Questions to Ask Before Renting a Bus

If you’ve been tasked with finding charter bus transportation for a group, you may have a couple questions. Don’t be shy; questions are how answers are retrieved! If you’re new to the charter industry, be sure to catch up with our Prep Work for Picking a Charter Bus. Go ahead, I’ll wait for you to return.

Ask the right questions to help you select an excellent charter operator

Okay, great, now that you’re back, I’ll share with you some of the most important questions you can ask a bus company before agreeing to book with them. After gaining some general knowledge about the charter bus industry, you still have plenty of variables between individual bus operators.

These questions should provide peace of mind and security when booking with a motorcoach operator, and to help avoid any unexpected surprises. Let’s get started.

Call that bus company up, and see how they handle the following questions.

1. For trips over the road: How many local miles are allowed per day after reaching your destination? What is the charge for exceeding them?
2. Does the quote include parking and tolls?
3. What is your cancellation policy?
4. Who pays for the driver’s hotel room and board? Is 10% the standard driver gratuity with your company?
5. What is your procedure in the event of a breakdown?
6. Can you provide proof of insurance? (The state requires a $5 million policy for interstate passenger transportation)
7. Does your company own the bus, or will it be brokered out?
8. Is the bus available for inspection before chartering?
9. Are you members of any associations? (UMA, NTA, ABA, MCC, IMG)
10. Does your company have its own maintenance facility?

You should expect confident, concise answers to these questions when dealing with reputable operators. If you are debating between a couple operators and aren’t sure which to book with, these questions should help point you toward the right decision.

One of the best aspects of motorcoach travel is relaxing during transit and leaving the driving and worries to the bus company. Make sure you find the best company for your group by covering the basics. In addition to finding out how bus companies answer these questions, you can also stay informed by the many customer reviews that have been submitted to charter operators on BusRates.com. Through shared consumer experiences and education, we can raise the bar of satisfaction for the charter bus industry and help create millions of happy miles and memories for group travel across the United States and Canada.