Before creating the Vanabode travel style I ran a motorcoach website. This page is one of many bus articles I wrote for coach buyers before closing that website.

Understanding Bus Charter Price Quotes

Understanding bus charter price quotes for local use of charters and over the road charters is a good thing to know. You want to be sure you are getting a good price and that you are not over paying for gratuity or sales tax. There are a few things to know and remember and several different terms to be familiar with.

Local travel is usually based on the hours of use for the bus charter, which is good because you're not paying for something that you're not using. In 2007, the national per hour average rate for a full size deluxe motorcoach was about $92, in 2004 it was $85 and in 2003 it was $70. Five hours is the most common minimum charge for local charters but most companies will offer 3, 4, 5, or 6 hour minimum charges.

Who wants to pay sales tax? Nobody, so it's a nice change that in most states, you aren't required to pay sales tax for chartering a bus. Ohio and California are the two known exceptions. In Ohio the estimated price for sales tax is 7.70% and in California it is only 2%.

When dining in most restaurants, most people pay at least 15% gratuity to their server. In local bus chartering, the standard gratuity rate is about 11%. Around a third of the operators pay comes from the gratuity, so be sure to not skimp on this part, it usually ensures good service on your charter.

Over the road charters are buses that travel out of the local area and overnight. These quotes are based on the miles traveled. In 2007, the average charge per mile nationwide was around $2.96. The companies usually have a day rate which is their minimum charge per day. The day rate is the minimum charge per day if the per mile charge is not more than the combined day rates. The national average day rate in 2007 was around $819. In 2004 the national rate was about $766 and in 2003 it was $701.

On your charter you may have some other fees like bridge tolls or airport taxes. The majority of companies will include these extra fees into your first quote. Some other companies will have you pay these as they occur. Also, remember that the customers are usually required to pay for and book the operators hotel room while on these charters. If you look into the hotels in the particular area, many will comp the operator's room for free when there is a group getting rooms there too.

The law requires 10 hours of rest for every 10 hours of driving or 15 hours of standby time. If your charter is going to be more than 10 hours long, you will need to be an operator swap out. These charter swap outs usually can range from $209-$909; these prices will depend on how far you are from the departure city. This law ensures your safety while chartering on long trips, you shouldn't have any drivers being overly tired while chartering you around. Hopefully, this information and the tips that you have read will help you in understanding bus charter price quotes.

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