How much to rent a charter bus?
/How much does it cost to rent a charter bus?
For one day a charter bus can cost around $1,200-$2,200. Renting a Charter Bus for 4 hours prices start at $550, with every additional hour costing around $135-$195. In case you need to rent a bus for more than one day, you might have discounts. Just keep in mind that every situation is different, to get a quote tailored to your case call us at (646) 801 6280.
Charter Bus Rental Price Estimates
| Price Estimates | 4-Hours Minimum | Additional Hours | 8-Hours Full Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent Charter Bus | $550-$850 | $100-$195 | $1,250+ |
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EASY SEARCH FOR CHARTER BUSES
Main Factors that Influence Charter Bus Rental Costs
LENGTH
DISTANCE
SIZE / TYPE
TRIP DATE
Length of Rental and Hours
Preparing your quote we try to first get all the most important information, such as for how long you are going to travel. Obviously, a 4-hour trip is going to be way cheaper than booking a charter for a hole day. You should always consider how many stops you are going to make, for how long will the bus wait for you, etc. Time is one the main factors which will influence the final cost.
How do I save money if I need the bus to wait for me? You don’t have to rent the bus for a round trip, you can rent one bus to get to your destination and another one to drive you back. This way the bus will not be waiting for you and you will not have to pay extra for those hours.
Driving Distance
Prices also depend on the amount of miles you are going to drive, so the length of your trip really matters, not only because of the actual booking prices, but also because you might have to book one more driver for you trip (legal requirements). In the end, the bus will drive more miles in total (costs of gas, toll roads, drivers’ working hours, etc) to pick you up, drop you off and come back to the garage. We count an approximate amount of miles you will drive during your trip. Charter buses are perfect for local and long-distance trips.
Size
There are different charter buses, the biggest difference between all of them - the seating capacity (from 36 to 60 seats). Bigger the bus is - higher the end price will be. That is why it is very important to book the right size of a bus.
Ask our booking specialist what type of bus will suit you perfectly, to get the best deal you have to fill in all the the seats. Pick the right size of your charter bus. Also, you may consider renting a school bus or a mini bus. Look here what does it cost to rent a school bus.
If you need a different type, size or use of a bus, you may also check:
Trip Date
Bus prices rise and fall, depending on a season, and it is different all over the US, so it is hard to predict 100% the price changes, if you never booked a bus before. Generally, during the school vacation, there are more bus bookings than usually, it causes big demand and leads to higher prices. Weekends are usually get pricy all year round. High season, special events like festivals or concerts and other things may affect availability and prices.
How do you get the best price renting a charter bus?
The most expensive months are April, May, June, July, August, try to book your trip before the high season starts;
The least expensive months are January, February, July, and if your trip will be during the weekdays - even better;
Plan your trip well in advance (at least 3 months before).
Different Examples of Charter Bus Rental Prices
All the prices presented bellow are estimated and may vary, since there are many different factors that change final bus rental prices.
| Trip Example | Type | Days | Hours | Miles | Bus Type | Price/Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shuttle Service | Wedding | 1 | 10 | 55 | Charter Bus | $1,300 |
| Round Trip | Church Trip | 1 | 14 | 270 | Charter Bus | $1,750 |
| 3-Day Trip | College Tour | 3 | 12 | 170 | Charter Bus | $4,350 |
Example # 1 - Charter bus rental costs for a Wedding
Organizing a wedding can get very overwhelming. Sometimes your hotel is far from the ceremony space or from the restaurant, or you need to pick up your guests at the airport, etc. Situations are different, but Bookbuses have you covered no mater what. Also, you want all of your guests to be there on time and might even need to book few buses. Of course no one wants to drive their own vehicle, because of drinking, distance, timing, etc. Renting a charter bus to take care of your logistics is the best choice! This way everything will be organized and all of your guests will get to the wedding on time, can relax and have fun! For example, you can rent a charter bus to run for a total of 10 hours, covering all the transportation needs on your special day.
