Bus Hire in Mons

Mons (Bergen in Dutch) is the capital of the Hainaut province in southern Belgium, 70 kilometres south-west of Brussels via the E19 motorway (approximately 55 minutes by coach). The city played a significant role in two world wars: the first British engagement of the First World War took place at the Battle of Mons on 23 August 1914 (the same day the BEF first opened fire on German forces in Belgium), and the last British combat death of the war occurred at Mons at 11:00 on 11 November 1918. Mons was the EU Capital of Culture in 2015, which brought extensive regeneration to the city centre.

Brussels South Charleroi Airport (CRL) is 45 kilometres north-east via the E19/A54 (approximately 40 minutes). Brussels Airport (BRU) is 70 kilometres north-east (approximately 55 minutes). The Grand Place of Mons (the main square, dominated by the Town Hall and the collegiate church) is fully pedestrianised; coaches park at the Place du Parc or the Rue des Gades coach area adjacent to the centre.

WWI Battle of Mons and the Memorials

The Battle of Mons (23 August 1914) was the first major engagement of the British Expeditionary Force on the Western Front, fought along the Mons-Conde canal north of the city. The fighting is commemorated at several key sites: the Nimy railway bridge (on the canal north of Mons, where Lieutenant Maurice Dease and Private Sidney Godley won the first Victoria Crosses of the war for their actions holding a machine gun against the German advance), the St Symphorien Military Cemetery (5 kilometres east of Mons, a carefully maintained cemetery holding both German and British/Commonwealth soldiers, including the graves of the first and last British soldiers killed in the war -- Private John Parr, died 21 August 1914, and Private George Ellison, died 11 November 1918 at 9:30am), and the Mons Memorial Museum in the city centre.

Mons Memorial Museum and St Waltrude's

The Mons Memorial Museum (place du Chapitre, adjacent to the collegiate church) is the principal museum covering Mons in both World Wars, with collections on the 1914 battle, the German occupation, the liberation of 1918 and 1944, and the city's military history. The museum is housed in a 19th-century building and is accessible for group school visits with advance booking. St Waltrude's Collegiate Church (Collegiale Sainte-Waudru, place du Chapitre) is the dominant building of the Mons skyline: a Brabantine Gothic church built between 1450 and 1686 (never completed), with a notable Baroque facade on the west end. The church houses the Car d'Or (a gilded processional coach used annually in the Ducasse du Doudou, a UNESCO Intangible Heritage festival held on Trinity Sunday, in which the coach carries the shrine of St Waltrude around the Grand Place). The Ducasse procession concludes with the Lumecon (a mock combat between Saint George and a dragon, the Doudou), watched by crowds lining the Grand Place.

Van Gogh in the Borinage and the Grand Place

Vincent van Gogh lived in the Borinage (the mining region around Mons and the Botte du Hainaut) from 1878 to 1880 as a lay preacher ministering to coal miners. The BAM (Musee des Beaux-Arts de Mons, rue Neuve, adjacent to the Grand Place) holds an important Van Gogh display including works from his Belgian period and documents his stay in the region. The Colfontaine house where Van Gogh lodged (the maison van Gogh, 221 rue du Pavillon, Colfontaine, 10 kilometres south-west of Mons) is a small museum open to group visits with advance reservation. The Grand Place of Mons is framed by the Town Hall (a late Gothic building begun in 1458, with a small baroque belfry of 1718 -- the smallest belfry in Belgium and a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and 17th to 18th-century Walloon Baroque townhouses.

What Bus Hire Costs in Mons

As a rough guide, a minibus (up to 19 seats) in Mons runs around 240 to 465 EUR per day, a midi-coach (around 35 seats) around 395 to 775 EUR per day, and a full-size coach (49 to 55 seats) around 615 to 1,165 EUR per day. Mons has growing heritage and conference tourism following its year as EU Capital of Culture in 2015, with moderate year-round coach hire demand. The final figure depends on your route, the date, and how long you need the vehicle. We confirm a fixed price with no hidden charges -- send your details for a free quote.

Services Available in Mons