Charter Bus Prices: How to Calculate Your Kansas City Bus Rental Costs
Part of planning your Kansas City group trip includes setting your budget and knowing the costs. To get the most accurate price point, contact us today and speak with a reservation representative about your trip, who will provide you with a free quote based on your trip details. Though if you’d like to know more about how we will calculate your costs, this chart details a baseline of prices for our most popular bus models:
| Bus Type | Per Hour | Per Day | Per Mile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charter Bus | $148 – $160 | $1,490 – $1,930 | $5.25 – $6.50 |
| Minibus | $148 – $190 | $1,460 – $1,815 | $5.00 – $6.25 |
Please note that the above table is just an estimate of Kansas City bus rental price expectations at any given point throughout the year. Your quote will depend on a variety of factors, such as seasonal demand and other factors outlined below. Hourly rentals must be rented for a minimum of five hours, and may be subjected to extra fees for mile overages.
How We Calculate The Cost of Your Charter Bus Rental
- Time of Year: The demand for charter bus rentals in Kansas City can vary throughout the year, with the highest demand being between April and June. This time of year is very popular for school events like graduations, dances, and field trips. Also, you’ll want to consider booking a bus rental in advance of major holidays or city events, like sporting events, parades, and conventions.
- Number of Passengers: Before booking your bus, it’s best to have a firm number or close estimate of how many people you’ll need to arrange transportation for. Larger charter bus models tend to be more expensive than smaller minibuses, and depending on your headcount, you may need more than one bus.
- Distance/Time Traveled: Your overall mileage or time on the road will affect how your rate should be calculated. Typically, short, local trips are priced per hour with a 5-hour minimum while long-distance trips are more likely to be priced by the day or mile.
- Miscellaneous Costs: There may be some small costs that accrue during your trip, such as road tolls and parking fees that are specific to your trip. If you’re planning an overnight or multi-day trip, you’ll also need to account for your driver’s hotel accommodations to ensure they are well-rested for the drive. A driver’s tip isn’t required, however, it’s industry standard to tip your charter bus driver 5-10% of the cost for a job well done.
Applying these factors to your specific trip can help to give you a general expectation of what your trip will cost. To get an even better idea of what to expect, the examples below are based on trips that Kansas City Charter Bus Company has had the pleasure of servicing in the past:
Planning a Kansas City Beer & BBQ Tour and Birthday Party!
A group of friends and family from Topeka are planning a trip to Kansas City for a birthday celebration, and the party-goers want to sample some of the best brews and barbeques in town with a professional, designated driver at the wheel. Their group of 18 will leave Topeka at 10 am on Saturday, June 24, arriving in the city just in time for lunch. They plan to visit and indulge at three local joints—Arthur Bryant’s Barbecue, Hawg Jaw Que and Brew, and Boulevard Brewing Company—before heading home in the evening at 7 pm.
Their Kansas City Charter Bus Company reservation representative recommends an 18-passenger minibus, but a 20-passenger minibus is also an option if they want a little extra space at a slightly higher price point. For their 10-hour trip during the busier spring season, they’re looking at $1,900 for an 18-passenger bus and $2,000 for a 20-passenger bus, which comes out to $105/person or $111/person, respectively. They also leave a 5% driver’s tip for a safe and successful trip.
Catching a Royals Game at The K with Colleagues
A small company in the Financial District is celebrating a highly successful second quarter with a corporate event at a KC Royals game! They’ve rented a lounge for up to 50 people at Kauffman Stadium on Friday, September 1. The game is scheduled to start at 7:10 pm, so they would like to arrive around 6 pm to mingle before the first pitch. Their bus driver will pick them up from the office at 5:15 pm to accommodate a possibly longer travel time due to rush hour and game day traffic and they will plan to return around midnight.
The reservation representative recommended a 56-passenger charter bus for the trip because it will fit everyone comfortably, especially if they have to spend extra time sitting in traffic. They are planning to reserve bus rental services for about 7 hours so the cost of their bus rental is quoted at $1,610. They also had some trip-related expenses not included in their quote, including an Oversize Vehicle Parking pass for $40, and a 10% tip for the driver for transporting everyone safely to and from the game.
Organizing the Annual Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium Field Trip
A Kansas City middle school science department plans an annual end-of-the-school-year field trip to the Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium for a total of 140 students. They need field trip transportation for seven classrooms of students, plus four teachers and 10 chaperones. The trip is planned for Thursday, May 4, and they want to arrive by 8:30 am. They want to leave the school by 8 am and have students back at school no later than 2 pm so they can travel home or attend after-school activities on time.
Since the school is transporting 154 people, the reservation representative recommends three 56-passenger buses for the trip. With an hourly rate of $230 per hour, per bus rental, for six hours, the trip is quoted at $4,140, or $27 per passenger.