Why We Keep It Intimate:The Perks of Small Group Travel

7 days ago2 min read

And why we've made the decision to cap our group sizes!

Whilst our buses can seat up to 23 people, we have made the decision to cap individual group sizes to a maximum of 7 people per group. We really pride ourselves on offering a flexible, enjoyable, and intimate experience for all of our hoppers.

So if you've ever wondered why & the reason we don't offer private tours - keep reading:

Ensuring a Comfortable and Flexible Journey
One of the biggest advantages of Hop It is the ability to hop on and off at different stops based on your preferences. Keeping group sizes small allows for easier logistics, ensuring that everyone gets to visit their chosen stops without long waits or disruptions. You can only imagine what it would be like trying to get 8 people back on the bus at a certain time. This flexibility is a major part of what makes our service special, and smaller groups help us maintain that freedom.
Respecting Other Hoppers’ Experience
A key part of the the hop on hop off experience that we offer, is meeting fellow travellers and sharing the journey. Large groups can unintentionally dominate the bus atmosphere, making it harder for others to connect and enjoy their own trip. By keeping groups small, we try to maintain a balanced environment where everyone feels included.

group of 3 people cheering with wine glasses

Supporting Venue Policies
Many of our partner venues have limits on group sizes to ensure a pleasant experience for all visitors. By aligning with their policies, we help our hoppers have a seamless experience without the risk of being turned away due to capacity restrictions.
Keeping it cost effective
Once you're group is larger than 8 people, you may find that it's actually more cost effective to hire out a private bus. You'll still be able to put together your very own itinerary and have a driver that can look after your group and schedule.

The reason why we've decided not to offer private charters:

There is a wide variety of some awesome operators in the Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula & the Bellarine that offer larger group tours. 6 years ago, when we started Hop It, we made a conscious decision to be different and really focus our efforts on servicing smaller groups, couples and singles and making Victoria's wine regions more accessible for them.

So if you're someone with a lot of friends & you're wanting to charter a bus to the wine regions, here are our trusted recommendations: