Party Bus Prices: How Much Is a Party Bus Rental?

Party Bus Pricing Breakdown

After booking more than 50,000 trips, we’ve worked to uphold the highest level of customer service in the industry. And while we wish we could give you a one-size-fits-all answer, party bus prices vary based on many different factors. To help you get started planning your budget, we’ve put together some estimated party bus pricing. Please note, your total quote may vary depending:

* Prices may vary greatly in your city and state. Due to the impact of COVID-19 and inflation, all rental prices shown are past estimates. Actual pricing may be significantly higher depending on availability and location. To get real-time pricing, call us 866-265-5479 or use our online quote tool.

What are the Factors Influencing Party Bus Rental Pricing?

Your final price for renting a party bus comes down to a variety of factors—and these factors are not so straightforward! If you’re unfamiliar with bus rental services, this process can be tricky to grasp. For example, the duration of your trip and when you are traveling play major roles in determining cost. Weekend rentals are more expensive than weekday rentals, spring rentals during the prom busy season cost more than spring trips, and if you're making a long-distance journey, it'll cost more than a quick trip. Your total cost is a combination of these factors. You can always reach our reservation specialists to get a personalized quote, but having some background information can be helpful during the booking process.

The Type of Vehicle & Amenities On-Board

The most obvious difference that will influence your rental cost is what type of bus you’ll need to book, along with what special amenities you need on board. A smaller party bus can typically seat between 10 to 20 passengers, while some of the larger options in our network can accommodate over 40 people. Luxury buses, which may have features like wraparound leather seating, hardwood flooring, and more, will come at a higher price than more standard bus models. And as you can imagine, newer nicer buses will cost more than older models. On newer party buses, you may find additional amenities like Bluetooth speakers, Smart TVs and more that older models don’t always have. You can easily price shop all our different options right from your phone — just fill out our online quote tool to see the different options.

Pro Tip: There are also many different party bus builders with different interior configurations. Some are fancier — and more expensive — while some are more standard. The most common builders are Tiffany Coachworks, Grech Motors, LGE, Pinnacle, Executive Coach Builders, LA Custom Coach and Krystal. You can learn more about what each of their buses look like in our party bus rental guide.

Your Trip Itinerary

Before you call our team for your quote, you’ll want to nail down the itinerary and finalize as many of the details as you can. That way, we’re able to give you a better quote! Short trips in or around a city will usually be priced hourly. For example, if you want a quick ride from your corporate HQ in Los Angeles to top golf in San Diego, we’ll likely charge an hourly rate. In general, bus companies have a minimum number of hours to rent for — around 3 or 4 — but we can get you special packages for less time! Longer trips, including those across state lines, will most likely be priced by the day or per mile depending on the bus company’s standard practices. Your representative will be able to answer any questions about how your group’s distance, duration, and number of stops can affect your party bus pricing.

Pro Tip: Price4Limo offers a variety of packages from one-ways to hourly rentals to multiple-day reservations and much much more. Since we work with over 5,000 local limo and bus companies, booking thousands of trips every year, we can offer you more flexibility and better price packages than any one single company.

The Day of the Week

Weekend rentals (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) are generally more expensive than those booked on weekdays (Monday-Thursday). When there's less demand for a party bus, like during weekdays (and as long as you aren’t booking around a special event like Formula 1 in Houston or a holiday), you’ll often be charged a lower price. On the other hand, on Friday and Saturday nights when there’s a higher demand for buses and shuttle services—companies usually raise the minimum rental hour limit and charge an increased rate per hour to meet that demand. If your celebration can be rescheduled to a day earlier in the week, consider celebrating Tuesday or Wednesday to get the best rate.

Pro Tip: Every highschool in the USA holds their prom on Fridays and Satrudays from April to June (and there are more than 27,000 total high schools in the country!). This is the busiest and most expensive time to rent a party bus and we very very heavily advise you to book early if you have an event during this time. THis will help you get the best rates and avoid running into any sold out dates.

Time of Day

Looking to save a few bucks on your party bus rental? Try booking a daytime trip! Because party buses are so popular for nights out, weddings, bachelor/ette parties, and concerts—most companies charge higher hourly rates during the evening (past 6pm) to meet the demand. Fridays and Saturday nights are typically when party bus companies see the highest volume of requests, so you're almost guaranteed a higher price when reserving a ride during peak weekend times. Certain days throughout the week, like a Monday or Wednesday afternoon, may even come with a reduced minimum number of rental hours required for your reservation.

Pro Tip: You may not be able to change your schedule to get a cheaper rate for events like a concert or a sporting event with set times—but an outing to a winery or birthday trip could be more affordable in the daytime.

