When you search for a bus charter or rental bus company online, you likely will get links to online bus directories. These directories will include any bus-owning transportation company willing to pay them for a listing. However, they don’t take into account the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) ratings. In these directories, you will often find companies with a conditional or unsatisfactory rating; and not just those with satisfactory ratings.
If you’re not a transportation industry insider, you probably don’t realize that you can do further research into the DOT reports and learn a vehicle’s rating. These directories are paid for by advertisers and the data contained within is not necessarily harvested with the safety and well-being of the consumer in mind.
Metropolitan Shuttle consults constantly with the FMCSA SAFER database to confirm the DOT records of bus operators scheduled for upcoming trips. We also confirm insurance certificates. Your Metropolitan Shuttle account representative can provide you with copies of the relevant reports and certificates for the buses and/or operators being used on your trip.
Typically, buses are rented for a minimum of four or five hours of use (with occasional exceptions). A 55-passenger standard executive charter bus is usually between $450 and $650, but could be up to $700 depending on location and circumstances. There will be charges of $110 to $130 per additional hour, depending on location. This is a question we get a lot, so we wrote an article about it. Please refer to the article “How Much Does it Cost to Charter a Bus?” on our blog to learn more. Your Metropolitan Shuttle® account executive will be happy to assist you with a quote for your specific trip.
Indeed, bus charter prices seem to be all over the place. Remember that old adage that you get what you pay for? Well, it sure does hold true in this industry. Should you receive a better quote than the quote provided by Metropolitan Shuttle®, please let us know and we’ll do everything possible to negotiate a better rate for you. Remember, we are here to work for you!
No. Our service is strictly a charter service where you rent the bus for your group’s exclusive use.
Metropolitan Shuttle has an after-hours, 24/7 emergency number just for such occasions. Please call 1-866-920-7124 for immediate assistance.
Most charter services have four- or five-hour minimums on vehicle rentals. Therefore, if your event is from 9am to 5pm and you’re booking a vehicle for transportation both to and from, it could cost the same amount to keep the vehicle for the day as it would to have it leave and come back for the return trip. However, there are occasions when we can offer special one-way transfer rates to accommodate those types of circumstances.
Yes, most buses have air conditioning. School buses usually do not.
Typically, the client will be responsible for booking the driver’s room on overnight trips. Often, if you ask, hotels will add a complimentary room for the driver when you book rooms for a large group.
The sooner, the better. Buses are reserved on a first come, first served basis and can sell out fast during busy times.
Minibuses are not designed for long-distance travel. They are much lower to the ground and therefore far less comfortable for passengers travelling on the highway. Few, if any, operators will allow their minibuses to travel much more than 100 miles out of a given city.
Absolutely not.
Policies vary from operator to operator. Alcohol often is allowed; however, a refundable security deposit may be required in order to bring alcohol on board. Please consult with your account executive should you wish to bring alcohol on your trip.
Deluxe charter buses will typically have four to six video monitors. Minibuses will have 1-3.
Our website shows examples of what the buses that we typically offer for charter look like. Your Metropolitan Shuttle account executive can provide the specifics of the bus you’ll be getting for your particular event.
Yes, we can provide ADA Accessible buses. Please consult with your account executive to discuss your specific needs.
Absolutely. Please consult with your account executive to discuss the details.