Why Hire a Charter Bus?

Top 9 Things to Know Most of the web sites that you will come across on the internet happen to be networks or national brokers that will typically add a commission of up to 25% to the total cost of your trip.

1. You can avoid this by checking with the Federal Motor Coach Safety Administration.
   They have what is called a Safer Company Snapshot that will let you know which charter buses are owned by which company as well as letting you know what the safety rating for a particular company is and even what their insurance and inspection status is.
   
2. In the United States and Canada there are around 3,200 regional and local bus companies.
   There are not any national services that are bus owners.
   
3. 450 of those companies have obtained certification from the Department of Defense.
   To do this they must go through quite a rigorous process.
   
4. While the airline industry might have web sites that will compare rates from multiple companies simultaneously, there is no such site for the charter bus industry.
   The best option here is to call each company individually.
   
5. Prices do not have a tendency to rise as the date of travel draws near or when there happens to be low availability.
   
6. On average, the deposit to secure a reservation is 22 percent, that being said, the current trend is that all of the payment must be made at the time of the reservation.
   
7. It is illegal for a driver to drive over 10 hours once they have had 8 consecutive hours of being off duty.
   
8. In general pricing is hourly for use locally.
   For trips that will average up to 300 miles daily, the rates will be charged by the mile.
   
9. You can find the customer service ratings for most companies at the Better Business Bureau.
   

Things to Ask

1. For longer trips - once the destination has been reached, how many miles are allowed locally and if those miles are exceeded what is the fee?
2. Does the price that is quoted include tolls and parking?
3. What is the policy for cancellations?
4. Who is responsible for the hotel room and food for the driver and is there a set gratuity for the driver of the company?
5. In the event there is a breakdown, what is the procedure?

Hiring a charter bus can mean that a lot of the stress of traveling is taken off of you.
Now you can just sit back and enjoy the trip.