Party & Charter Bus Prices: How to Calculate Your Charlotte Bus Rental Costs

With experience and a commitment to exceptional service, Charlotte Party Bus Company is your trusted partner for group transportation. The cost of renting a party bus or charter bus in Charlotte varies based on factors like passenger count, trip duration, and vehicle type. However, our team makes it easy to find the perfect vehicle for your needs and budget. Whether you’re planning a wedding, corporate event, or sporting event, we offer a wide selection of buses to choose from. Get an instant quote tailored to your specific requirements by calling 984-208-0198 or using our 24/7 online booking tool. Our reservations specialists are available to provide real-time pricing and availability for vehicles in your area. With Charlotte Party Bus Company, you can trust that you’re getting the best value for your money. Contact us today to start planning your next group transportation experience and enjoy a stress-free ride with our professional and reliable service.

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Here are some estimated price ranges to get you started planning your budget:

Hourly Rates
Vehicles	Hourly Minium Prices
Limousines
6 Passenger Limousine	$ 155-265 per hour
8 Passenger Limousine	$ 155-265 per hour
10 Passenger Limousine	$ 155-265 per hour
14 Passenger Limousine	$ 155-285 per hour
16 Passenger Limousine	$ 155-335 per hour
18 Passenger Limousine	$ 155-335 per hour
20 Passenger Limousine	$ 200-335 per hour
Coach Buses
18 Passenger Mini Bus	$155-300 per hour
20 Passenger Minibus	$155-300 per hour
25 Passenger Mini Bus	$155-320 per hour
50 Passenger Coach Bus	$195-400 per hour
56 Passenger Charter Bus	$195-400 per hour
School Bus Rental	$185-350 per hour
Party Limo Buses
14 Passenger Sprinter Party Bus	$185-355 per hour
15 Passenger Party Bus	$185-355 per hour
20 Passenger Party Bus	$235-355 per hour
30 Passenger Party Bus	$295-400 per hour
35 Passenger Party Bus	$295-400 per hour
40 Passenger Party Bus	$295-440 per hour
50 Passenger Party Bus	$300-500 per hour

The pricing listed above are just estimated rates and can vary significantly based due to COVID, inflation, and availability. To get more accurate pricing based on your trip, please give us a call and we’ll get you a quote right over the phone.

How Your Cost is Calculated

The cost of a bus rental depends on several key factors. These include the size of the bus, features and amenities, duration of the rental, mileage, and more. We take all of these details into account when providing you with a custom price quote. The price also varies based on the exact vehicle, as we partner with various high-quality transportation companies. Below we will break down each factor that goes into determining your bus rental rate. By understanding what impacts the pricing, you can better plan your trip and budget. With our user-friendly online quote tool, you can easily customize your rental and see real-time pricing.

Trip Mileage and Hours

When preparing your quote, we first consider how far and how long you’ll be traveling. Buses are rented hourly, daily, or by mileage depending on the trip. For travel within Charlotte, you’ll likely pay an hourly rate with a minimum number of hours. If visiting Carowinds amusement park, Bank of America Stadium, Discovery Place Science, or the NASCAR Hall of Fame downtown, we’d charge $100 per hour with a 4 hour minimum. For longer trips like heading to the Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville, or the coastline beaches, pricing is usually determined by mileage or daily rates. A weekend trip to Wilmington would be around $1500 per day. No matter where your group adventures take you, we work to provide upfront competitive pricing with complete transparency on all charges.

When Your Trip Takes Place

Bus rental prices fluctuate depending on the season. Rates spike from March to June when grads celebrate and schools take field trips. Prices also increase in autumn when crowds flock for football games and leaf peeping. Conversely, winter and midsummer see lower demand, making January, February and July the most budget-friendly times to book. Know Charlotte’s calendar to strategically plan your trip. For example, accommodations citywide sell out quickly when the CIAA basketball tournament hits town in late February. And it’s tough to find an available bus when the Carolina Panthers play home games on Sundays in the fall. Booking your transportation at least 3-6 months out guarantees the best fares no matter when you want to travel.

Beginning and Final Destinations

The availability of charter buses depends on the city. Larger cities like Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and Durham have more buses because of higher demand. Smaller towns may have limited supply. We have buses positioned across North Carolina to serve every city and town. The starting and ending locations also impact the “deadhead” costs – the miles and time needed to bring the bus to the starting point and return it afterwards. For example, a one way trip from Charlotte to Asheville is about 115 miles. The actual mileage charged includes the deadhead miles for our bus to reach Charlotte at the start, and return to our facility afterwards. The further the starting and ending points, the higher the deadhead costs factored into your quote. Providing the exact pickup and dropoff addresses helps us calculate the most accurate price.

Type and Number of Buses

We offer a range of buses like party buses, minibuses, entertainer coaches, motorcoaches, and charter buses. Prices are based on size — a 56-passenger motorcoach costs more per hour than a 20-passenger minibus. Minibuses run $100-200 less with their smaller size and lack of bathroom and storage. Best for short trips under 35 people. Party buses fit 20-30 and have fun extras like lighting and sound systems, so prices are similar to full-sized buses. Entertainer buses hold 8-12 passengers and have luxury amenities like master suites and kitchens, so they cost more. School buses lack restrooms, long-distance travel ability, and amenities like WiFi, so they usually cost less. The number of passengers also impacts overall price – having more passengers splits the cost, while fewer passengers pay more each. Compare all bus types and pricing to find the best fit. Focus on passenger count and amenities needed for your trip distance and budget.

