAT 24 MAR 2012 19:30 - LG Arena Birmingham, Birmingham, GB
SUN 25 MAR 2012 14:30 - LG Arena Birmingham, Birmingham, GB
TUE 27 MAR 2012 18:30 - The Brighton Centre, Brighton, GB
WED 28 MAR 2012 18:30 - The Brighton Centre, Brighton, GB
SAT 31 MAR 2012 13:30 - The O2 London, GB
SAT 31 MAR 2012 18:30 - The O2 London, GB
TUE 3 APR 2012 18:30 - Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Cardiff, GB
WED 4 APR 2012 19:30 - Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Cardiff, GB

GetMeACoach.com is the #1 coach hire comparison website based on an ethos of both reliability and responsibility, providing excellent customer care and value for money. Our service ensures that your booking, whether it is for a day trip, excursion, wedding or any other special occasion, is carried out with first class efficiency each and every time.

Click here to get a quote for coach hire

Coach Hire - Why Outsource?

16 Nov 2011 18:19:29 GMT

Whether you are a small startup company or a large multi-national organisation, when it comes to corporate coach hire or in fact any ground transportation requirements this can still provide a challenge as this is never normally a dedicated function within a company.

Because there isn't normally a central department within a company which deals directly with this, it can often be difficult to enforce the correct processes and necessary checks. If the correct checks have not been followed then it can result in passengers travelling in uninsured vehicles potentially sourced from unlicensed operators. Another worry is that the operator may not have the necessary level of public liability insurance to cover your travel requirements. With this in mind, it is important that companies consider outsourcing their transportation requirements to a Transport Management Company who can manage this on their behalf.

Transport Management Companies (TMCs) have been established to provide a wide range of services ranging from the basic requirement of finding a compliant operator through to finding and managing the whole transport process providing extra functions such as journey tracking (making sure all goes as planned) and also finding alternative operators in case of problems. Ground staff used to co-ordinate passengers to the correct vehicles can also be provided by some companies which can be useful when dealing with large complex events involving large amounts of people.

By outsourcing your coach hire and ground transportation requirements to a transport management company you ensure all necessary checks are undertaken on your behalf so you know that the transport operator you are provided with will be both legally able and competent enough to handle your transport requirements. As well as compliance, another great reason for outsourcing is the various payment facilities offered. If you are requiring an account facility then most TMC's will be able to accommodate this and normally offer flexible invoicing options which can simplifiy a company's accounting procedure by having to deal with just one invoice, rather than having to contend with potentially multiple supplier invoices. Finally, another service offered by a TMC is reporting. if a company has a large transport requirement, then management information may well be a requirement. Most Transport Management Companies will be able to provide full reporting and usually customised to a clients specific requests.

If a company has decided to outsource it's transport requirement, then a quick internet search of transport management companies will yield a large number of companies which all offer a wide range of services. As well as the traditional broker style companies, there are an increasing number of comparison websites which are driving aiming to drive costs down for the customer by providing quotes from compliant transport suppliers at no cost.

GetMeACoach.com is the #1 coach hire comparison website based on an ethos of both reliability and responsibility, providing excellent customer care and value for money. Our service ensures that your booking, whether it is for a day trip, excursion, wedding or any other occasion is carried out with first class efficiency each and every time.

Coach Hire - Christmas Party

02 Nov 2011 22:07:47 GMT

If you haven't already done so then as Christmas is fast approaching you should be focussing on the all important company Christmas party. Indeed booking your party early is the best way to avoid disappointment making sure you secure the best venues and the best corporate coach hire prices.

Christmas Parties are definitely a necessity for most companies, large and small and is an excellent way of bringing your team together and saying thank-you for all the hard work they have put in throughout the year. And not only is it a way of thanking your staff, but increasingly a lot of companies look at it as a form of team building helping raise team morale especially if it's been a tough year.

In the current economic climate, sadly a lot of companies are cutting down on their Christmas party spend or deciding not to fund any party at all, however that doesn't need to stop people having a party. Indeed a lot of people are asking staff members to all contribute to a joint fund by which they can then still have a party. Also, the cheapest location to hold the party can also be the office, so long as the boss okays it, although if you don't want chance people fooling around with office equipment such as the photocopier it's a good idea to get these items hidden and locked away.