The Time of Year

The cost of party bus rentals is typically higher during April to June, and September to November. The “off-season” is considered December to March and July to August — but this can change depending on where you are located. In New York City, the summer months are actually much busier and see many couples hosting their weddings. Why? Well, the North is covered in snow during the fall/winter months so many people have to hold-off on their weddings until things warm up.

We always recommend booking as far in advance as possible—so your group can get the best possible rate for the type of bus that works for you, especially for busy travel months. If your celebration is scheduled for off-peak season, you may want to consider booking three months in advance to ensure the most availability, but if you’re celebrating during busier seasons, it’s better to book at least six months out!

Your Pickup & Drop Off City

You also have to consider where the party bus is coming from. In most cases, a party bus company has a dispatch garage, or “depot” where their buses are kept when they are not in use. If you need the company to send a party bus to a location further from the depot, then the cost of your rental could be higher. This is due to extra costs incurred from additional fuel, the driver’s mileage, and their travel time to get to the pickup location. This expense is called “deadhead” or garage to garage charges. Your final bill may include fees associated with driving from the company's garage to your pick-up location, in addition to costs incurred after dropping you off at your final destination — however it varies by each company’s individual policies. Check with us beforehand to see how these are reflected on your final invoice, to make sure there are no surprises on the day of the event.

Pro Tip: By working with local companies in every US city, we can often pair you with the closest bus company to your destinations to minimize deadhead costs.

Your Type of Event

Many party bus rental companies offer custom packages for popular types of events, such as proms, bachelor/bachelorette parties, weddings, or birthday celebrations. These packages can make it easy to plan travel for big events and to book a variety of extra services like a dedicated airport pick-up at LAX or additional hours or miles added to your reservation to make stops at different restaurants and clubs throughout the night. Be sure to let your reservation specialist know what kind of event you’re traveling for so you can be paired with the perfect party bus for the occasion, and receive a custom quote with all the information and costs.

Our team has experience servicing all types of events and providing event transportation services of all scales, from wedding shuttles for events with hundreds of attendees to small sports team bus rentals for amateur tournaments. For more specific occasions and needs, check out our group transportation services page.

Any Extra Charges Not Included

There may be a few unexpected costs associated with your party bus rental, which are determined by your bus company’s policies. It’s best to confirm with us ahead of time so we can work with you to help you get the full costs. Some items that may or may note be included are: parking passes, tolls, cleaning fees, and gratuity. To get the most accurate quote, please call 866-265-5479!

Pro Tips For the Best Rates

While there’s a ton of information to consider about how your party bus rental is calculated, there are some easy things you can do to simplify the process and lower your cost:

1. Book early: The sooner you book a party bus for your trip, the better your chances of getting the best rates possible. The prime time to reserve your bus is six months before the departure date.
2. Finalize your travel plans: Stick to your pre-planned itinerary as closely as possible. Making last-minute changes to where you need to go and how many stops you need could make the final price increase. For example, your driver may have to bill you for any additional mileage. This will especially impact rates if you rented by hour rather than by mileage or day.
3. Know your passenger count: The number of travelers in your group determines the type of bus you reserve. Most party bus companies will advise you on the best bus type, but in general, it’s best to fill a bus as completely as possible in order to avoid spending too much on a large bus for a small group of people.
4. Try traveling during the off-season: You are more likely to get cheaper bus rental rates if your trip falls between December and March—or any other month outside the peak travel season and college football game season.
5. Shop around for prices: It’s always good practice to compare rates before finalizing your rental plan. That’s where we’ve got you covered. When you go to book a party bus, Price4Limo gives you access to over 5,000 providers—and we can find a vehicle for your trip in nearly every city and town in the U.S.!
6. Call during non-peak hours: If possible, book your party bus rental early in the day during weekdays. These times are generally slower than evenings and weekends for most providers, and a reservation specialist may have more time to work with your individual needs.

No matter when you call or where you're traveling to, our bus rental quote tool can get you instant quotes and prices for trips in over 1,000 cities across the US!

Get Party Bus Pricing in 30-Seconds With Price4Limo!

No matter what your group needs or how many attendees you need to transport, the Price4Limo team is here to help you arrange group transportation for your event! Whether you need a party bus for a bachelor or bachelorette party or a sprinter bus to shuttle guests to your wedding venue, we have a network of vehicles with the amenities and features to suit any occasion. Our reservation specialists have helped over 50,000 couples, event organizers, companies, and travelers of all types create the perfect transportation solution for their event or group trip. Price4Limo makes booking transportation easier for all parties and keeps every passenger traveling comfortably from start to finish. You can get an online quote in under 30 seconds and book a party bus rental anywhere in the US for trips of any size or kind in under five minutes—it’s really that easy! And if you need more assistance, you can always call us for personalized customer service. Call our reservation specialists today at 866-265-5479 for a quick, free, and estimated quote with no obligation to book!