Author: Adam Lague

Basketball Coach’s Checklist to Planning the Ultimate Away Game
As a basketball coach, you spend a lot of your time during the season planning practices, building game plans, and working with players on developing skills. With all of that to take care of, chances are you haven’t had too much time to plan how you’re going to get to your away games.
However, the responsibility of planning sports team transportation comes with being a coach. Here’s the good news: We’re making travel planning easy for you this year with our no-nonsense guide and checklist to planning your team’s travels. Good luck this season, coach!
Transportation
There are many advantages to managing transportation with a basketball team versus a football or baseball team. A basketball team has a smaller roster and much less equipment, meaning you can save money by renting a smaller bus with less storage space.
With five starters plus reserves and a few coaches, one of our smaller buses will be enough to accommodate your team. A minibus rental seats around 21 and is our cheapest option, great for short trips. For a few more frills and a bit more space, go with the mini coach bus, which includes more luxurious seats and Wi-Fi. Be sure to consult our Quick Guide to Choosing a Bus Type, which features an easy-to-read infographic to help you make your decision.
If you find that your team is a bit too small for bus travel this year, it may be worthwhile to look into renting a sprinter van. A sprinter van is a type of passenger vehicle that can comfortably fit up to 15 players as well as their sports gear. Bus.com offers both chauffeured and non-chauffeured sprinter van rentals.
Equipment
It’s important to take stock of your locker room and make a list of the equipment that’ll need to travel with your team. You want your games on the road to have all the comforts of home games, so take advantage of the extra storage space a coach bus offers by packing all of the basketball essentials with you.
Apparel & Footwear
- Practice & game day shoes
- Socks
- Game and practice shorts
- Game and practice jersey
- Leg sleeves
- Shooter sleeves
- Compression shorts
- Warmup tracksuit
- Sports bra
- Headband
- Wristband
Equipment
- Practice basketballs
- Ball pump & needle
- Training aids
Accessories
- Team duffle bags
- Headphones
- Water bottles
- Mouthguards
- Athletic tape
- First aid kit
- Sports drinks
Accommodations
When taking your team on the road, it may be beneficial to stay overnight and avoid a long drive immediately before or after the game. If you book a hotel the night before a game, you can enforce a team curfew, and if you stay after the game, you can properly celebrate after a big W! Plus, you’ll eliminate the need to rush to beat traffic or get on the road before dark.
When booking accommodations for an entire team, you’ll want to keep your players, coaches, and parents all together. The best way to do that is to book a hotel room block: a designated number of rooms reserved for your team in one area of a hotel. While sports teams can be a burden on a hotel, there are particular chains that we know to be sports team-friendly. Reach out to Best Western, as they’re known to sponsor sports teams and offer discounted rates. Holiday Inn Express also provides discounts for youth teams, and they have a Parents’ Lounge where Moms and Dads can hang between games. La Quinta specializes in large groups, and is a sleek offering for those with higher standards.
Planned pit stops
While our mini coach buses are ultra-comfy for a long trip, you’ll still want to schedule in some pit stops to let your players out to stretch their legs and use the bathroom before they get too restless. These stops should be embedded into your trip planning to forecast an accurate ETA. Take a look at the map before you leave so you can try and incorporate your stop locations as conveniently as possible. While you might be tempted to stop in a big city where you can take some time to walk around, keep in mind that you’ll need to find a place to park your bus and let your players out safely.
Get some sight-seeing in
Depending on the location of your away game, plan some fun activities away from the court for an unforgettable team bonding experience.
New York City
It’s the City That Never Sleeps for a reason — you don’t have to look far for excitement in one form or another. Take in a Broadway show, stroll through Central Park, or bask in the bright lights of Times Square.
Basketball arenas in NYC
How about paying a visit to the most famous arena in the world? Catch a Knicks game at Madison Square Garden, and if they’re not in town, chances are you’ll have the opportunity to catch a Rangers game or a Billy Joel concert, at the very least.
Los Angeles
Just like the bright lights of Broadway, La La Land brings the glitz and glamour, too. Your athletes might get a kick out of Muscle Beach near Santa Monica Pier – it is the birthplace of the 1980s’ neon Spandex-clad physical exercise boom, after all. Don’t forget about all the other beaches LA has to offer, too.
