Charter Bus Prices: How to Calculate Your St. Paul Bus Rental Costs
Are you planning your next budget for your St. Paul group trip? We can help! While calling our customer service team is the best and only way to get the most accurate pricing information for your specific trip, there are a handful of well-known factors that you can consider when choosing group transportation and estimating costs. Read on to understand how St. Paul Charter Bus Company generally prices bus rentals booked through us and creates your personalized quote.
| Bus Type | Per Hour | Per Day | Per Mile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charter Bus | $160 – $230 | $1,620 – $2,100 | $5.75 – $7.20 |
| Minibus | $145 – $200 | $1,500 – $1,920 | $5.00 – $7.00 |
*The prices listed above are just estimates. Rates can vary depending on seasonality and other trip specifications.
**Hourly rentals require a 5-hour minimum and extra charges may incur for mile overages on daily rentals.
St. Paul Charter Bus Pricing Factors
Please note that the pricing table above is just a general guide and your final, quoted price is influenced by a variety of factors. To build your personalized quote, your reservation agent will have to consider:
- Booking Date: When you call to make your reservation has an effect on your quoted price. When you book well in advance of your trip date, you’ll have more availability of bus rentals and more affordable options.
- Trip Dates: The time of year when you’re planning your trip can have an effect on your total cost. If you’re booking a bus during a peak season—like the summer months or holidays—charter buses are in higher demand and tend to be more expensive to rent.
- Trip Duration/Distance: A short, local trip priced by the hour (or mile) will cost less than a longer day trip or multi-day trip. Bus rental services are priced by the hour, day, or mile according to your itinerary.
- Passenger Headcount: Even though you’re not charged per passenger, your total headcount will influence the type of charter bus you need, and buses of different sizes are priced differently. For example, a full-size motorcoach for 56 people costs more to operate than an 18-passenger minibus.
Additionally, the pay for your professional driver, fuel, and full coverage insurance are included in your quote.
Some costs and fees that are not included in your quote include parking fees, road tolls, and lodging for your driver during multi-day trips, so you may want to budget for any possible extra fees based on your particular trip plan. Driver tips are also not included in your quote, but are appreciated. A 5-10% cash tip is welcomed as a way to thank your driver for safe and timely transportation.
If you’re ready to get your free quote, call us at (651) 432-5520 to discuss what you need from a St. Paul charter bus rental service.
Still unsure about what to expect with your bus rental costs? Read the below anecdotes for an idea of how some charter bus service scenarios are priced out.
A Big and Busy Wedding in St. Paul
A bride and groom always wanted to get married at the historic Cathedral of Saint Paul and managed to secure a wedding date on a weekend in June. They also plan to host a lavish reception at the trendy and scenic A’BULAE venue downtown and are expecting about 150 friends and family to attend.
To make sure the big day goes smoothly, the couple wants to reserve private wedding shuttles to transport guests from the hotel block at The Saint Paul Hotel to the cathedral, to the reception at A’BULAE, and then back to the hotel at the end of the celebration. The ceremony starts at the Cathedral at 6 p.m., they want services to start no later than 5 p.m. Shuttles should begin transporting guests from the cathedral to the reception between 7:15 and 7:30 p.m., and then begin shuttling guests back to the hotel starting at 10 p.m. with services ending at 11 p.m.
Based on the couple’s wedding day itinerary and special requests, a St. Paul Charter Bus Company representative recommends reserving two full-size charter bus rentals to handle the bulk of transportation between the cathedral and the reception venue, plus two 25-passenger minibuses to accommodate guests who need to travel to and from the hotel as well. The couple is quoted $4,200 for all four buses (two motorcoaches and two minibuses) for a six hour service. They also set aside a tip of $100 per driver.
The School Field Trip to the Bell Museum
Two teachers from a school in Forest Lake want to transport their middle school students to the Bell Museum for a field trip in May. Each class has 20 students for a total of 40, and they expect to bring two other adult parents aside from themselves as chaperones. They want to depart the school no later than 8:00 a.m. and be back by 2:30 p.m. so the students can catch the bus home or attend extracurricular activities on time.
For the 30-minute trip, a reservation agent recommends a single 56-passenger charter bus to accommodate all students and chaperones. This bus model also includes seat belts, TV screens, and WiFi hotspot to keep kids safe and engaged while on the road. The bus will arrive at 7:00 a.m. to ensure a timely loading period and get on the road early to mitigate any traffic. Because they are booking a bus during a busy season, they are quoted $2,070 for approximately 9 hours of dedicated field trip transportation. The teachers also budget an extra $200 for a driver’s tip and $20 for any parking fees.
A Team Business Trip to the Twin Cities
A team of 13 hospitality professionals in Duluth want to travel to St. Paul for an industry expo and social at the Saint Paul RiverCentre in April. They plan to fly together from Duluth International Airport to Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport and stay at a hotel in downtown St. Paul within walking distance of the event center. They would like a private shuttle bus to pick them up and drop them off at the airport on the days before and after the event.
When they call our reservation team and share their trip details, an agent recommends an 18-passenger minibus for their corporate team travel. While they will only need the bus for approximately two hours across three days, a 5-hour minimum is required for hourly bus rentals, so the team is quoted a total of $1,000 for their airport transfers. They also set aside $50 to tip their driver for each leg of the trip.