Do you have a question and can't find an answer? Have a look at the following segments: General Questions, Payment & Cancellations and Charters, Wine Tours and Special Occasions.

General Questions

This section covers anything from pricing, the booking process, our services, opening times and more. If you still don't have an answer to your question, feel free to ask us here

1. What bus sizes do you have?

Our fleet comprises over 60 vehicles, including 13, 21 and 24 passenger buses to use for special events, long-distance transfers, and charters.  

2. Do you have buses with a wheelchair lift?

No (not yet). However, we can cater for passengers travelling in a foldable wheelchair, who are able to get on the bus with the help of another person. Foldable wheelchairs may be transported in the back area of our vehicles or in a trailer, depending on the bus size. We can also put an extra step on the bus, if required. 

3. How do I book a bus?

The easiest and quickest way to book a bus is by calling our reservations team on (08) 8440 1600. Alternatively, you can also send an email to minibus@des.com.au or reply to an email quote we have already provided. 

Please note: If you submit an online Quote Enquiry through our website, you will receive an automatic reply to confirm that your request has been submitted; this is NOT a booking confirmation.

A booking confirmation will be sent to you if an actual booking is made via email, or upon request after making a booking over the phone.  

4. How much is it to hire one of our buses?

Prices depend on the bus size, distance travelled, the date and time of the day/night. For example, a transfer from Glenelg into the CBD during the day will have a lower price than a transfer from Hahndorf to Lobethal at midnight on a public holiday.  

5. We need to go the airport and will be travelling with carry-on luggage only. Do I need to book a trailer?

We highly recommend hiring a trailer. The reason is simple: Aisles in the buses must legally be free of obstacles to ensure quick evacuation in case of an emergency. There is no additional room in the back of our 24 and 21 seat buses, and very limited space in our 13 seat buses.

While keeping a small backpack or a small overnight bag on your lap or on a spare seat next to you is not a problem, carry-on luggage often consists of medium-sized suitcases these days. With 10 passengers in a 13-seat bus, there will not be enough room in the back for them, and bags are likely to end up in the aisle, which is illegal and can be dangerous if unforeseen, abrupt braking is required.   

Please note: Our drivers can refuse transportation if there is no sufficient room for all passengers and luggage to allow a save journey.

6. I booked a 13 -seat bus for 8 passengers. Now I have 10 people who want to come. Does the price change?

No. Our prices are based on the size of the bus and not on the number of passengers. All passengers must have an allocated seat, therefore if you have more passengers than the bus can hold (e.g. 14 passengers and a 13-seat bus booked) you will need to reconsider and either upgrade to a 21 seat bus, which changes the price accordingly, or limit your number to the capacity of the vehicle.

7. I would like to book a return transfer, but the destination is different to the original pickup point. Is this possible?

Yes. You can tailor each individual transfer to your needs. 

8. Do the individual transfer prices get cheaper if I book a return instead of travelling one way?

No. Each transfer price is based on the number of kilometres travelled, day and time of day/night. Therefore, we are not able to offer cheaper prices for return trips. 

9. Can I arrange multiple pickups/drop offs and does that change the price?

You are welcome to arrange as many pickups and drop off points as required. The price will be determined based on the number of kilometres travelled, day and time of day/night, and might therefore be higher compared to a similar transfer with only one collection and drop off point. 

10. Do you allow babies and young children on the bus and do you provide child seats?

Yes, we welcome babies and young children on our buses. All our buses are classified as public transport and therefore no child seats are legally required.

However, if you feel safer with a child seat, please feel free to bring one. Just let us know that you are planning to do so when you book, and we will make sure to reserve a suitable vehicle for you. Please note that we do not provide any child seats. 

Children under the age of 7 can also be kept on an adult’s lap, but still need to have their own allocated seat.

11. Do you provide child seats?

No. But you are more than welcome to bring your own. Just let us know upon booking and we will make sure to reserve a suitable bus for you. 

12. Can I take an esky / chairs on the bus?

You can bring small soft bag eskies that fit on your lap or under the seat. All larger eskies, chairs, picnic equipment or other items legally need to be transported in a trailer, which can be booked at an additional fee, starting from $30.00 depending on bus size and nature of transport. 

13. I have booked a forward and a return transfer. Can I leave my belongings on the bus?

No. Please take all your belongings with you, if you have booked two separate transfers, as our driver is likely to transport other groups before coming back to you. If you deliberately leave belongings like clothes or bags on the bus, the driver won’t be able to do any other work until he picks you up again. As a result, we will need to charge for the waiting time, which we much prefer to avoid.

If you want to leave your belongings on the bus between drop off and pickup, you will be required to charter the bus for that period of time. 

14. One of the passengers has a walker/wheel chair. Is this OK?

A very limited number of foldable walkers or foldable wheelchairs can be taken on the bus, depending on the bus size, number of passengers and luggage that you may be taking with you. Please note that we can only transport impaired passengers who are able to get on the bus with the help of another person. We can also put an additional step on the bus to make it easier to get on and off. Unfortunately, we don’t have any buses with wheelchair lifts. 

15. Can I drink alcohol on the bus?

No, strictly no alcohol can be consumed on our buses.

