Charter Bus Prices: How to Calculate Your Cleveland Bus Rental Costs

Planning your trip’s budget is just as important as planning where you’ll go and when you’ll get there. So, before you embark on your next group trip in Cleveland, here’s a guide to help you determine what you can expect to pay for your trip!

Please note that no price is one-size-fits-all, and that multiple factors will affect the cost of your rental—but we’ll talk more about those in a second. If you’d like an exact quote for your trip, call our reservation specialists at 216-260-0973. But before you call, you can use this chart to estimate what your trip might cost:

Type of Bus	Per Hour	Per Day	Per Mile
Charter Bus	$130 – $185	$1,400 –$1,800	$4.50 – $5.75
Minibus	$130 - $165	$1,300 - $1,550	$4.00 - $5.50

How We Calculate Your Bus Rental Price

Like we said before, no price is one-size-fits-all. Here are a few factors that will influence the cost of your bus rental:

• Season: Charter bus rentals are most expensive in April, May, and June. A spike in demand in these months is often caused by an increase in trips for graduations, summer vacations, and other school-related events. Other large events like Cleveland’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade in March or Cleveland Beer Week in October may also increase your rental price.
• Group Size: Large groups will, of course, need larger buses than small groups, and larger buses will cost more than minibuses. We always recommend checking with your group and securing your number of passengers before you call to book your bus so that you don’t accidentally pay for seats you don’t need.
• Trip Length: How you’re charged will depend on how long you need your bus. For example: short day trips within Cleveland might be charged per hour, while multi-day charter bus rentals to Columbus or other nearby cities might be charged per day or per mile.
  *Please note that there is a 5-hour minimum charge on all trips regardless of their duration.
• Amenities: Some amenities may come at an additional charge, such as on-board restrooms or TVs with DVD players. Let your reservation specialist know if you’d like to request any features so that you can be prepared for a slight upcharge.

What Isn’t Included in My Quote?

Here are some additional expenses that you’ll be responsible for:

• Road tolls
• Parking passes
• Driver hotel (if your trip spans multiple days)
• Driver tip (not required, but we recommend tipping your driver 5-10% of the total trip cost)

Trip Examples

With all of the above factors in mind, here are some pricing examples for a few different types of trips we can service:

Shuttling Wedding Guests

A bride, Chelsea, has planned for a wedding ceremony and reception at The Madison on Payne Avenue in May, but the wedding guests will be staying at the Hilton Garden Inn downtown, which is about 2 miles away. Instead of asking guests to drive themselves and designate drivers, Chelsea books a 25-passenger minibus to help shuttle her wedding party and her 100 guests to and from the venue. The shuttle will run at intervals before the ceremony and during the reception so that guests can arrive early and leave for the hotel when they’re ready to wrap up the party.

Total: For a total of 6 hours, the minibus costs $990 to rent for the wedding. A $70 tip for the driver brings the total to $1,060.

Keeping Corporate Events Organized

Megan is planning a 2-day corporate event in August at the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland, and most of the attendees will be staying at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown, the Drury Plaza Hotel, and the Hampton Inn Cleveland-Downtown. Megan decides to book an *ADA-accessible charter bus so that guests with mobility concerns won’t need to worry about how they’ll get to the event. The shuttle will run on a loop between the 3 hotels and the convention center and will also help ensure that guests arrive at the correct entrance of the convention center.

Total: For a 2-day rental of a 56-passenger charter bus, Megan receives a quote of $3,000. A 6% driver tip brings the total cost to $3,180.

*ADA-accessible buses are available by request at no additional charge.  

Tailgating with the Cleveland Browns

A group of 20 Browns superfans want to tailgate at the next home game at FirstEnergy Stadium. They decide to book a 25-passenger minibus so that they’ll have some extra room for coolers, a tent, and a TV on the bus. The group plans to meet at the home of Alexis in Akron, about 40 minutes away from FirstEnergy Stadium. After the game, their driver will take them back to Alexis’s house. After discussing the trip with a reservation specialist, Alexis decides to rent the minibus for a total of 9 hours.

Total: A 9-hour rental is quoted at $1350, and Alexis plans to tip the driver 7% (about $100). $1450 divided by 20 people comes to $72.50 per person.

Booking Your Cleveland Bus Rental

Have any questions about what your charter bus will cost? Our reservation specialists are always prepared to discuss pricing options, bus options, and any additional amenities you’d like for your Cleveland trip. Give us a call today at (216) 260-0973 to discuss the budget for your next group trip!