Plan a group trip by charter bus

Pick your trip

Each guide covers the rules and decisions that matter for that kind of group.

• School field trips: district approval, school bus vs. coach bus, loading zones and chaperones.
• Church groups and retreats: one bus for every age, retreat luggage, Sunday timing and lift access for older members.
• Sports teams: where the gear rides, setting departure from warm-up time, and whether a long away game fits one driver.
• Corporate events: staging a coach at a hotel or venue, accessibility on registration, and what your risk team can check.
• Wedding shuttles: the four times to fix first, more buses vs. more runs, and the rules on alcohol and decorations.
• Government agencies: W-9s, SAM.gov and schedules, paying before service, and ADA duties for public events.

Which bus for your group?

Start with headcount, counting every chaperone, coach and staff member. A Sprinter seats up to 15, a mini bus up to 26 and a coach bus up to 56. More than 56 means a second bus, which the form adds and prices.

Then check what else needs room. Federal rules call a coach bus an over-the-road bus: its passenger deck sits over a baggage compartment (49 CFR 37.3), so bags and gear ride underneath. If anyone uses a wheelchair, tick the wheelchair-lift box when you get your price, or tell us as soon as you know. Charter coach operators may ask for up to 48 hours' notice (49 CFR 37.189), and an accessible coach has at least two wheelchair spaces (49 CFR 38.159). Charter bus sizes compares the three classes.

Last, check the driver's day. A bus driver may drive up to 10 hours and may not drive after 15 hours on duty (49 CFR 395.5), and waiting with the bus usually counts as on duty (49 CFR 395.2). A long drive plus a full day on site can need a second driver or an overnight. The driver-hours guide has a calculator that shows which.

Online or by phone

One day or more, any headcount, gets an instant all-in price online (past 56 people the form adds buses): driver, fuel, gratuity, tolls, parking and repositioning miles, with nothing added at pickup. A bus running back and forth all day is the form's Shuttle trip type. An overnight or multi-day round trip gets an instant price too: set the return date to the day you head home, and the bus stays with your group. The driver's hotel room, and the bus's overnight parking if your hotel doesn't allow buses, are your group's cost on top.

What the instant price covers

Instant price: one day or more, any headcount (past 56 people the form adds buses), all-in (driver, fuel, gratuity, tolls, parking, repositioning miles and any tax). Extra stops go in the form. A shuttle between two points is the Shuttle trip type. A round trip that comes back on a later day keeps the bus with the group.

How the price is built, what it includes and how booking works: How it works.

Common questions

Keep planning

• Which charter bus fits your group?Sprinter, mini bus or coach bus? How seats, luggage, restrooms and wheelchair lifts differ, and what to do past 56 riders.
• How far can a charter bus go in a day?Federal rules give charter bus drivers 10 hours of driving and 15 on duty. What counts, how trucking differs, and when a day needs a second driver.