If you are responsible for organising your office Christmas party, then once you have sorted then venue, the next thing you need to consider is how to get your staff to and from your venue. The most preferred and often the most cost-effective way of achieving this is by hiring the services of a coach operator. Coach Hire offers a great way of transporting a group of people between two points without the need for people having to worry about finding those elusive car parking spaces and of course the other benefit, which is very important factor for Christmas parties, is that people can safely drink alcohol and enjoy the occasion without having to worry about driving home afterwards.

In order to find the best deals for coach hire simply submit your travel requirements to a coach hire comparison website and let them do all the work for you. Make sure you supply as much information as you can to ensure you get the best deals.

GetMeACoach.com is the #1 coach hire comparison website based on an ethos of both reliability and responsibility, providing excellent customer care and value for money. Our service ensures that your booking, whether it is for a day trip, excursion, wedding, party or any other occasion is carried out with first class efficiency each and every time.

Coach Hire - Tasty treats at Cadbury World this Halloween

25 Oct 2011 15:22:31 GMT

Cadbury World chocolatiers create terrifyingly tasty chocolate treats for visitors this half term.

Whilst the rest of the Cadbury World staff will be creating mischief dressed as ghosts and ghouls this Halloween half term, the resident chocolatiers have been busy creating limited edition hand-made pumpkin novelties. Each pumpkin takes the chocolatiers two hours to create and decorate and measures 170mm high by 160mm wide.

The limited edition pumpkin novelties are available for visitors to purchase from the World’s Biggest Cadbury Shop.

Diane Mitchell, marketing manager at Cadbury World, said:

“We have a fantastic team of incredibly talented chocolatiers who excel in creating limited edition hand-made chocolate novelties and these pumpkins are no exception. The skills, attention to detail and creativity of our chocolatiers always make their work stand out and last year even saw them present chocolate caricatures of the Britain’s Got More Talent presenters on national television.”

In addition to these chocolate treats Cadbury World will also be hosting frighteningly fun Halloween activities throughout half term (22^nd – 30^th October) including a spooky fancy dress competition for children and family entertainment from children’s performer Rags and ventriloquist Kimmo.

For more information about a visit to Cadbury World go to www.cadburyworld.co.uk.

Cadbury's World is a popular attraction for all ages but travelling as a group to and from the attraction can also be found to be rather tedious. GetMeACoach.com can help to find and arrange coach hire for your visit.

To ensure a stress visit, get a free quote for minibus hire or coach hire by visiting www.getmeacoach.com to ensure value for money and reliability.

Coach Hire - The Right Vehicle for the Journey

10 Oct 2011 16:57:57 GMT

Coach Hire is often the best solution when it comes to transporting large groups of people from one place to another. You will often find a Coach being used to provide transport for a wide variety of reasons e.g. for guests at a Wedding, supporters and teams at Sporting Events, revellers and artists at Music Festivals, train passengers affected by railway line closures as well as visitors to attractions and people taking a coach holiday. Because of the wide range of reasons for opting for Coach Hire, it is important to understand fully what features you require from the vehicle to ensure you choose the correct vehicle for your journey.

Typically when booking a coach, you will need to specify the size and also classification of the vehicle. The classification of the vehicle can quite dramatically affect the price you will be quoted so it is important to make sure that you choose this correctly. Within the coach industry a vehicle is usually classified as follows:

Budget Vehicle

This is the most basic level of vehicle and is the ideal choice for the cost conscious customer who doesn't require any non-essential features or luxurious additions. These vehicles will generally be suitable for shorter journeys or for journeys where comfort isn't of paramount importance e.g. Stag Do's.

Standard Vehicle

A level up from the budget, the standard level of vehicle usually proves the most cost effective option for a comfortable long distance journey often providing a basic audio entertainment system. This is by far the most popular class of vehicle in the Private Hire market as most coach operators have many standard class vehicles available and can offer attractive coach hire rates.

Executive Vehicle

When your journey requires you to travel in style, then opting for an executive class vehicle will usually be the perfect choice for you. An Executive class of vehicle provides additional comforts, amenities and facilities that you would not expect to find on a standard vehicle. E.g. You may get reclining-seats, a toilet, galley, air-conditioning and audio-visual entertainment systems. These additional features make the long distance journeys more enjoyable for all.

Luxury/VIP Vehicle

When only the best will do and you want to travel in real style and impress, then choosing the luxury class of vehicle will be the option for you. As well as all the features you would expect to find on an executive level of vehicle, you may also find features such as satellite TV and hostess service. This is by far the most expensive option and because of this, finding an operator offering luxury class vehicles may be a bit more of a challenge.

