Student groups are regularly turning to bus rentals for all their transportation needs. Student life is vibrant and filled with events, including field trips, college tours, student activism trips, and hackathons among others. Bus.com has a wealth of experience working with student event planners, ensuring they get a safe and reliable method of transportation for their event. We offer a number of budget-friendly options, helping you save money for your big event.
Student bus rentals are a great way to keep your entire group together in one vehicle, boosting school spirit and encouraging budding friendships. From a minibus to a full-sized coach bus, Bus.com works with its vast network of bus providers to find you the best rate available.
Here is a complete guide to student bus rentals that is sure to bring you one step closer to finding the perfect bus type for your event.
Bus Types
Bus.com offers five different bus rentals for student groups, including the school bus, the coach bus, the mini coach bus, the minibus, and the passenger van. Passenger vans are not generally used for student groups, but could be used to transport up to 15 people at a time over shorter distances. Now, let’s take a deeper dive at the four most commonly-rented bus types for student groups.
School Bus
The school bus is the classic rental option for student groups ranging from K-12 all the way to college students. This vehicle can transport up to 47 people at a time and is perfect for travelling shorter distances. The school bus is very much the bare bones of bus types, equipped with just the basic essentials to get your group from point A to B, and back again safely and reliably.
While storage is limited, your group can easily repurpose seating at the front or the back of the bus to store your personal belongings. School bus rentals are designed to keep costs low, offering student groups a budget-friendly option for all their trips. These vehicles may not come with modern luxuries such as air conditioning or WIFI, but are nonetheless an extremely comfortable option, boasting spacious, fitted and cushioned seats and allow students to relive their younger days in the iconic yellow bus.
Coach Bus
The coach bus has come a long way since its original inception and embodies luxury in group transportation. Also known as the “motor coach”, this vehicle offers a variety of modern comforts unlike other bus rental options, including air conditioning, power and AUX outlets, as well as hi-speed WIFI. This is particularly important for student groups preparing for a case competition and could take advantage of the extra hour or two on the road to study or simply kick back and stream a movie on Netflix.
The coach bus can comfortably seat up to 55 people and is best suited for transporting large groups of people over longer distances. Typically, the rule of thumb with bus rentals is that any trip over three hours will require a coach or a mini coach bus.
Bus.com offers a number of different coach bus options, including the Prevost H3-45, Van Hool, MCI, and the Prevost H3-41. If you need help deciding which one is right for you, contact one of our booking specialists and they will help find the perfect coach bus for you.
Mini Coach Bus
The mini coach bus, as the name suggests, offers travellers many of the same luxuries of a full-sized coach bus, but in a more compact package. This bus can transport up to 31 people with ease and can be used for both shorter and longer distance trips. The mini coach bus is as versatile a bus type as they come, making it a convenient option for student groups.
The mini coach bus comes with a wide array of amenities, including hi-speed WIFI, air conditioning, ample legroom, as well as overhead and undercarriage storage. Consequently, mini coach bus rentals are a great option for touring bands with lots of equipment for camping and ski trips.
Student groups have the option of renting one of two mini coach buses with Bus.com, including the TEMSA and the Freightliner, seating 40 and 32 passengers respectively.
Minibus
Minibus rentals are ideal for smaller student groups looking to travel shorter distances or make many pit-stops. The minibus is an extremely compact vehicle, designed with efficiency and fuel-economy in mind. This vehicle can seat up to 21 people at a time, boasting a similar layout to a full-size school bus.
Every minibus rental comes with one of our vetted and experienced drivers, who will ensure you get to your destination safely and on time. Bus.com currently offers the Ford Minibus E450, featuring reclining seats, vehicle-wide air conditioning, and sufficient baggage storage. Minibus rentals are ideal for navigating crowded cities due to their compact nature, making them a great option for sight-seeing adventures.
Typically, minibus rentals, along with school bus rentals, are recommended for trips under three hours. Each minibus comes equipped with cushioned-bench seats, ensuring your group gets to where it needs to be comfortably
Student bus rentals: Use Cases
Student groups turn to bus rentals for a number of different reasons, ranging from field trips, to job fairs and case competitions. We are confident that we have the perfect bus type to meet all your transportation needs. Let’s take a look at some of the most common uses for student bus rentals.
Field Trips
The most common bus rental among student groups is undoubtedly for field trips. From K-12 field trips, to visiting new campuses, bus rentals are the most cost-efficient and reliable way of transporting large groups of people. Bus rentals offer chaperones and team leaders the big advantage of keeping an eye on their entire group within one vehicle as compared to public transportation.
Field trips are great learning opportunities for students and bus rentals enable them to experience it all together. Bus.com works with a trusted network of experienced drivers, ensuring your students get to where they need to be – and back again.
Job Fairs
University students have just spent the last few years completing their degree and are now ready to test the job market. Job fairs are the perfect place to start, exposing them to a number of interesting opportunities and fresh career paths. Student groups often organize group transportation to nearby job fairs in order to get access to those new opportunities and discover what the future might look like.
Simply set a pick-up and drop-off location and one of our experienced drivers will be there to greet you. Job fairs tend to be closer than other events, making the school bus or minibus convenient and cost-efficient options. You can always opt for a coach bus if the job fair happens to be more than three hours away.
Case Competitions
College case competitions are a great way for the student body to showcase their analytical and problem-solving skills. While you worry about the case study at hand, allow Bus.com to take care of all your transportation needs.
Bus rentals enable your entire group to be together in one vehicle, offering the opportunity to get a final hour of studying in. Bus.com will ensure your group gets to the competition on time and is raring to go with our team of experienced drivers.