Basketball arenas in LA
Much like Madison Square Garden, the Staples Center is a legendary arena that hosts events just about every night. The NBA’s iconic Lakers team call it home and its flavour-of-the-moment Clippers both play their home games here at LA Live.
Miami
Do like LeBron and take your talents to South Beach. From South Pointe to Sunny Isles, there’s no shortage of sandy shores to explore in the glorious city of Miami.
Basketball arenas in Miami
AmericanAirlines Arena was the one-time home of basketball legends LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, and has witnessed not one, not two, but three NBA championship games that they’ve won playing with the Heat in the last 15 years.
San Francisco
Athletes have big appetites, and SF is the burrito capital of America – need we say more? Head down to the Mission district for some of the top burrito spots – we recommend Taqueria El Farolito or El Metate. Then, burn it off with a team hike over the Golden Gate Bridge. Or just check out everything else that San Francisco has to offer.
Basketball arenas in San Francisco
In the nearby Mission Bay district, you’ll find the brand new home of the greatest basketball dynasty of this generation: The Golden State Warriors. In October 2019, the three-time champions moved over the bridge from Oakland into the Chase Center.
Montreal
How about this for a food and exercise combo: Chow down on Montreal’s legendary smoked meat sandwiches at Schwartz’s, followed by an arduous climb up the iconic Mount Royal to get an unbeatable view of the city skyline. Whether you’re looking to play or party, Montreal has it all.
Basketball arenas in Montreal
Montreal doesn’t have a pro basketball team, but the Bell Centre is a regular host for Toronto Raptors preseason games as well as performative shows put on by the Harlem Globetrotters. While MTL doesn’t have its own home team, basketball’s original roots run through this city: James Naismith was McGill University’s first athletic director before inventing basketball in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1891.
Toronto
Canada’s closest comparison to New York City is The 6ix, home of – as you probably already know – the Toronto Raptors. Oh, and rapper Drake. Toronto’s become a cultural hub of the Great North, with plenty to do and see no matter the time of year. And there’s always something going on at Nathan Phillips Square.
Basketball arenas in Toronto
The defending NBA champion Toronto Raptors are sure to be a hot ticket this year at Scotiabank Arena. They’ve lost their big star, Kawhi Leonard, but they’ve replaced him with a new attraction that he helped install: A winning NBA championship banner.
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Ready to plan your team’s bus trip itinerary? Get started now.
October 10, 2019
Transportation and Youth Sports: How to Responsibly Manage Team Travel
Organizing travel for your youth sports team can be trickier than you’d think. Often an afterthought, getting your team to its destination requires a lot of planning, from deciding which kind of vehicle suits your team best to collecting all the proper documentation required to hit the road with minors. There’s a pretty hefty list of items to get done before you take off on your away tournament travel. For coaches and managers, it’s imperative that you know how to responsibly take care of your youth sports’ teams transportation throughout the season, and this post will provide insight on how to do just that.
Finding the right bus for your team
Your team bus is the centerpiece of your sports team trip. Whether for a road game, an away tournament, or a team bonding activity, deciding on the type of bus that’ll carry your group is step one. We offer four main bus types: the coach bus, mini coach, school bus, and minibus. To make your selection, you can consult your Bus.com booking specialist or our Quick Guide to Choosing a Bus Type.
Anyone who has coached a team before knows that it’s easier when you can have everyone in one place. If you have a small team, you could all pile into a sprinter van, which holds a total of 15 people. Bus.com offers quick and easy luxury sprinter van rentals that can fit your price range.
But if you’re still in the early stages of planning, start with one question: What sport does your team play? If you coach or manage a team that carries a lot of equipment, like a hockey or football team, then a coach bus is your answer. If your team doesn’t carry a ton of equipment but has a big roster — like soccer or rugby — then the school bus makes more sense. For the smallest rosters and smallest equipment bags, go with a mini coach, perfect for your swim or tennis team.
What about school buses – are those safe for travelling long distances with kids?
