Ames Charter Bus Rental FAQs
About Busrentalames.com
Busrentalames.com is an advertising and quote comparison website that lets you compare bus rental options and pricing from a network of transportation companies serving Ames through a national booking company. Fill out one quick form and you'll see vehicles, amenities, and pricing from a large network of independently owned operators in seconds — no account required and no waiting on a callback. Busrentalames.com is an advertising and referral website and does not own or operate any vehicles. The site exists to make finding the right bus for your group fast and easy, and it does exactly that!
No — Busrentalames.com is a comparison and referral website. In practical terms, that means you come here to find, compare, and get pricing on bus rentals in Ames, and the transportation itself is carried out by independently owned companies serving your area. You fill out one form, see vehicles and pricing from a network of independent operators, and book the bus that fits your trip.
The site makes that process fast and easy. The company that shows up with the bus is an independent motor carrier confirmed to you through the booking platform.
When you search on your own, you call one company at a time, describe your trip over and over, wait on callbacks, and try to compare quotes that never quite line up. With Busrentalames.com, you fill out one form or make one call to 515-337-8030 and get more options and different price points than you'd find reaching out to a single local operator. You see vehicles and pricing quickly, different operators are competing for the booking, and the whole process takes minutes instead of hours.
Your time is better spent on the trip itself!
An independently owned transportation company serving Ames. Once you fill out a quote, you head over to a national booking platform where you choose the vehicle that suits the trip — a specific coach, with specific amenities, at a specific price point. What you're choosing there is a vehicle and a price, not a company off a list.
The transportation company assigned to your booking is confirmed to you through the platform after you book. Every operator in the network is an independent motor carrier serving the Ames area.
Booking a Charter Bus
Fill out the quick online form or call 515-337-8030, and you're taken straight to a search results page on a national booking company's website. That booking company partners with independent operators serving the Ames area, and the results page shows you the vehicles those operators have available for your trip — with photos, amenities, and pricing. What you're choosing on that page is a vehicle and a price.
Pick the one that fits your group, and book it directly on their website. The whole process takes minutes!
Your pickup city, where you're going, how many people are riding, and how many hours you need the bus. That's enough to get a quote started. The more detail you give — your stops, your start and end times, any luggage or equipment, and the amenities the group needs — the more accurate the quote comes back and the better the vehicle match.
If your trip has multiple stops or runs across more than one day, lay it out in full so the pricing reflects the whole itinerary.
Right away — there's no waiting on a callback. As soon as you submit the form, you go straight to the search results page and see quotes on the national booking company's website in seconds. No phone tag, no waiting until business hours, no describing your trip to three different people.
If you'd rather talk it through with someone, call 515-337-8030 and a live agent will walk you through your options!
The earlier the better, especially for a popular Ames date — Iowa State football Saturdays, ISU Commencement in May, and prom season in April and May move the entire local market fast. A larger group or a specific vehicle type is worth booking further ahead. That said, because Busrentalames.com puts your request in front of a whole network of providers serving the area rather than one operator with one yard, short-notice trips are often still workable.
Comparing a network is a real advantage over calling a single company and being told no. Submit your request or call 515-337-8030 even on short notice — it's always worth checking!
All of those can be requested! Hourly or as-directed keeps the vehicle with your group for a block of time — great for events where the schedule isn't fixed. A one-way transfer moves the group from one place to another.
A round trip brings everyone back to the starting point. A multi-stop itinerary runs a set route with several stops along the way, like a brewery loop or a wedding shuttle making hotel runs. A multi-day booking covers a trip that runs across more than one day, like a long-distance group travel or a tournament weekend.
Which format fits comes down to the trip itself, and a multi-stop or overnight itinerary should be laid out in full with the request so it comes back priced correctly!
Charter Bus Pricing
A charter bus costs $205–$385+ per hour on weekdays, $225–$410+ per hour on weekends, and $1,650–$2,950+ per day. Pricing is not one size fits all — there are different packages and a number of things that move a quote up or down, so those ranges are a starting point rather than your price. The fastest way to see a number for your actual trip is to fill out the form online and see pricing in seconds.
Or call 515-337-8030 — going through the trip with someone can turn up better pricing and packages than you'd find on your own!
It depends on the trip, and all three are used. A short trip of a couple of hours is usually priced hourly. A trip that runs long distance — roughly past the 100 to 200 mile mark, or heading well out of the Ames area toward Kansas City, Chicago, or Minneapolis — may carry a per-mile charge instead.