If you can't decide what level of coach hire you need, then make sure you detail what facilities you require for your journey as this can often help a coach operator determine the class of the vehicle for you. To simplify your search for the best vehicle at the best price, try a coach hire comparison website where by you can enter you journey requirements in a simple form and let it source all the best deals for you from which you can easily choose the best one for you.

GetMeACoach.com is the #1 coach hire comparison website based on an ethos of both reliability and responsibility, providing excellent customer care and value for money. Our service ensures that your booking, whether it is for a day trip, excursion, wedding or any other occasion is carried out with first class efficiency each and every time.

Coach Hire - Clothes Show Live 2011

03 Oct 2011 14:36:30 GMT

Hosted at the NEC Birmingham, the Clothes Show Live 2011 is set to open on Friday 2^nd December at 11am and arranging group coach hire is a great way for a large party to visit the event without the hassle of having to drive and find a parking space.

With a little something for everyone, the Clothes Show Live proves to be a popular attraction for industry gurus, college students and the fashion conscious general public.

Individual tickets for the Clothes Show start at just £27, educational groups can also purchase tickets with discount for shows on Mon 5^th Dec- Wed 7^th Dec. There will also be a Fashion Careers Clinic Seminar run throughout these days.

As well as the renowned fashion show, ticket also include free entry to The Dance Show, a live dance show where visitors can play the leading role, watch spectacular performances and shop for dancewear, it also provides an opportunity to meet the ‘experts’.

Clothes show is a popular event for all ages but travelling to and from the show can also be found to be rather tedious. GetMeACoach.com can help to find and arrange coach hire for your visit, whether you are an individual fashionista, or a group organiser for a college or school.

To ensure a stress free get a quote for minibus hire or coach hire visit www.getmeacoach.com to ensure value for money and reliability.

Coach Hire - School Trips

30 Sep 2011 17:12:55 GMT

When faced with the problem of transporting large numbers of people from one place to another and then back, coach hire seems the obvious choice. Indeed this is the solution that most schools, colleges and universities opt for when arranging trips or excursions.

The normal process of hiring a coach for a general private hire event, eg. Wedding, Stag-Do or group visit, usually entails someone ringing up several different coach suppliers within their local area and trying to get see if the operator is free on the required day of travel and also to try to get the best price. This is fine for normal private coach hire jobs, however when it comes to transporting groups of children as in the case of nurseries, schools or colleges, then a bit more care needs to be taken to ensure the coach operator you are hiring meets certain other criteria.

The following questions form a general checklist of points you should consider before hiring any vehicle for your school trip.

Does your operator have a correct and current operators license? Although this might seem an obvious question, in the case of school trips you should request a copy of the current operators license. If an operator has lost their license or failed to renew it, then they are not legally allowed to operate.

Does you operator have the necessary Vehicle Insurance? As above, you should ensure the vehicle you will be transported in has valid and up-to-date insurance. Operators who have failed to keep their vehicles insured will be operating illegally.

Does your operator have a valid Public Liability Insurance? Again as before, you should request to see a copy of this. If in the unlikely event there is an accident then you need to know that your coach operator is covered and you can claim costs and damages without a problem.

Does the vehicle have seatbelts fitted? Although it is not compulsory that all coaches have seat-belts fitted, if there is one fitted, then the law states that anyone aged 14 years and above needs to wear one. It is the responsibility of the driver to ensure that all passengers are wearing the seat-belts. If you are travelling with small children, then you should ask if the operator has child restraints fitted and if not, if they can be fitted or you can use your own. If you want to provide your own, then be aware that they might not be compatible with the coach seats as they do differ from car seats so check this with the operator before booking.

Is the driver CRB checked? This is a must have when arranging transport with children. Again make sure you see evidence of this before booking.

Do you require any extra facilities on the vehicle? Make sure you consider whether you will require any extra facilities on the coach e.g. toilet or dvd player. These can help make long journeys more entertaining for children.

To help save time and ensure all of the above questions can be answered correctly you should consider using a coach hire comparison website which can take the hassle out of sourcing operators and then checking them. All you need to do is enter your travel requirements once and the website will do the rest delivering you quotes from various suppliers. All you have to do is choose which quote you wish to accept.