You may have jumped at the mention of the school bus for a long distance road trip. Sure, those big yellow machines are fine to bring your kids to school and back, but are they safe for highway trips? The answer is yes, and here’s why. Everything about a school bus design is geared for safety: specialized brake systems, lighting, emergency exits, and escape hatches in the roof. Even the high-padded seats are made to absorb the impact of a collision. But what about the fact that these buses don’t have seatbelts? Believe it or not, that’s part of the safety equation, which we explain in this article. Of course, all the safety measures in the world go out the window if the passengers don’t follow the rules. So as a chaperone, you must reinforce these rules: two people per seat, arms and legs inside the bus at all times, and bags on laps or under seats.
Why buses are better than carpooling
You may be wondering why you shouldn’t just have parents and coaches take their own cars and split up the players in carpool fashion. Well for starters, a team bus takes the pressure off the parents, who may have to work or have other kids to take care of. One vehicle with a single pick-up and drop-off location is simpler for everyone, keeps more cars off the road (here’s to eco-friendly transportation!), and decreases the chances that some of your players show up late or get lost. A team bus will end up saving everyone money too, when you consider the cost of gas required to send all those cars to the same place. The equipment storage capability of a bus is also a plus that may be tough on parents — have you ever tried stuffing four hockey bags into the trunk of a small car? And finally, and perhaps most importantly for your players, a team bus is fun! When everyone travels together, boring road trips turn into bonding experiences and lifetime memories.
Rent a bus for a single game or an entire season
Speak with your Booking Specialist about your particular bus booking needs. One of the ways Bus.com makes bus rentals easy is the Book Now, Pay Later option, which can come in handy when you need to rent a bus for several dates throughout the season. Once you receive your schedule prior to the beginning of the season, you can lock in your team’s mode of transportation right away for all your road games and/or tournaments without having to fork over the money just yet. You’ll only have to finalize your payment 21 days prior to each departure date.
Have all documents required for travelling with minors
When travelling with children that are not your own, there are a few legal steps you have to take. Children under the age of 18 are considered minors, and adults such as sports coaches that travel with minors require a legal document called a Child Travel Consent Form. The document is particularly important if you are leaving the country. The form should include each minor’s passport information, consent, and a signature from their parent or guardian, information about the trip, and more. Consult this resource for more information about travelling with minors.
Keep your team happy on the road
A few paragraphs up, we mentioned the lasting bonds and fond memories that often cultivate on long road trips with your team. But that stuff doesn’t necessarily just happen all on its own. As a coach or manager, you’ll need to set up your team for happiness and success on the road. Come up with some games you can play as a group on the bus. The license plate game is always a classic; you can drum up a sports trivia game tailored to your team’s sport; or make use of the bus’ sound system for a little ‘name that tune’. Speaking of music, you might want to tap the music expert on the team to drum up a few playlists to get your team pumped up, or to wind down after a hard-fought game. Oh, and snacks. You’ll definitely want to pack some snacks to keep everyone’s stomachs satisfied and minimize the need for pit stops.
October 3, 2019
Football Coach’s Checklist to Planning The Ultimate Away Games
As a football coach, each season throws enough Xs, Os, position battles, tough opponents, and hard decisions at you to keep you busy 25 hours a day. Time for planning road trips? Please! You’d better take care of most of that stuff before the season even begins, and streamline it well enough that during the season travel planning doesn’t get in the way of your duties as head coach. If you’re the team manager or travel coordinator, you want to stay as organized as possible so that your head coach is aware of what’s going on, but can lean on you to get things done.
Transportation
Start with a number. How many people are you transporting? Count up players, coaches, coordinators, trainers, and anyone else that will be travelling with you. Now, take that number and divide it by the number of seats on your school or coach bus to determine the number of buses you need to get your team on the road. Not sure which bus works best for your group? Consult our Quick Guide to Choosing a Bus Type. Our easy-to-read infographic will help you make your decision based on length of trip, group needs, and more.
You may want to opt for a sprinter van rental if your team is made up of 15 passengers or less. A sprinter van is a smaller alternative to bus travel, and offers the same level of comfort. Bus.com offers two types of sprinter vans: ones that come with a driver and ones that do not.
Equipment
Before your trip, pull your team leaders together to take inventory of your locker room. How much equipment do you need to bring with you to the away game or tournament? After all, you’ll need to bring all your game day equipment on the road, and may need some extra practice equipment depending on the visiting field you’ll be playing at.
