{"id":519,"date":"2017-07-10T17:19:22","date_gmt":"2017-07-10T17:19:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gogocharters.com\/blog\/?p=519"},"modified":"2024-08-01T16:22:33","modified_gmt":"2024-08-01T16:22:33","slug":"tour-bus-rental-cost","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gogocharters.com\/blog\/tour-bus-rental-cost\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the Cost of a Tour Bus Rental?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Comparing costs<\/a> of tour bus companies can be overwhelming if you’re not familiar with how they’re priced. Once\u00a0your band is ready for an upgrade, do a little homework upfront to know if you’re getting a good deal.<\/p>\n

Exact rates vary by city, but you can expect to pay\u00a0between $1,900 and $2,500 per day<\/strong> for an entertainer coach. If the company charges per mile, you\u2019ll likely pay somewhere between $7.00 and $8.50 per mile<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

The 4 Biggest Factors That Influence the Cost<\/h2>\n

Breaking the price down gives you a better estimate of how much to budget for trip. Factors that will affect your cost include:<\/p>\n

1. How much fuel will your tour bus use?<\/h3>\n

As you tour from Chicago<\/a> to Los Angeles<\/a> to Atlanta<\/a> and everywhere in between, the cost of gas is going to be a major part of your transportation budget. You can calculate your estimated fuel cost using this formula:<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Most charter bus companies will include fuel cost in the price, but it\u2019s helpful to calculate this cost ahead of time to give you an idea of what to expect. To complete this formula, use Google Maps<\/a> to tally the total mileage, ask the company to provide you with their entertainer buses\u2019 average MPG, and use the current national average<\/a> for gas prices per gallon.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the best pieces of advice I can give someone looking to rent a tour bus is to make sure they\u2019re renting from a company in the location they\u2019re starting from,\u201d says Mike Hines, band leader and guitarist for Corey Smith<\/a>. He says fuel and mileage expenses can be greater if you don\u2019t rent from a company in your hometown.<\/p>\n

2. How much will it cost for the tour bus driver\u2019s labor, hotels, and gratuity?<\/h3>\n

Since you\u2019re going to essentially live in an enormous motor coach during your tour, a professional driver is vital to your band members\u2019 safety.<\/p>\n

\u201cAn experienced, dependable and safer driver is going to cost more than maybe somebody who isn’t as experienced,\u201d says singer and song-writer Rudy Vaughn<\/a>, winner of Hark Rock\u2019s 2009 Ambassadors of Rock. \u201cI would rather have the safe driver!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cProfessional drivers will have limitations to the amount of miles or hours they are able to drive at a time without needing to be paid overtime,\u201d Vaughn explains. \u201cThis is called overdrive, and can start anywhere from 450 miles to 650 miles. The amount varies among bus companies, but the cost can add up quickly for longer tours.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Legally, charter bus drivers can only drive ten consecutive hours before they are required to take an eight-hour break, according to the American Bus Association<\/a>. If your destination will take longer than a 10-hour drive, you’ll need to divide your trip into multiple days. This can increase total costs if your bus company charges by the day.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlong with the cost of your driver, you\u2019ll pay for his or her hotel rooms,\u201d says Kevin Spencer<\/a>, guitarist and lead singer of Electric Avenue<\/a>. \u201cRemember to get them at least a 3-star hotel room. Saving $40 on a hotel room isn’t something you would appreciate your clients doing to you. Treat the driver as a family member, he’s there to keep you safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Your driver is one of your biggest allies during the tour. Budget for a hotel that will make him or her feel at ease, not the cheapest motel you can find.<\/p>\n

While it\u2019s generally not required, gratuity is always appreciated and is a great way to thank a bus driver. Consider a 5-10% tip for a job well done.<\/p>\n

3. Will you need a trailer for extra storage?<\/h3>\n

How do you know if you\u2019ll have enough room to store your equipment on the tour bus? Most modern buses have a hollow bay underneath that spans the width of the bus to store items.<\/p>\n