GetMeACoach.com is the #1 coach hire comparison website based on an ethos of both reliability and responsibility, providing excellent customer care and value for money. Our service ensures that your booking, whether it is for a school trip, day trip, excursion, wedding or any other occasion is carried out with first class efficiency each and every time.

Coach Hire - Scarefest

27 Sep 2011 12:13:52 GMT

October is almost upon us, which can only mean one thing, dark nights, cold winds and not forgetting Halloween. For all you thrill seekers out there, Alton Towers will be hosting Halloween Scarefest between 15-31 October. Not only is the theme park packed full of rides which will already scare the pants off you, the popular theme park also promises to offer “the most spooktacular event yet”.

Rides, attractions and amazing live shows are set to entertain the 1000’s of people who will walk though those big gates.

As if that wasn’t enough to suppress your hunger for terror, Alton Towers has also opened up an old, unused wing of their famous hotel. These new ‘Scare Rooms’ have been refurbished and are now available to book for the Halloween period. Beware, spooks, frights, ghosts and ghouls surround these rooms until 2am! Not for the faint hearted!

Other thrill attractions include; ‘The Carnival of Screams’ – a travelling fun house with strangers lurking in the shadows, ‘The Boiler House’ – the underground home of a pair of psychopathic serial killers, ‘Terror of Towers’ – ruins haunted by evil spirits and ‘Zombies! Scare Zone’ – an abandoned road which holds a terrifying secret.

Alton Towers offers something for the whole family. For those of you with younger party members, planned Halloween activities include; Patch’s trick or treat stage show party, Franklin’s Freaky Farm and characters greet and meet.

Whether it’s for the family, a small group or an entire school, transport is a key factor when making your booking. Private Coach Hire or minibus hire can enhance your visit by taking away the pressure of driving, especially on the journey home after a long, eventful, fun filled day. It also helps to avoid the stress of trawling the car park to find the proverbial needle in a haystack when the kids are tired, the bags are heavy and the rain has made an appearance! Indeed if you have never travelled to an event using coach hire, then once you’ve tried it, you will find that you will never drive yourself again.

Click here to get a quote for coach hire

Coach Hire - Scare Yourself this Halloween

24 Sep 2011 14:31:31 GMT

As September is passing us by, the focus and attention is moving on to Halloween and there are many attractions offering something ghoulish to make the occasion extra frightening. By arranging group coach hire to many of the UK Halloween attractions you will be able to the hassle out of organising any group visit.

Some of the best attractions are listed below although there are lots more arranged throughout the UK.

· Scare Kingdom (Rbble Valley, Lancashire)

· Farmageddon (Ormskirk, Lancashire)

· Frightwater Valley (Ripon, North Yorkshire)

· Hallowscream at York Maze (York, North Yorkshire)

· Scarefest at Alton Towers (Alton, Staffordshire)

· Hells Gate (Reddish, Stockport)

To arrange coach hire for any of the attractions click here for a coach hire quote.

GetMeACoach.com is the #1 coach hire comparison website based on an ethos of both reliability and responsibility, providing excellent customer care and value for money. Our service ensures that your booking, whether it is for a day trip, excursion, wedding or any other occasion is carried out with first class efficiency each and every time.

Coach Hire - Christmas Markets 2011

11 Sep 2011 00:10:50 GMT

Well the kids are back at school, the great British summer seems to have passed us by and the nights are drawing in, so this can mean only one thing – Christmas is on it’s way. Although it might seem a little early to be mentioning the C word, a lot of people are getting excited at the prospect of visiting their favourite German-Style Christmas Markets.

With a vast choice of Christmas markets to choose from the biggest problem is deciding which one to visit. Most major cities in the UK have at least one of the authentic German Markets which tend to feature between 20 – 250 different stalls offering a wide range of unusual and often hand-crafted gifts.

Although the German Markets date back to the 1400’s they have only been visiting the UK since 1984 with the first being held in Lincoln. To this day the Lincoln Christmas Market remains the biggest and most extensive market in the UK with around 300 stalls and attracting a whopping 100,000 visitors over four days.

No matter which Christmas Market you wish to visit, there will no doubt be a Coach Hire operator offering a great value tour package. Most of the packages prices to the UK markets are usually around £80 per person for a night stay although for those more adventurous travellers, they could look at visiting the European markets. If you are an event organiser looking to create your own package, then you should start contacting Coach Hire operators to arrange coach travel for your group as availability to will undoubtedly be limited during the festive period.

For great deals on private coach hire click here to get a quote.