Here’s a quick checklist you and your assistant coaches can use to keep track of your equipment and make sure it all finds its way onto the bus. Need help packing? Consult our Packing Guide for handy tips!
Game Equipment & Footwear
- Cleats
- Socks
- Game and practice pants
- Game and practice jersey
- Pre- and post-game t-shirts and hoodies
- Receiver gloves
- Skull caps
- Girdles
Protective Gear
- Shoulder pads
- Helmets
- Back plates & rib protection
- Athletic cups
- Neck rolls
- Hip & tail pads
- Chin straps
- Mouthguards
Accessories
- Eye black
- Hand warmers
- Towels
- Water bottles
- First-aid kit
- Energy drinks
- Footballs
Accommodations
For a faraway game, you may want to consider staying overnight to avoid a long drive pre- or post-game. If you stay the night prior to the game, you can ensure the players are in bed at a reasonable hour and won’t have to deal with the challenge of loosening up for a game following a long bus ride. Staying in a local hotel or Airbnb the night of the game alleviates the stress of rushing from the field to the bus and the possibility of getting home super late. Plus, staying overnight gives you the chance to celebrate that big win!
The best way to keep the team together overnight is by booking a hotel room block: a designated number of rooms reserved for your squad in one area of a hotel. Sports teams can be a handful for a hotel, so we’ll give you a few chains that, in our experience, are sports team-friendly. Holiday Inn Express tends to provide a discount for teams, and they have a Parents’ Lounge if they’re coming along. La Quinta is a sleeker alternative, but its bread and butter is large groups — read: football teams. Best Western is also known for sponsoring sports teams, plus free Wifi for game planning and free breakfast for your players’ large appetites.
Planned pit stops
Depending on how far your away game is, you’ll want to take into account how many pit stops you’ll have to make to let your team stretch their restless legs. Incorporate rest stops into your ETA. You can use this time to preach some good habits for your players. Lead a brief yoga or stretching session outside the bus. Create a mini scavenger hunt around your stop and break the players into teams. Or let the players do their own thing — but enforce a set departure time so that you can stick to your schedule.
Get some sight-seeing in
Depending on the location of your away game, plan some fun activities away from the field.
New York City
In the Big Apple, you can’t go anywhere without attractions, from Times Square to Central Park to the Empire State Building.
Football stadiums in NYC
It’s about a 30-minute drive from Manhattan to the Meadowlands, where the NFL’s Jets and Giants share MetLife Stadium.
Los Angeles
When you think of LA, you think Hollywood, the Santa Monica Pier, Venice Beach, and the Walk of Fame. It’s all bright lights and beaches.
Football stadiums in LA
Just south of downtown, the iconic LA Memorial Coliseum still hosts the USC Trojans football team. Further south in Inglewood, the much-anticipated and recently named SoFi Stadium will open in the summer of 2020 to host the NFL’s Rams and Chargers.
Miami
Indulge in the glamour of South Beach or the exotic Everglades when in Miami. Take your pick.
Football stadiums in Miami
The Dolphins play at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, as do the college Miami Hurricanes.
San Francisco
When in San Francisco, wind your way down Lombard Street, gaze at the Golden Gate Bridge, and stroll the Embarcadero. Just remember, it’s the West Coast. Chill out.
Football stadiums in San Francisco
The NFL’s San Francisco 49ers actually play much closer to San Jose, at Levi’s Stadium. For coaches that grew up watching games at Candlestick Park, that site is in Bayview Heights, just south of the city center.
Montreal
Find a little slice of Europe in this bilingual Canadian city. Walk the cobblestone streets of Old Montreal, and don’t forget to stop for a poutine.
Football stadiums in Montreal
Montreal has never had an NFL team, but it still has a pretty cool football stadium. While you’re on the iconic Mount Royal, pop over to Percival Molson Stadium, home to the Canadian Football League’s Alouettes and the university McGill Redmen, with both city and mountain views for spectators.
Toronto
Pay a visit to Toronto, the financial capital of Canada with a nightlife to boast about. Climb the iconic CN Tower for the best view of the city.
Football stadiums in Toronto
The CFL’s Argonauts play at BMO Field, just off the waterfront Lake Shore Boulevard. A few steps to the east, the multipurpose Rogers Centre normally hosts baseball, but has held four Grey Cups and five Buffalo Bills home games.
