ScotlandMeet provided an extensive breakdown of every possible cost associated with a trip, not just the prices. The company took the agony out of budgeting for trips by providing a place where people could get together to split restaurant bills; a huge burden was lifted off of their shoulders!
Base hiring fees, fuel costs, tolls, parking expenses, driver accommodations…all of these costs were calculated faster than anyone could say “Wait! What? How can that be?”
Calculating your trip costs before going allows you to have a clear budget in front of you. ScotlandMeet does exactly that, providing budget transparency through a detailed cost breakdown that is easier to follow than most people’s recollections of check-splitting incidents in restaurants.
Using cost analysts that break down a trip into clear set charges and by price (think Martin Lewis giving you information about energy, but for groups), ScotlandMeet has a team of professionals that breakdown the costs of transportation as though they were teaching you how to become financially literate.
No hidden fees = no surprises, therefore eliminating the chance to have a “We didn’t account for that” moment.
Base Hire Costs and Daily Vehicle Rates
The only place you start your conversation is with a base hire (a minimum charge). After that, there is no telling how much your vehicle costs; you can pay anywhere from £200 to £400 daily depending on the size of your vehicle and when you are renting it (based on airline pricing principles, you can figure that summertime weekends cost more than rainy Tuesdays in February).
Coach hire prices are more expensive because you are basically hiring a small building on wheels with a professional driver included!
Mileage, Tolls and Congestion Charges
There is no standardised rate for mileage charges from operators. Some will have unlimited mileage included in their prices and others will charge for each mile travelled—like Uber Eats does when it calculates your delivery fee—based on destination. ScotlandMeet will provide you with total mileage from the start, so that you don’t have any unpleasant surprises when you take a detour to the Lake District that adds an extra £150 to your budget.
Tolls and congestion charges can add up faster than the subscription renewals on your Spotify account! For example, the cost to cross the Dartford Crossing can be anywhere from £2.50 to £6.00 per crossing (depending on size of vehicle), and if your coach is not compliant with ULEZ requirements, you’ll be charged between £100 and £300 every day you enter London. Up until recently, you could cross the Severn Bridge free of charge; be aware that toll prices on UK roads can change frequently, sometimes more often than government cabinet members!
Parking Fees and All-Inclusive Pricing
Parking charges are the most devastating of unforeseen budget expenses! Daily charges for parking in city centre locations can be anywhere from £20 – £50, and some locations charge as if they are VIP nightclubs for simply allowing you to drop off your passengers. Most tourist attractions in the U.K. provide free parking for coaches, which provides some help to coach operators.
ScotlandMeet provides “all-inclusive prices” from the start, eliminating the need for calculators, and also eliminates the possibility of hidden charges and surprises when checking out down to financial transparency makes Monzo’s breakdowns of spending look primary.
Trip budgeting is not guesswork; it is having a full understanding of all costs associated with travelling. ScotlandMeet has created pricing that has been created to coincide with the moment the customer knows exactly how much they will pay for their trip.