The core trade-off
- SIC (seat-in-coach): priced per seat, shared vehicle, fixed schedule and set pickup points. Cheap for one or two travellers.
- Private: priced per vehicle, your own schedule, door to door. The per-head cost falls as the party grows.
Where the break-even sits
Private becomes competitive the moment the per-vehicle cost divided by the party size approaches the per-seat SIC price. For many transfer and excursion products that crossover lands around a small family group — but it genuinely varies by destination and vehicle class, so do the arithmetic per product rather than assuming SIC is always cheaper. It often isn't by the time you've added three or four pax.
What the client actually notices
This is where private earns its price, and it's the part a spreadsheet misses:
- SIC means waiting for other passengers, a loop of hotel pickups, rigid timing, and a guide managing a mixed group.
- Private means no waiting, flexible stops, and a guide focused only on your client.
- For honeymooners, families with children or elderly travellers, and premium clients, that difference is the sale — not the saving.
The hidden costs on both sides
- SIC: long pickup loops can burn the first and last hour of the day, and some 'SIC' excursions price close to private once you add pax.
- Private: driver/guide waiting time, parking, and after-hours or early-morning surcharges.
A practical default
Quote SIC for solo and couple budget trips and simple airport hops. Default to private for three or more pax, for families, for tight schedules, and whenever premium positioning or the time saved materially improves the day. When in doubt, price both and let the number — and the client profile — decide.