Pro tip: A coach or a mini-coach bus does not cost much more than a school bus, making it a convenient option and even comes equipped with WIFI.
Hackathons
Hackathons are yet another reason why student groups regularly rent buses. Bus.com has worked hand-in-hand with hackathon organizers, transporting over 1000 people to 10 different hackathons. We have also partnered with McHacks, the largest student-run hackathon in Montreal.
Hackathons are a great place to meet like-minded students and pursue your passion for hacking. Bus rentals are the most reliable way to get your group to the event, all-while remaining within budget. Contact one of our booking specialists and learn more about securing transportation to a hackathon near you.
Student Events
Halloween parties, frosh, mixers. These are all reasons why students will turn to bus rentals for all their transportation needs. Our team of fully vetted drivers will worry about navigating busy roads and traffic so you don’t have to. Ultimately, a bus rental allows you to craft your own itinerary rather than relying on public transportation or carpooling.
Bus rentals also present student groups the opportunity to bond during the ride to their event with songs and create long-lasting memories. Coach buses and mini-coach buses come equipped with hi-speed WIFI and surround sound speakers, allowing you to ride along to the rhythm of your favourite music with all your friends.
How to Book a Student Bus Rental
Now that you are aware of the different uses and bus types commonly used for student groups, let’s take a look at four simple steps that will streamline your rental. If ever you have any questions before or after booking, do not hesitate to reach out to our award-winning booking specialists.
Set an itinerary
The first step to organizing a successful student trip is to set a clear itinerary. Does your group plan on making many stops along the way? Or will you head straight to your destination? Drive time will ultimately have the biggest impact on your final price. A simple search on Google maps should suffice, highlighting exactly how long you will be on the road.
Having a streamlined itinerary will help your group save money, especially if you are working with a tight budget. Our booking specialists are at your disposal 24-7 and can help with any modifications or cancellations that need to be made. Once the itinerary is set, you can easily select the right bus type.
Select a bus type
Picking the right bus type comes down to a number of factors. For one, the size of your group will largely dictate which type of bus you rent. Typically, we recommend the mini coach bus or the coach bus for trips longer than three hours, while the school bus and minibus are ideal for travelling shorter distances.
Amenities will also factor into this decision with each bus type coming equipped with their own unique features. Student groups love their WIFI, making both the coach buses and mini-coach buses an attractive option. Consult our quick guide on choosing a bus type for more information.
Book your bus
With your itinerary and bus type defined, you’re ready to book your bus. Simply fill your information in our easy-to-use online booking system and it will generate a personalized quote for you in under two minutes. The quote itself is valid for three days, giving you the possibility to think it over before confirming.
If at any time your quote expires, don’t worry; just re-submit your trip details in the booking system or contact one of our booking specialists. As always, it is better to book your bus well in advance of your departure date to ensure local availability. Bus.com has experience with last-minute bookings, but finding your perfect bus gets harder the closer it is to your travel date.
Organizing a full-fledged event on a student budget can be difficult, but Bus.com offers flexibility with the final payment. Our book now, pay later policy allows you to defer payment 21 days before your departure.
Share your itinerary with the group
Once your booking is confirmed, visit Bus.com to retrieve your itinerary. From there, you can share it with the rest of your group. This is especially important and can save your group lots of time (and money) for your event.
If travelling with minors, ensure every parent or guardian has an itinerary along with a list of contact numbers they can reach. This helps build trust with the parents and offers them complete transparency ahead of departure day. A booking specialist will be in touch with you after your bus rental is confirmed to outline the next steps.
Student Bus Rentals 101
Your bus is booked for the departure day and you might think you’re ready to hit the road, but there are a few final considerations to make before leaving. Here are a few tips to make sure your student bus rental goes smoothly.
Permission Slips
When travelling with minors, ensure you have all your documentation in order. For each minor travelling with the group, their guardian must sign a permission slip and acknowledge that the chaperone has responsibility over their child. The chaperone also has to sign a document acknowledging their responsibility. It is recommended to collect these documents well in advance of departure date and store them safely in an easy-to-access folder. This is especially important if you will be travelling over state lines.
Stay organized and stay together
One of the main advantages of chartering a bus for students is that it keeps the entire group together, however, communication is key. Ensure every student has a copy of the itinerary with arrival and departure times clearly marked, as well as pick-up and drop-off locations.
You can easily access your itinerary at Bus.com under the, you guessed it, ‘Itinerary Tab’. From there, select ‘Your Schedule Summary’ and share the link with all involved parties. If you are travelling with minors, send a copy of the itinerary to the parents and guardians along with contact numbers. Finally, elect a ‘bus captain’ for each vehicle rented. These captains will coordinate with other buses, identify stragglers, and help get everyone on the same page.
Pro tip: Collect everyone’s phone numbers before leaving and ensure each student has two people’s phone numbers. This will ensure that they can easily get a hold of another passenger if they need to.
School spirit on the road
The wheels on the bus go round and round…building school spirit is a big part behind bus rentals for student groups. While coach buses offer modern luxuries, including the ability to watch or stream movies on the go, your group can always turn to old-fashioned sing-alongs. This not only helps boost school morale, it also helps create new relationships.
Other students may want to take advantage of the group setting to study with their peers ahead of exams and sharpen their skills. It might be school, but it can even be turned into a game. Simply prepare a set of questions and a point system, and you’re good to go. Winner controls the AUX cord!
Ask for help!
As a student event planner you already have enough on your plate and Bus.com is here to help. We have a plethora of experience with student groups and can answer any and all of your questions to ensure your rental is without a hitch. Lastly, travelling with minors can seem daunting. Enlist the help of a faculty advisor to make sure all your documents are in order before hitting the road.