How to Keep Costs Down

Book your bus rental early, ideally 3-6 months in advance, to lock in the best rates and ensure availability. Consider the per person cost when calculating totals, as splitting the rental across all passengers often makes buses very economical. Finalize your passenger count ahead of time so you don’t pay for unused seats or require an upgrade later on. Avoid event weekends like CIAA Tournament, Food Lion Speed Street, Taste of Charlotte, and Speedweeks when demand surges. Routes requiring tolls or parking fees can add costs, so opt for a team familiar with the area who can navigate those. Stadium events lead to high traffic and parking limitations, so factor extra time and plan meetup points. Following these tips will help you keep your Charlotte bus rental affordable for any group outing.

Get a Quote For Your Charlotte Bus Rental

Getting a fast quote for your Charlotte bus rental is easy with Charlotte Party Bus Company. Simply call 984-208-0198 or use our online booking tool to receive an instant price estimate tailored to your specific needs—specify the date, start and end locations, passenger count, and any special amenities you require. Within seconds our system will crunch the numbers and provide a quote for your review. Prefer to speak with a live booking agent? No problem, our experts are standing by 7 days a week to walk through options and provide a custom quote over the phone. We know booking transportation for large groups can feel overwhelming. Let our simple quoting process take the stress out of event planning. With real-time pricing at your fingertips, you can easily compare vehicles, weigh costs and extras, and reserve your ideal bus rental hassle-free. Every year we organize shuttles and transportation for thousands of events and groups—no matter if you have a party of 10 or 10,000, our team will form a customized itinerary specific to your transportation needs.

Sample Trip Quotes

To give you a ballpark idea, here are some sample quotes for requests we’ve gotten from our customers:

Example #1:

A middle school teacher in Charlotte is planning a field trip for her 7th grade students to tour a local university campus and learn more about college life. She contacts the university’s admissions office to inquire about a student group campus tour and is quoted $250 per hour for a private guided walking tour with an admission counselor, with a 2 hour minimum booking. With 30 students signed up for the trip, the cost per student would be $250 ÷ 30 students = $8.33 per student. The teacher decides to book a 3 hour tour so students have plenty of time to ask questions and explore some of the main highlights of campus. The total cost quoted is $250 per hour x 3 hours = $750. With the 30 student group, this works out to $25 per student for the educational campus tour experience.

Example #2:

A large bank in Charlotte is planning their annual corporate retreat for 250 employees. They want to arrange group transportation to offsite team building activities. Given the size of their group, they decide to rent 4 56-passenger charter buses for the day at a rate of $250 per hour. The company rents the charter buses for 10 hours, from 8AM to 6PM, so their total rental cost comes out to $10,000. This covers transportation to and from a local ropes course in the morning, lunch at a nice restaurant across town, and an afternoon volunteering event. With 4 buses, each employee has a comfortable seat. The total cost per person is only $40. At the end of the successful retreat, the bank decides to tip 10%, adding $1,000 to the total cost. In all, they spend $11,000 on Charlotte charter bus rentals for their 250 employees. The charter buses provide reliable transportation so their employees can fully enjoy the retreat.

Example #3:

The coach of a youth baseball team in Charlotte wants to reward his players with a fun day trip to Carowinds amusement park at the end of their summer season. There are 12 players on the team, ranging from ages 10-12. The coach rents a 25-passenger minibus for the day to transport the team. He books the rental for 10 hours, from 8 AM when they depart until 6 PM when they return, at a rate of $250 per hour. This comes out to $2,500 for the base rental cost. The coach also pre-pays for the team’s park admission tickets so they can skip lines and get unlimited fast passes once inside. With park ticket fees and taxes, the total cost is $3,100. The coach tips 15% at the end of the day for a total of $3,565 spent treating his championship baseball team to a fun day at Carowinds.

Example #4:

A group of 10 friends from Charlotte decide to rent a party bus for a bachelorette party. They find a 20 passenger party bus for $200 per hour with a 4 hour minimum. They decide to rent the bus from 6pm to 2am so they can bar hop in Uptown Charlotte. The total rental time is 8 hours at $200 per hour which comes out to $1,600. They also add a 10% tip for their team which is $160. The total cost of the party bus rental comes out to $1,760 to shuttle the 10 friends around uptown for a bachelorette party.

Example #5:

A couple is having their wedding in Charlotte and expects about 100 guests. They decide to rent a party bus for the bridal party of 16 people to take them from the hotel to the wedding venue, then on to the reception hall afterwards. They choose a 20 passenger party bus for 4 hours at $250 per hour, for a total of $1,000. This comes out to $62.50 per person. The couple really wants to treat their bridal party so they select a bus with leather seats, rainbow lights, onboard restroom, Bluetooth sound system and mini bar. For the reception, they rent a 47 passenger coach bus to shuttle guests back and forth from nearby hotels. Guests appreciate not worrying about driving or parking. The couple rents the bus for 5 hours at $280 per hour, adding $1,400. They tip 15% for a total bill of $1,610. Having transportation covered takes a huge task off the couple’s plate so they can relax and enjoy their special day with friends and family.