Funeral transport considerations are an important thing to prepare for when arranging a funeral. We look at the transport options available when remembering a loved one that has passed away.

Funeral Transport options

When you are journeying to the crematorium or cemetery, it is traditional for close friends and family of the person who has unfortunately passed away to follow behind the hearse in funeral cars.

This is known as the funeral procession. During this time, neighbours can step out onto the street in order to pay their respects to the deceased, and the procession will pass places that would be significant to the deceased's life.

Although many opt for the age-old traditional hearse decorated with floral arrangements, there are families who are looking for something a little more unique. Many families wish to personalise the funeral procession exactly to the tastes of the deceased.

Part of this process is to choose a vehicle that reflects the tastes of their loved ones. There are so many different options available, which means that the funeral procession can be completely tailor-made to be an exact reflection of the person who has sadly passed away. 

The possibilities are almost endless. Classic cars are an option, as well as limos, horse-drawn hearse, and even motorcycles.

Things To Consider When Arranging A Funeral

Choice of funeral transport

For various different reasons, many families decide that they want to transport their loved one to the funeral service in something other than what would be considered traditional. 

Some people consider the vehicle that they choose to carry their loved one to be its own form of tribute. Especially if the deceased was either a car or motorbike enthusiast. Below are some options that are increasingly becoming more popular:

What funeral transport do I need?

The funeral procession is usually made up of a hearse that is carrying the coffin, which is then followed by multiple limousines which have close family and friends inside. Of course, none of this is completely obligatory.

It is your own decision if you wish to make arrangements for traditional transport around the funeral, but if you are concerned about how much this is all going to cost, then you can only book the hearse for the coffin and then ask the guests to make their own journey to the funeral proceedings.

If you wish to do so, then as long as the coffin is tightly secured, then you can even transport the deceased to the funeral in your own car. 

If you are using a funeral director and they attempt to tell you otherwise, then you need to tell them that this is your farewell to the deceased and that you have the final word when it comes to arranging the transport.

How much does funeral transport cost?

On average, the amount that people usually spend on funeral transport is around £150 to £250 for the hearse that will transport the coffin and a further £150 for the vehicles that will be used for the main funeral party.

Although, as described earlier, there are many different types of hearses and vehicles to choose from for a funeral, this means the prices can have massive variances.

How to choose a funeral hearse

Once you start looking, you realise that there are so many different varieties of hearses on offer. Depending on exactly what the deceased would have wanted, their hobbies and their interests, you can honour them beautifully by arranging transportation that is more personal than usual for their funeral procession.

Of course, the hearse is the most popular and the most traditional form of the funeral car. The most popular model is the Ford MK10. Hearses are long estate vehicles with glass sides that have been specifically designed in order to carry coffins.

They are so popular due to their cost efficiency, as well as their constant availability. If you, for any particular reason, want to have a concealed coffin, then it is even possible to hire hearses where your loved one will not be on display to any on-lookers.

Some families decide to opt for a choice that is a little more personalised, unique, and not seen as often. One of the popular choices is a horse-drawn carriage. This is an elegant and very classic funeral choice.

The majority of horse-drawn hearse carriages are designed after traditional Victorian and Edwardian carriages. They commonly have rails both internally and externally for displaying flowers.

Although they may look vintage, they are actually able to accommodate a wide variety of different contemporary and traditional coffins, just like a modern funeral car would. Horse-drawn carriages are commonly available in teams of either four or two horses. The horses can then be decorated with feathers and drapes.

Another increasingly popular option for modern funerals is motorcycle hearses. These are very uniquely designed motorcycles that have a very large sidecar strapped to their side, which is used for transporting either the casket or the coffin.

This option is very popular along the community of motorcycle enthusiasts. You will often see the motorcycle hearse being followed by a large gathering of the deceased's bikers friends, also on their motorcycles.

When it comes to brands, the following are available. All the classic brands, such as Harley-Davidsons, Triumphs and Suzuki, so you can get your loved one to their funeral in complete style. 

If the funeral is going to be a very large occasion and there are going to be a lot of attendees who all bring flowers, then it might be needed to hire a vehicle in order to transport the flowers and wreaths to the funeral or to the place where the body is being buried.

This vehicle can be incorporated into the funeral procession very easily, as all the flowers within the car will look very moving. It is traditional for the vehicle hired to transport flowers to be a specially designed flower car, usually an open-topped model, when this is feasible. 

However, these days it is much more common for the flower car to simply be another hearse. This is because the large windows are perfect for creating a delightful display of all the flowers within. It is also a much less risky option if the weather is poor on the day of the funeral.

Having a closed-top vehicle will allow for the flowers to look amazing, even if the day is stormy.

If you are planning a funeral in Essex or the surrounding areas, we provide horse drawn carriages for just such occasions. 

We offer horse drawn funeral carriage in Essex and London. Visit our site to book your funeral transport hire.