Food and non-alcoholic drinks are fine on all our vehicles. There is nothing to arrange and no permission to request. Alcohol is different: it is permitted on private function bookings by prior arrangement only, and never on school or youth charters. The two practical rules that matter are simple. Hot food and open hot drinks cause most of the problems, and the group takes its rubbish off the vehicle at the end.
What is fine, and the two things that cause problems
| Travels well | Worth reconsidering |
|---|---|
| Sealed water and soft drinks, bottles with lids | Open takeaway coffee, particularly on a winding road |
| Sandwiches, wraps, fruit, snack food | Hot takeaway that arrives in an open container |
| A packed lunch eaten at a stop | Anything strongly aromatic in an enclosed vehicle for two hours |
| Cans and plastic containers | Glass, which becomes a genuine hazard if it breaks in an aisle |
| Cake and catering brought for the destination, boxed and stowed | Sauces, dips and anything that lands on upholstery rather than in a mouth |
None of the right-hand column is banned. It is a list of what tends to end the day badly, and our published conduct and booking policy carries the standing position behind it. The single most common problem on a Sydney charter is a lidded coffee that stops being lidded on the Great Western Highway.
One point specific to New South Wales: on a coach fitted with seatbelts, wearing them is mandatory for passengers aged 16 and over, and it is enforceable against the passenger. Plan food that can be eaten seated, or eat it at a stop.
Rubbish is the one thing the group has to own
A charter vehicle usually goes to another job after yours, sometimes the same afternoon. The driver is not a cleaner, and the turnaround between jobs is not long enough to become one.
The workable habit is unglamorous:
- Bring one rubbish bag per twenty passengers. A supermarket bag is enough.
- Collect before the last stop, not at it. Two minutes while everyone is still seated beats ten minutes of hunting under seats.
- Take the bag off the vehicle rather than leaving it in the aisle.
- Do a two-minute sweep of the aisle and seat pockets before the group disperses. Phones, jackets and glasses turn up in the same sweep.
For a school group, give one student per row the job. It works far better than asking everyone in general.
Ask what the position is on cleaning charges when you book, and get it with the written quote. It is a much easier conversation before the trip than after it.
Planning lunch on a Sydney day trip
On a long day trip, lunch is a logistics decision rather than a catering one, because where the coach can stop is decided by the destination rather than by the group.
The Blue Mountains is the clearest example. Katoomba is 105 km from Sydney and about two hours of driving each way, or about two and a half from the eastern suburbs or northern beaches. That is four to five hours of the day committed before anyone has looked at a lookout, which is why so many groups eat on the move on one leg.
Where the coach can actually stop up there is specific:
- Echo Point, Katoomba. Blue Mountains City Council operates paid bus and coach parking along Echo Point Road and Panorama Drive, with fees charged per half hour and banded by seat count. Council has adopted a Visitor Bus Management Plan that makes Echo Point the first site for a future bus booking and payment system, so the arrangements there are actively changing. Check the current position before the day.
- Scenic World. Its car park has a 2 metre clearance, which a coach cannot use, and it publishes no coach parking information. Reservations are taken for groups of more than 15, so book the group rather than arriving with one.
- Wentworth Falls. Bus parking is available.
- Govetts Leap. Large buses should drop off and park near the Blue Mountains Heritage Centre.
In the Hunter Valley the equivalent point is simpler: the Hunter Valley Wine and Tourism Association states that large groups require a booking prior to arrival. Whichever cellar doors or venues you plan to visit, book them as a group in advance rather than turning up with 40 people and hoping.
The practical answer for most groups is a packed lunch eaten at a stop with real facilities, plus snacks and sealed drinks on board for the driving legs.
Frequently asked questions
Can we eat on a charter bus?
Yes. Food and non-alcoholic drinks are fine on all our vehicles, with no arrangement needed. Alcohol is the exception and is permitted on private function bookings by prior arrangement only, never on school or youth charters.
Is hot food or coffee allowed?
The policy covers food and non-alcoholic drinks generally, so it is not prohibited. It is worth thinking twice about, because open hot drinks and open hot food are the two things most likely to end up on the upholstery on a winding road. Lids on, or eat at the stop.
Who cleans up afterwards?
The group takes its own rubbish off the vehicle. The driver prepares the vehicle for the next job, and there is rarely much time between jobs. Bring a bag, collect before the last stop, and do a two-minute sweep.
Will we be charged for cleaning?
Ask at booking and get the answer in writing with your quote. Ordinary use is ordinary use. What causes a problem is spillage that soaks in, breakage, or rubbish left across a vehicle that has another group to carry.
Can we bring an esky or catering for the destination?
Yes, and it is worth telling the operator at booking so the load is planned. On a full vehicle the underfloor bay fills with luggage before it fills with catering, so a group with both should say so at quote stage rather than at the kerb.
Where can we eat on a Blue Mountains day trip?
Plan a stop with real facilities rather than eating at a lookout, because coach access at each site is specific. Echo Point has paid coach parking on Echo Point Road and Panorama Drive, Wentworth Falls has bus parking, Govetts Leap directs large buses to drop off near the Blue Mountains Heritage Centre, and Scenic World’s car park has a 2 metre clearance that a coach cannot use.
Next step
Send the pick-up suburb, the date and the group size to start a quote. If the trip involves a catered lunch, an esky, or a long day trip where you want a proper meal stop built in, say so and it will be planned into the itinerary rather than improvised. A fixed written quote naming the vehicle comes back within two business hours during office hours, Monday to Friday 7am to 6pm and Saturday 8am to 2pm.
The Blue Mountains day trip sets out the route these stops sit on. For a school group, school and excursion charters covers the rest of the planning. Call 02 9469 6600 with anything unusual.
Sources
- Blue Mountains City Council, “Visitor Bus Management Plan”, https://www.bmcc.nsw.gov.au/documents/visitor-bus-management-plan. Accessed 7 September 2026.
- Hunter Valley Wine and Tourism Association, “Know before you go”, https://www.winecountry.com.au/plan/know-before-you-go. Accessed 7 September 2026.
