A full-size charter bus (56 passengers) rents for $145–$325 per hour across the 11 US metros we cover, with a 5-hour minimum and full days running $1,400–$3,000. Minibuses (25–35 seats) run $120–$250 per hour and sprinter vans (up to 14) $105–$210 per hour. Hours, miles, the day and how far the bus has to travel to reach you are what move the number.
Get my exact price →| Vehicle | Seats | Per hour | Minimum | Full day (10 h) | Typical local trip (5 h) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motorcoach (charter bus) | 49–56 | $145–$325 | 5 h | $1,400–$3,000 | $725–$1,625 |
| Minibus | 25–35 | $120–$250 | 5 h | $1,100–$2,250 | $600–$1,250 |
| Sprinter van | up to 14 | $105–$210 | 4 h | $950–$1,800 | $420–$840 |
Typical published ranges. Excludes driver gratuity (10–20%), tolls, parking and airport or venue fees; fuel is included on local trips and peak dates can run 10–20% higher. Your instant quote is one all-in price for your exact trip. Long-distance and one-way trips are priced on miles instead — roughly $6.50–$8.00 per mile for a motorcoach — and you pay whichever basis is higher.
Rates updated September 2026
Local trips are billed by the hour from the time the bus leaves for your pickup until it is back. Longer runs flip to a per-mile rate. Operators charge whichever total is higher, which is why a 3-hour, 200-mile transfer costs more than 3 × the hourly rate.
Coaches and minibuses carry a 5-hour minimum, vans 4 hours. A 90-minute airport drop still bills the minimum, so short trips cost the same as a half day — plan your schedule to use the block.
The bus has to get from its garage to you and back. Operators build that empty mileage into the price. A pickup 40 miles from the nearest bus base costs more than the same trip starting near it — one reason city-centre quotes beat rural ones.
Saturdays in May and June (weddings, graduations), convention weeks, holiday weekends and game days run 10–20% above the ranges here because every bus in the market is spoken for. Tuesdays in February are the opposite.
A 56-seat coach with restroom, Wi-Fi and luggage bays costs more per hour than a minibus but far less per seat. ADA lift equipment, executive interiors and SPAB-certified school coaches sit above the base range.
Tours are priced per day, and any overnight adds the driver's hotel and federal hours-of-service limits (a driver may drive 10 hours in a 15-hour duty day). A second driver is added on long days rather than pushing the limit.
Hotel to ceremony, ceremony to reception, one late return. $600–$1,250 plus gratuity. Two minibuses on a loop usually beat one coach when the venue has a narrow drive.
Office pickup, a day at the venue, return after dinner. $1,160–$2,600, or about $21–$46 per person with a full coach — less than parking downtown.
Early departure, museum or campus visit, back by the last bell. $1,400–$3,000 for the day; SPAB-certified coaches in California price toward the top of the range.
Ranges below are the live house rates our engine quotes from in each market. Click through for the local cost guide, which covers that city's venues, tolls, airport rules and seasonal peaks.
| Market | Motorcoach / hr | Minibus / hr | Motorcoach day | Local guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin Metro | $155–$240 | $130–$185 | $1,500–$2,300 | Cost guide → |
| Bay Area | $190–$275 | $150–$215 | $1,900–$2,750 | Cost guide → |
| Dallas–Fort Worth | $150–$235 | $125–$180 | $1,400–$2,200 | Cost guide → |
| Greater Los Angeles | $175–$260 | $140–$205 | $1,700–$2,500 | Cost guide → |
| Houston Metro | $145–$230 | $125–$175 | $1,400–$2,200 | Cost guide → |
| Las Vegas Metro | $165–$250 | $135–$195 | $1,500–$2,300 | Cost guide → |
| New York Metro | $195–$325 | $165–$250 | $1,900–$3,000 | Cost guide → |
| Orlando Metro | $150–$240 | $120–$180 | $1,400–$2,300 | Cost guide → |
| Phoenix Metro | $150–$230 | $125–$180 | $1,400–$2,200 | Cost guide → |
| Sacramento / Central Valley | $165–$235 est. | $135–$185 est. | $1,650–$2,350 est. | Cost guide → |
| Washington DC Metro | $160–$250 | $130–$190 | $1,550–$2,400 | Cost guide → |
est. = estimated from regional pricing where few local sources publish rates.
Driver gratuity (10–20% is customary), tolls, parking and airport or venue access fees are billed at cost on top of every charter in the US, from any company. Overnight trips add the driver's hotel. Fuel is included on local trips; very long tours may carry a fuel line. When you compare quotes, compare the all-in total with these lines included — a low hourly rate with fees behind it is the oldest trick in the business.
A Thursday or Sunday version of a Saturday trip is often 10–15% cheaper, and off-season months cheaper still.
If you are paying for 5 hours anyway, add the second stop instead of booking a separate transfer.
Thirty people on a 56-seat coach pay for 26 empty seats. A minibus costs less per hour; two minibuses give you flexibility a coach cannot.
Starting near a transit hub or operator base trims deadhead. Ask where the bus is based — our quotes already prefer the closest operator.
Early enough that buses are available, late enough that operators still want the work. Peak dates: 3–6 months.
An instant, itemised, all-in price lets you compare like for like and skips the back-and-forth with three sales desks.
A 56-passenger motorcoach runs $145–$325 per hour depending on the city, with a 5-hour minimum on most trips. Minibuses run $120–$250 per hour and sprinter vans $105–$210 per hour (4-hour minimum). The rate includes the driver and, on local trips, fuel.
A full 10-hour day on a motorcoach costs $1,400–$3,000 across our markets; a minibus day is $1,100–$2,250 and a sprinter van day $950–$1,800. Multi-day trips are priced per day, and overnight trips add the driver's hotel.
Plan on $725–$1,625 for a 5-hour local trip and $1,400–$3,000 for a full day. Split across 56 riders, an 8-hour day works out to about $21–$46 per person — usually the cheapest way to move a large group.
Minibuses (25–35 seats) run $120–$250 per hour with a 5-hour minimum, so a short local run starts around $600–$1,250 and a full day is $1,100–$2,250. They are the right call when a coach would run half empty or the venue has tight access.
Sprinter vans (up to 14 passengers) run $105–$210 per hour with a 4-hour minimum, or $950–$1,800 for a full day. Airport runs, executive shuttles and small wedding parties are the typical use.
No. Charter pricing in the US excludes driver gratuity, and 10–20% of the trip total is customary. Tolls, parking and airport or venue fees are also billed at cost on top of the rate. Your instant quote shows the trip price; add gratuity to your budget.
Operators price hours and miles differently, add deadhead (the empty drive from their garage to your pickup) differently, and some quote a low base rate then add fees. Compare all-in totals, not hourly rates, and confirm what happens if the trip runs long. Our quote is one all-in number from a vetted operator whose bus is based near your pickup.
Four to eight weeks for ordinary dates; three to six months for peak dates such as graduation weekends, major conventions, holiday weekends and big-game days, when buses sell out and prices climb. Last-minute bookings are possible but you pay for whatever is left.
Pick a weekday, keep the day inside the minimum-hours block, choose a pickup close to where buses are based so there is little deadhead, right-size the vehicle to your headcount, and book through a marketplace that shows you an all-in price up front so you are not surprised by fees later.
One all-in number from a vetted local operator — no obligation, no sales call.