6 FACTORS THAT DETERMINE THE COST OF A CHARTER BUS
Factor 1: The Distance and Duration of your Trip
When preparing your request, a representative of our company will first look at how far and how long you’ll be traveling. Be prepared to give us the pickup and drop off addresses and times.
Our buses can be rented by the hour, day, or mileage depending on your trip details. If you’re traveling in and around Central Mississippi, you’ll pay by the hour. BeeLine Coach & Travel requires a 5 hour minimum. Trips spanning multiple days and long distances will be billed by the day and mileage. If your group needs transportation locally over the course of several days, like for a multi-day festival or conference, your bus service provider will most likely charge by the day. Trip itineraries can change at the last minute. Though you should avoid altering your trip details, BCT will make every effort to accommodate changes to your itinerary. Note that even if you have already paid for your trip in full, you’ll be charged for any additional mileage outside the original plan.
Factor 2: The Time of Year
Bus rates may vary due to seasonality and availability. People book more buses in months when school is in session, causing demand to be high and supply to be low. Many buses go unused when demand is low, leaving transportation companies to compete for business with lower prices. April, May, and June are notoriously expensive months to book a charter bus because of graduation, end-of-the-year school trips, prom, family reunions, and more. January, February, and late July are the least expensive months to rent a bus transportation because of winter weather and the end of summer. Book your trip at least 3-6 months in advance to get the best deal on your bus rental. BeeLine promises competitive rates on bus availability.
Factor 3: Your Route’s Travel Fees
Some destinations may include toll roads, parking permits, and other additional travel fees. Since BCT doesn’t include these in our initial quotes, you will be required to pay these additional fees as they occur. If needed, contact the hotels and venues on your itinerary for motor coach parking information. If your hotel choice does not include on-site parking for the motorcoach, you will have to pay for offsite parking, or your driver may have to find lodging that does have on-site parking. By booking your travel plans and destination(s) well in advance, it will allow our friendly staff to research for these "unexpected" travel fees. On some of the popular destinations that we frequently go to, BCT may be able to provide group discounts for lodging and other group activities that could grant you even more savings and value. Providing as much information about your trip could help us save you money.
Factor 4: Your Drivers’ Shifts and Lodging Requirements
Federal regulations require professional bus drivers to take an 8 hour break after driving 10 consecutive hours. If your itinerary requires more than 10 consecutive hours of driving, the company will need to supply an additional driver. Since safety is our first priority, your group will be safer with well-rested drivers. For overnight trips, BCT will ask you to pay for and book your driver’s hotel. Otherwise, BCT will include a charge for our driver's lodging. Most hotels offer discounted or free rooms for drivers when you book a group reservation. Ask the hotel’s booking agent about their policies for group lodging when you call.
Factor 5: Amount of Passengers
Fill as many seats as possible to get the best value out of your bus. The more seats you fill with passengers on your bus, the less it will cost per person. For example, a group with 50 passengers on a standard 50-passenger bus will pay less per person than a group with only 20 passengers. If your goal is maximum passenger comfort, then you might want to plan to have less passengers than the seating capacity of the bus you will be on. It is highly recommended but not mandatory to leave a few seats empty when planning your trip for unplanned guests and/or unplanned storage. You will be paying for the cost of the vehicle, time, mileage, and driver regardless of the amount of passengers on your trip.
Top 5 Ways to Save on Your Bus Rental
Now that you know what factors increase and decrease the cost of charter bus rentals, you’re ready to call for quotes.
Keep these top 6 tips in mind to keep your costs low:
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Create a detailed itinerary with every stop along the way so there are no charges for additional mileage.
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Book your trip early as possible- in some cases, up to 2 years in advance for popular months.
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Cost can be reduced by chartering a bus close to the same location as your first pickup and last drop off point.
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Call your hotel and venues to find out about bus parking and other permits before your trip begins.
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Ask your hotel booking agent about a discounted or free room for your bus driver when you book a group reservation.
Every trip is unique. The only way to know how much your travel will cost is to speak to a knowledgeable bus reservation specialist. We will use the details of your itinerary to provide you with a quickest, accurate quote possible.