September 24, 2019
How to Plan the Ultimate Tailgate Party
When it comes to every sports fan’s favorite pregame activity, there are two types of people: Those that tailgate, and those that tailgate with a bus. Does the first one even really count? We jest. All types of tailgating are respectable, but the charter bus tailgate is simply the ultimate. So hang out with us for the next couple minutes while we show you the ropes.
Why you should tailgate by charter bus
If you’ve made it this far, you’re already winning. We welcome you to the not-so-exclusive club of people that tailgate the right way.
For starters, consider the numbers game: When you tailgate by charter bus, you get to tailgate with more people. We’re no math experts, but our instincts tells us that’s a good thing. If your group size is somewhere in the twenties or beyond, you’ve gotta go with a bus. The coach bus, for instance, can hold up to 55 people, but more on that later. Another perk of the tailgate bus is safety. When you charter a bus, you’re assigned a personal driver, instantly avoiding the need for a designated driver or any chance of drinking and driving. Everyone can enjoy a few adult beverages without stressing about the drive home.
What kind of bus should you rent
That depends on a few things—size above all else. As mentioned, the coach bus holds 55 passengers, and that’s the biggest option. The minibus, on the other hand, is the smallest option with a capacity of 22. How far away is your tailgate? School buses are a staple of the short trip, while coach and mini coaches do well for longer trips thanks to amenities like on-board restrooms and air conditioning. Are you bringing barbecues, tents, food, and drinks with you? If so, you won’t want to be without the undercarriage storage that coach buses provide. Take a gander at our helpful guide before you make your selection. Renting for a travelling sports team? Consult our Guide to Sports Bus Rentals.
Psst: if you want to opt for a smaller vehicle option, then a sprinter van may be the right choice for you. A sprinter van is a smaller alternative to a bus rental, and are a great intimate (but comfortable) option for up to 15 passengers. Bus.com offers sprinter van rentals with or without a driver.
How early should you arrive
As early as possible! When you go to a sporting event, and in particular a football game, tailgating is equally important to the experience as the action on the field. Plan ahead and do your research. At Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, home of the New England Patriots, for example, the parking lot opens four hours prior to kickoff. That means for a 1:00 pm game, you can start your party at the crack of 9:00 am! The earlier you arrive at an event like a Pats game, the greater the selection of parking spots you’ll have. Plus, you’ll avoid some of the inevitable gameday traffic. Oh, and the more tailgating the better. Some stadiums require reservations for large vehicles like coach buses, so call ahead to get the low down.
Parking large vehicles at a stadium
Most stadiums have designated spaces for large vehicles to station themselves. Teams encourage tailgaters to use charter buses as it’s the safest and most enjoyable option. At Gillette Stadium, for instance, buses head to Lot 52 for oversize vehicle parking, accessible from P10 North and South off Route 1. In Buffalo, the Bills have a designated bus tailgate area called Tailgate Village where fans can go BYO, or use their on-site catering option. No matter which stadium you’re heading to, make sure you take the time to research your parking options.
Packing
Preparing for a tailgate is just like preparing for a game—you’ve got to have a game plan. Thankfully, a charter bus allows you to pack all the necessities in one vehicle, provided you opt for the coach bus with its a solid undercarriage. If you do opt for a school bus, be sure to save a few rows of seats for luggage. It is illegal and unsafe to store items in the aisle.
You may want a tent to mark your spot, protect you in the case of rain, or provide some shade on a hot day. You’ll definitely want a grill to cook all the delicious food you’re going to bring. And the beers are a no-brainer. Be sure to pack plenty of water too, as it’s important to stay hydrated during a long day of tailgating. Chairs, tables, coolers, tupperwares and plates for serving, and plastic utensils and cups could round out your party.
Food ideas and cooking tips
Before you determine your menu, check the venue’s regulations regarding barbecues. At Gillette Stadium, portable grills are allowed, but not immovable, open flames. Grilled eats are the staple of the tailgate, for football or otherwise. You can’t go wrong with burgers, wings, or ribs on the cue, but don’t be afraid to mix it up with classics like chili, party subs, or brats.