Spencer says his band can fit a full drum kit, a small bass amp, two combo amps, a small keyboard rig and stand, guitars, bass, keyboard, and a box of merchandise under the bus. They haul everything else in a trailer attached to the bus.<\/p>\n

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If you think you\u2019ll need extra space, you can rent a trailer to haul on the back of the bus. These can be rented for an additional $50-100 per day, on average.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t forget about your merchandise when estimating how much storage room you\u2019ll need,\u201d Mike Hines advises. \u201cYou may need to bring weeks worth of merchandise on the road with you, and that can take up a significant amount of space.\u201d<\/p>\n

4. How much will it cost to park the tour bus?<\/h3>\n

One of the most overlooked aspects of renting a tour bus is parking logistics. The last thing you want to worry about when on a tight schedule is, \u201cWhere in the world are we going to park this thing?!\u201d Determine if there will be parking fees before you begin your trip.<\/p>\n

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Some venues have designated bus parking on the premises while others in more populated areas require an off-site parking fee. In New York City<\/a>, for example, bus parking rates are $20\/hour<\/a> while rates in Baltimore<\/a>\u00a0are $25 for 12 hours<\/a>. Call venues ahead of time to see if they have designated parking spaces for your bus and if any additional charges will apply.<\/p>\n

Necessity or Nice-to-Have?<\/h2>\n

Before you and your bandmates cash in on a real tour bus experience, balance your checkbook and take a hard look at your finances. With all of the other costs of touring<\/a>, does chartering a bus make sense for your band?<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cBuses can cost thousands of dollars per day, and that\u2019s just one more bill you have to pay,\u201d Hines says. \u201cThe luxury of the bus might sound attractive, but ask yourself if you\u2019re truly ready.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

It\u2019s best for musicians to budget for a tour bus when they are agreeing on the price of the gig, Rudy Vaughn says. Since\u00a0transportation is such a massive part of the touring budget, sometimes half of the gross income of the show, it\u2019s imperative to know those costs before agreeing upon a price.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the biggest reasons why we book tour buses is because of our production gear,\u201d Vaughn continues. \u201cWe have discovered that doing our own production has added benefits, so we have a trailer that is full of stuff. Musicians should always weigh out all of the factors. Is it better to fly to a location and rent production and vehicles to get around? The amount of people will vastly change these types of factors…and it will be something to work out case by case.\u201d<\/p>\n

Weighing the Cost of a Tour Bus Rental<\/h2>\n

When you charter a tour bus for your band, you\u2019re not just paying for transportation.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s easy to under-appreciate the amount of work it takes to keep a 50-foot “building on wheels” driving down the highway without problems,\u201d Vaughn says. \u201cThe cost of even one repair, or even a single tire replacement can be in the thousands of dollars. So the price of renting a tour bus needs to be high enough for the owner to be able to absorb the rigors of such a vehicle.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re hiring someone to manage your safety,\u201d Kevin Spencer says. \u201cPaying a higher price for the right company is worth it because they are ultimately responsible for getting you to and from shows safely and efficiently. The bus is your home while you\u2019re on the road, so it\u2019s important to build a solid relationship with your bus rental company for peace of mind.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

A higher price point doesn\u2019t necessarily result in a better tour bus, but companies with an excellent reputation may charge more to ensure a high standard of service. Ask around, read reviews thoroughly, and ask a lot of questions before choosing a bus company<\/a> to keep your tour running smoothly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Comparing costs of tour bus companies can be overwhelming if you’re not familiar with how they’re priced. Once\u00a0your band is ready for an upgrade, do a little homework upfront to know if you’re getting a good deal. Exact rates vary by city, but you can…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5512,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[450],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[408,161,189,448,40,4,166,410,711,414,453,409,449,413,403,398,415,822,387],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogocharters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/519"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogocharters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogocharters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogocharters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogocharters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=519"}],"version-history":[{"count":57,"href":"https:\/\/gogocharters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/519\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5792,"href":"https:\/\/gogocharters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/519\/revisions\/5792"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogocharters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5512"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogocharters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=519"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogocharters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=519"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogocharters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=519"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogocharters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=519"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}