Limited Liquor Licenses may be available for some charters, but an application is at the Manager’s discretion. Please see our Terms and Conditions for more information.

16. I think I lost something on one of your buses. What do I do?

Just give our office a call; we will take your name and contact phone number, as well as details about the lost item and your booking. If your item has not yet been returned to the office, we will try to establish what bus you were on and contact the driver to see whether your lost item has been found. We will let you know if your item is located and make arrangements with you for its collection. Please note that Des’s Minibus cannot be held responsible for any personal loss or damage whilst travelling on our buses. 

17. What are the opening hours of your call centre?

Our friendly phone operators are available for you during the following times:

Sunday & Public Holidays - 9.00am to 5.00pm
Monday to Thursday - 7:00am to 8:00pm
Friday - 8.00am to 1:00am
Saturday - 8.00am to 2:00am

Our buses and drivers are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

18. Do you operate during the night or on public holidays?

Yes, our buses are on the road 24/7 and on public holidays. Please ensure you have pre-booked your vehicle for night travels and public holidays.    

Payment & Cancellations

In this section we answer all your questions about payments and cancellations. 

1. How can I pay?

Payments can be made via debit/credit card over the phone (our preferred method), via EFT, Cabcharge (selected transfers only), or with a business cheque by arrangement (no personal cheques accepted). We do not accept any cash payments on the day of travel.

If you would like to pay in person, our front office hours are Monday to Friday, 9:15am – 4:30pm.

Depending on the type and nature of your transport, some payment methods may not be an option; e.g. EFT payment for transport on the same day.

2. When do I need to pay?

All transfers require payment in full upon booking. 

Cheque by arrangement and Cabcharge payments are accepted for transfers between 7:00am and 07:00pm for our 13 seat buses, if the transfers are in the Adelaide Metropolitan area. 

All charters on 13, 21, 24 seat buses require a deposit of at least $150.00 per bus upon booking, with balance payable at least a week prior to the day of travel, unless otherwise stated. If a charter is booked within 6 days of the day of travel, full payment will be required upon booking. 

3. Do you charge any extra for debit/credit card payments?

No, for card payments over the phone there are no surcharges from our end.

4. What if I need to cancel my booking – will I get a refund?

Cancellations up to one week (7 days) before the booking - Full Refund.

Cancellations less than 7 days up to 24 hours before travel date - 50% refund of all monies paid.

Cancellations notified on the day of booking – No refund.

Charters, Wine Tours & Special Occasions

In this section we find an answer to all your burning questions about charters and special occasions. 

1. How do I secure my bus for a charter?

Simply call our office, make your booking and arrange a $150.00 deposit via debit/credit card. If your charter is more than 7 days away, you can also arrange an EFT transfer.

Please note that an itinerary will only be arranged once a deposit has been received and your booking has been confirmed. 

2. What is included in the tour/charter price?

Generally, your private charter includes the bus you have booked and a driver.

Any additional costs such as tasting fees at wineries, entry fees or lunch expenses are not included in your charter.

Des's Minibus' public tours, however, include all tasting fees and lunch in the cost. 

3. Can I book multiple pickups/drop offs from different locations?

Yes, on your private charter you can book as many pickups/drop offs as you like. Just bear in mind that the more collections/drop offs you include, the less time you will have on your actual charter, as the price of charter is from pickup at the first address to drop off at the last address. 

4. Do I need to make bookings for wine tastings or can we just show up on the day?

All wineries require a booking for tastings for groups of 6 or more, and the larger the group the more important it is to have a booking. Venues often book out weeks in advance and might physically not be able to cater for you if you show up unannounced. Please allow at least 2 weeks’ notice for bookings of large groups.

Having said that, we always check and reconfirm bookings with venues before your day of travel to make sure everything works smoothly on the day.

Smaller groups usually don’t need bookings and are a bit more flexible on the day but as a courtesy we still let the venues know you are coming. We have very good business relationships with the wineries which we strive to maintain. 

5. I have done wine tours with family and friends before and never had to pay any tasting fees. Why now that I am travelling in a larger group?

Almost all venues ask for a tasting fee for groups of a certain size, which is mostly around the 6 – 8 passenger mark. Unfortunately, this is set by the wineries and there is almost nothing we can do about this. 

6. Can we bring our own music?

Yes, certainly, most of our buses have either CD Players, iPod connections or auxiliary outputs. Let us know what device connection you need and we will try to provide you with a vehicle to accommodate your needs (may not always be possible due to number of bookings, location of vehicles, etc.) An additional $20.00 will ensure the correct bus is booked. 

9. We are celebrating a birthday/Hens/Bucks. Can we decorate the bus and does this cost extra?

Generally, you are welcome to bring your own decoration and decorate the bus. As this normally takes a while, we would allow at least an additional 15 – 30 minutes before and at 15 minutes after your transfer or charter, which would be charged in addition to the regular price.

If you have booked forward and return transfers, you will be required to take off the decoration between both transfers, as other passengers may use the vehicle. During a charter the decoration can stay in the bus, as you have hired the vehicle for the day.  

On behalf of our group I would like to let you know how much fun we had on Saturday and Ted our driver was absolutely fantastic.  He was very professional, courteous and friendly at all times and wasn’t one of those drivers that tends to want to be a part...

Leanne

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