And a long day, generally around eight hours or more, often comes back as a day rate rather than stacked hours, simply because the vehicle is booked for so much of the day. Which structure applies comes down to the specifics of your trip. Submit the actual itinerary and the pricing reflects it correctly!
The type and size of bus, how long it's booked for, the date and day of the week, the distance and route, the number of stops, and how busy that date is locally all move the number. Sunday through Thursday prices lower than Friday and Saturday, and daytime prices lower than those same evenings. Booking the size the group actually needs beats over-booking capacity — a 56-passenger coach for 28 people costs more than a minibus would.
Grouping riders into one or two pickup points instead of five cuts the hours on the clock. In Ames specifically, Iowa State football Saturdays and ISU Commencement weekend are the highest-demand dates of the year, and pricing reflects that. Booking those dates early and keeping the itinerary tight are the two most direct ways to keep the cost down!
About Charter Buses
A charter bus is a full-size passenger coach that a group hires for its own trip, with its own route and schedule, rather than riding a fixed public route. It's built for moving a large group over a distance in one vehicle, and a standard full-size coach seats roughly 40 to 56 people. Your group has the whole bus, the whole time, going exactly where you need to go.
Outside, a full-size charter bus is a tall, long coach body — high windows running the length of the vehicle, luggage bay doors along the lower skirt, and a rounded nose. The exterior is usually finished in white, silver, black, or a solid color, and some coaches are wrapped in an operator's own graphics, so the coach that shows up will not always look the same. Inside, you'll find forward-facing seats in pairs on either side of a center aisle, running the full length of the cabin.
Seat fabric may be cloth or leather depending on the make and model — a Van Hool CX45 typically runs cloth or premium cloth, while a Prevost H3-45 often comes in leather. Overhead racks run the length of the cabin, and a restroom sits toward the rear.
Some of the amenities available on charter buses include reclining cloth or leather seats, individual climate controls, onboard restrooms, overhead and undercarriage storage, WiFi, power outlets, a PA system, and TV monitors. Features vary by make, model, and operator, so a specific vehicle may include some of these and not others — the exact amenities on your coach are confirmed during booking. If there are amenities your group needs, note them with your trip details and that narrows which vehicles come back as matches!
Generally 40 to 56 passengers, depending on the make and model, with 56 the most common build on a full-size coach. The MCI J4500 seats 56 as standard and is built for up to 60. The Van Hool CX45 is the same — 56 standard and up to 60.
The Prevost H3-45 seats 56. Shorter 35-foot coaches seat closer to 44. What changes the count on the same coach is the configuration: extra legroom or a wheelchair position each take seats out.
Because Busrentalames.com works with a network of providers, the exact coach on any given trip depends on what's available for your date. Submit the trip or call 515-337-8030 if the group needs a specific passenger capacity!
A 56-passenger coach runs 14 rows, with two seats on each side of a center aisle — forward-facing, paired seating, one aisle down the middle. The row count drops on coaches built with extra legroom or a wheelchair position, and some coaches tier the front rows slightly for sightlines. The layout is consistent across most full-size coaches, so your group knows what to expect when they board.
A full-size charter bus is 45 feet long and 8.5 feet wide. To put that in perspective, it's roughly three cars parked end to end — which is why the question usually comes up when a group is working out whether one fits at a specific venue or parking area. Shorter coaches exist, most commonly around 35 feet, and those are the right call when the destination has tighter access.
The 45-foot coach is the standard full-size vehicle.
A full-size charter bus stands about 11 to 12 feet tall depending on the model, and traffic engineers design overhead clearances for 12 feet. To picture it: a little taller than the first floor of a standard house. That's the number to check against any garage, parking structure, or covered entrance on the route.
When clearance is a concern, note it with the trip details and the right vehicle gets matched to the itinerary.
WiFi is one of the amenities available on charter buses, and many coaches on the road today are equipped with it. One thing worth knowing: onboard WiFi is an equipment option a coach is built with rather than something every coach carries, so whether a given vehicle has it varies by make and model. And on coaches that do have it, the connection runs off a cellular signal and is built for light use across a full coach — phones, messaging, and browsing — not for 50 or 60 people doing heavy work at once.
If the group needs WiFi, note it with the trip details. That narrows which vehicles come back as matches!
Yes — an onboard restroom is standard on full-size charter buses. It sits toward the rear of the coach. The expectation worth setting honestly: it's there so a group doesn't have to stop, and on a long run the trip is still usually planned with real rest stops along the way.
If an onboard restroom matters for your trip — say, a long haul from Ames to Kansas City or Chicago — note it with the trip details so the right vehicle is confirmed.