The estimated price of renting a charter bus for 10 hours, to drive around 55 miles in total - $1,300
Here, at Bookbuses, we want you to have the best service at the lowest price, and we will help you to get the best deal, which will meet all of your needs. Usually, for weddings, people rent few charter buses, just because of the amount of people that are coming. What you can do is rent a charter bus (or few, if required) to get your guests to the wedding (from the airport, to the hotel, to the restaurant, etc.), and then rent a shuttle bus for the end of the wedding to drive everyone back (shuttles are cheaper). This will save you some cash and you won’t have to worry about anything! You can always Call us (646) 801 6280 to talk to one of our booking specialists, explain what you need and we will offer different solutions for you.
Example # 2 - Charter bus rental costs for a Church Trip
Planning to go on a Church Trip and need to rent a big charter bus? This kind of trip can be long. Imagine you need to drive about 14 hours, that means you will have to hire one more driver (since the driver can legally drive not more than 10 hours), this will rise the final cost of your trip.
Approximate price for a charter bus, driving for 14 hours, about 270 miles - $1,750.
Example # 3 - Charter bus rental costs for a College Tour
Taking students on a college trip is so much fun! But this kind of trip, most of the time, is planned during the weekend, for at least 2-3 days. Driving from one college to another, moving between cities is something that may get a bit pricey, but here on Bookbuses we always know how to make your trip cheaper.
If you need to rent a charter bus for a 3-day trip, driving in total 12 hours, for 170 miles, it will cost around $4,350.
Let’s imagine you are going on a 3-day trip, and every day you go to a different city, instead of booking one bus and pay for the driver’s hotel, you may book few buses, a new one in each city that you are visiting. This way you will not have to pay for the waiting time, as well as for the driver’s accommodation. Sounds great, no? You will just pay for the actual time you are in the bus and nothing more.
Additional Factors that Influence Charter Bus Rental Prices
Pickup Location
There are cities that don’t have a lot of bus companies, what makes it harder to find a perfect bus for you. You might have to pay more because the bus company will must drive a bus to pick you up. Additional miles increase the cost.
Multiple drivers and Accommodation
A bus driver can drive for a maximum of 10 hours, after that he/she is required to have 8-hour break. In case you need to drive more than 10 hours, you will need to book one more driver, what will increase the cost at least by few hundreds dollars. It is necessary for legal and safety requirements. Stopping for the night or hiring a second driver will add extra cost. Tipping is to your discretion, but typically is around 15% or $1-$2 per person per day.
You may book two different buses (if you trip is two days long) to save money and not pay for the driver’s hotel room.
Route’s Travel Fees
This is another important factor which might make your price higher. Parkings, toll roads, and any other additional spendings might not be included in the price in the beginning, because they are different all the time, ask on of our Bookbuses’ booking agents to know about the final bill and additional costs.
Overtime
Another additional factor could be overtime. If your trip significantly goes over the time it was initially booked for, expect the bus company to charge for overtime.
Try to plan your trip in advance and make sure you consider to check how long is your trip going to be (including possible traffics, stops, people being late). This way you will avoid overtime pay.
Cleaning Fees
Usually, if the trip is long it is allowed to have food and drinks (alcohol if agreed before) on board. But it may lead to extra expenses for the rent because of cleaning fees. If we have a kids trip next day at 7am and the bus is returned at 2am smelling of alcohol, someone need to get their hands dirty late at night.
BookBuses can provide you with accurate and affordable quotes according to your specific travel needs. Use our easy search or call (646) 801 6280 for your best price.
Need a Charter Bus? - Rent a Charter Bus from BookBuses.com
The best option for a group is to rent a charter bus from BookBuses! BookBuses offers a variety of charter buses to take your group to your event and back. This is the best option, because you can be picked up right at your front door! We have great deals that you can find according to your needs, so check out the website today! Instead of having to research into different bus companies to rent these buses, you can easily use the website BookBuses to find quotes from multiple vendors. In addition,BookBuses will also take care of the booking for you so you don't have to! The process to book them is seamless and simple, because BookBuses takes care of all the details for you, and traveling to your event will be convenient and efficient because you will be picked up from and dropped off to wherever you’d like! Visit the BookBuses website at bookbuses.com, or call (646) 801 6280 to look up different bus possibilities for your group today!