Yes — charter buses are built with 110-volt AC power outlets, and coaches are commonly fitted with them at every seat, some with a USB port built into the same outlet. This is an equipment option rather than something every coach carries, so it varies by vehicle. In practice, it means a group can keep phones and laptops charged across a long run without hunting for a wall outlet at a rest stop.
If the group needs outlets, note it with the trip details and the vehicle matched to the booking will have them!
Yes — in two places. Overhead parcel racks run the length of the cabin inside, and undercarriage baggage bays sit underneath the coach along the lower skirt. A full-size coach carries roughly 460 cubic feet of underfloor baggage space and around 100 cubic feet in the overhead racks.
Across a full 56-passenger load, that works out to roughly 8 cubic feet per person underneath and under 2 overhead — in practice, about one checked-size bag each below plus one small carry-on above. What changes that math: a coach fitted with a wheelchair lift gives up some baggage bay space, and bulky gear like instruments, sports equipment, or event supplies takes the space of several bags. If the group is bringing anything oversized — say, ISU band equipment, athletic gear for a tournament, or display materials for a conference — state it with the trip details so the right coach gets matched to the group.
A coach with the wrong bay configuration is a problem nobody wants to solve at the curb!
Charter Bus Service in Ames, Iowa
Any group traveling together in the Ames area can find transportation here! Airport transfers to and from Des Moines International are one of the most common requests — one bus beats a fleet of rideshares every time. Corporate travel and employee shuttles move teams between offices, conferences, and venues across central Iowa.
Weddings use shuttle buses to move guests between hotel blocks and venues without anyone worrying about parking or a designated driver. Concerts and sporting events at Hilton Coliseum and Jack Trice Stadium are a natural fit — one bus, one parking pass, no post-game scramble. School and church group trips, fan travel for away games, brewery and winery tours, prom, and long-distance travel to Kansas City, Minneapolis, Chicago, and beyond are all bookable through the network.
Whatever brings your group together, there's a bus for it!
The network of transportation companies serves Ames and the entire surrounding region of central Iowa — including Ankeny, Boone, Nevada, Story City, Marshalltown, Ames, Des Moines, Gilbert, Huxley, Slater, and communities throughout Story County and the neighboring counties. Those are examples, not the complete coverage area. If your pickup or destination is somewhere not listed, enter the full route into the quote form or call 515-337-8030 and a live agent will confirm coverage and get you a price!
Iowa State football Saturdays at Jack Trice Stadium — from September through November, with the Cy-Hawk game against Iowa being the single highest-demand date of the year when it's hosted in Ames — pull the entire local market early. ISU Commencement in May is a multi-day demand spike, with graduation ceremonies at Hilton Coliseum and families coming from across the state. ISU Homecoming in October is another full-weekend event.
Prom season at Ames High School and Story County school districts runs April through May. The Iowa State Fair in mid-August draws enormous charter demand from Ames to Des Moines for 11 straight days. New Year's Eve rounds out the calendar.
On those dates, the whole local market gets taken fast. Book well ahead for any of them — and for dates that aren't listed, submit the request anyway, because the network is larger than any one operator's yard!
Planning Your Ames, Iowa Charter Bus Trip
Yes — charter buses serve all of the airports groups from Ames actually use. Des Moines International Airport (DSM) (5800 Fleur Dr, Des Moines, IA 50321) is the closest, about 35 miles south via I-35 S and roughly 35 to 45 minutes off-peak. It's the airport most Ames groups fly in and out of.
Eastern Iowa Airport (CID) (2121 Arthur Collins Pkwy SW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404) is about 100 miles east, around 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes via US-30 E and I-380 S. For international connections, Minneapolis–Saint Paul International (MSP) is about 3 hours 30 minutes north and Chicago O'Hare (ORD) is about 4 hours 30 minutes east. At each airport, the coach meets the group outside the terminal at the spot that airport designates for buses and larger commercial vehicles, following that airport's own ground transportation guidelines. Enter the full route into the quote form or call 515-337-8030 to get pricing for your specific airport run!
Yes — and Iowa State venues are the heart of it. Jack Trice Stadium (1732 Jack Trice Way, Ames, IA 50011) is home to the Iowa State Cyclones football team with a capacity of 61,500 — one of the largest venues in the Big 12. Charter buses and motorcoaches use the designated motorcoach parking area in Lots 63 and 64 south of the stadium, coordinated through ISU Parking.
Roads around S 4th Street and Elwood Drive see heavy congestion and closures beginning 2 to 3 hours before kickoff, so building that into the pickup window is the move. Hilton Coliseum (1700 Center Dr, Ames, IA 50011) hosts Cyclones basketball, wrestling, gymnastics, and touring concerts. For groups heading to Iowa Speedway (3603 Rusty Wallace Dr, Newton, IA 50208) for NASCAR or IndyCar events, that's about 40 miles southeast via US-30 E. One bus, one parking pass, and no post-game scramble for the whole group!
Yes — the Iowa State Center complex is the primary large-event destination in Ames. Stephens Auditorium (1901 Center Dr, Ames, IA 50011) is a 2,602-seat performing arts venue hosting Broadway touring productions, concerts, and ISU commencement ceremonies. The Scheman Building (1805 Center Dr, Ames, IA 50011) anchors the conference and meeting side of the complex.
Charter bus drop-off for Iowa State Center events uses the Center Drive loop, coordinated through ISU Parking. For groups heading to the FFA Enrichment Center (1055 SW Prairie Trail Pkwy, Ankeny, IA 50023) about 20 miles south, or to the Iowa State Fairgrounds (3000 E Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA 50317) for the Iowa State Fair each August, a repeat shuttle between a hotel and a venue should have its full schedule laid out with the request so it comes back timed and priced correctly!
Yes — any wedding venue in the Ames area. Reiman Gardens (1407 University Blvd, Ames, IA 50011) on the ISU campus is one of the most popular ceremony and reception sites in the city, with shuttle buses dropping at the main entrance on University Blvd. The Gateway Hotel and Conference Center (2100 Green Hills Dr, Ames, IA 50014) is a common hotel block and reception venue, with bus pickup from the main entrance on Green Hills Dr. Barn venues throughout Story County — like The Barn at Lone Oaks and other rural properties — are a big part of the Ames wedding scene and are fully served; exact addresses route the coach correctly. The Ames Golf and Country Club (1105 Oakwood Rd, Ames, IA 50014) and the Hilton Garden Inn Ames (1325 Dickinson Ave, Ames, IA 50014) are other common stops in the wedding weekend loop.
Shuttling guests between a hotel block and the venue is the most common setup — give the exact venue address with the request and the right vehicle gets matched to it!
Yes — all of them. Iowa State University (main campus on Osborn Dr, Ames, IA 50011) is the largest trip generator in the city, with charter bus demand for athletic events, commencement, orientation, alumni travel, Greek life events, and research conferences year-round. Campus bus loading zones are coordinated through ISU Parking.
The Ames Community School District — including Ames High School (1800 Tenth St, Ames, IA 50010) — generates field trip and team travel throughout the school year. DMACC's Ames Campus (1600 Aspinwall Ave, Ames, IA 50010) and school districts in Nevada, Roland-Story, and Gilbert are also served. Field trips and team travel are usually pickups at the school or campus itself.
Student trips should include the exact headcount plus any chaperone or accessibility needs with the request!
Yes — and there's a great loop to build here. Olde Main Brewing Company (316 Main St, Ames, IA 50010) in downtown Ames is the anchor stop on most local brewery tours. The Welch Avenue corridor in Campustown, right off the ISU campus, is the main nightlife district with multiple bars and restaurants along Welch Ave and Lincoln Way.
For a winery loop, Prairie Moon Winery is about 10 miles west of Ames, and Snus Hill Winery (1555 280th St, Madrid, IA 50156) is about 20 miles southwest — a natural two-stop tour. Groups heading to Des Moines for the Court Ave Entertainment District or East Village nightlife are about 35 miles south via I-35 S. A multi-stop route is timed by how long the group stays at each stop, so listing the stops and how long at each one gets the hours right and the price accurate!
Yes — absolutely. Long-distance charter travel is one of the most common uses of a full-size coach from Ames. Kansas City, MO is about 215 miles south via I-35 S, roughly 3 hours 30 minutes — a popular run for Cyclone fans heading to Big 12 away games at Kansas and Kansas State.
Omaha, NE is about 160 miles west via I-80 W, roughly 2 hours, and a common destination for College World Series groups and concerts at CHI Health Center. Minneapolis, MN is about 240 miles north via I-35 N, roughly 3 hours 30 minutes. Chicago, IL is about 310 miles east via I-80 E, roughly 4 hours 30 minutes.
Wisconsin Dells, WI is about 330 miles east, around 5 hours — popular for school and family group travel. Branson, MO is about 330 miles south, around 5 hours, and a frequent destination for church and senior groups. Long-distance trips are usually booked as a one-way transfer or a multi-day trip rather than by the hour, and overnight trips need the full itinerary laid out with the request.
Call 515-337-8030 or submit the full route online to get pricing for your trip!