How to set up
There are a few basic components to setting up your tailgate. The first thing you need to do is mark your territory—no, not by lifting your leg. Line up your bus so that you can set up shop right in front of the undercarriage for easy access to all your goods. Plop down your tables, chairs, and coolers in a manner that says, ‘We’re here to party’, and you’re off to a good start.
Pro tip: Bring two tables—one to set up next to the grill, the other for serving, away from the cooking. Now, equip your space with garbage and recycling bags to keep it clean, put out snacks foods while the mains are cooking, and set up a flag or some team gear so everyone knows who you’re rooting for!
During the game
The number one rule of the tailgate party: Be nice. It should be fun and respectful for everyone, including your squad and your neighbors. It should also be safe. Don’t let people you don’t know on the bus, and always keep a headcount to ensure your whole gang sticks together.
Drinking is a major element of the tailgate, but don’t overdo it. Cans are always a better choice than bottles for cleanliness and safety. Make sure everyone on board knows and respects the rules of the bus operator—many of them let you drink on the bus, but you don’t want to be the one that ruins that privilege for everyone else. And check with your bus company regarding their rules on alcoholic beverages.
Be clean
Keeping your area clean is a basic sign of respect to the tailgaters around you, and the venue operator that welcomed you. Garbage bags are a good start, and you can also bring an empty plastic tub for the dirty dishes that you’ll be bringing back with you. You also want to keep the bus clean, so make sure any dirty items that are coming back on board are packed away in a tidy manner. Serve food early (and often!) so that by tailgate’s end, you’re not rushing to clean up while the bus driver waits.
August 20, 2019
Guide to Renting a Frosh Bus
Frosh is one of the most memorable times of anyone’s college or university experience. It’s also the first exposure new students get to their campus lifestyle and to their peers. But before the week begins, they’ll probably be feeling nervous about the experience; they may have just moved to a new city and don’t know anyone or they’re understandably nerve-racked about kickstarting the next chapter of their academic career. As a frosh organizer, it’s your job to help them feel comfortable and ensure they kick off their year in style.
Why rent a bus for frosh?
Apart from making sure froshies have an awesome time, it’s also your goal as a student organizer to create a safe and social environment for your freshmen. Student charter bus rentals accomplish both of those things. Since many students are new to the area and won’t know how to get around, a bus keeps them from having to scramble their way around the city trying to keep up, not to mention that it’ll keep them in a safe. And perhaps most importantly, the bus ride is an instant bonding experience – frosh-goers will immediately make new friends just by sitting down.
Types of frosh trips
The frosh party bus is as versatile as it is fun. It can escort your big group between bars during a classic frosh activity: The pub crawl. (In the process, it eliminates drinking and driving.) If your frosh includes a day trip to a nearby town or an afternoon at the beach, the bus is the best vehicle to get everyone there at the same time. And if you’ve got an outdoor activity lined up at a nearby park, you can carry all your equipment or gear in the bus’s roomy undercarriage storage while getting everyone and everything there on time.
Bus selection for frosh
Every frosh is different, and the bus you select for your event will depend on your needs. If, as mentioned above, you require storage for equipment, then the coach bus is the one for you. Of course, the classic yellow school bus will make your students feel like, well, students — and for shorter, no-frills-type trips, it’s a great option. For smaller groups, the minibus or mini coach bus may be more cost-effective — and easier to park.
How much does a frosh bus cost?
Each bus has its own cost structure, which you can learn more about here. In general, the school bus is the most cost effective, starting at $81/hour. The most luxurious option, the coach bus, starts at $115/hour. But you can learn more about choosing the bus that’s right for you here.
Fundraising suggestions
Where there’s fun, there’s usually money that’s been collected to fuel it. If your school doesn’t fully fund your frosh activities, you may have to turn to fundraising to finance your welcome week. We’re talking about students that aren’t made of money, after all. If you go that route, consult our guide to financing your bus rental before anything else. We put it in easy-to-understand terms with an infographic.
When should you book your bus?
We typically advise large group event organizers to book their bus rental six months ahead of time. Frosh is one of those things that happens every year at the same time. Depending on when the organizing committee gets together to plan the following year’s event, you may be able to hit that goal. Frosh Week is always the first week of school, in late August or early September. So you should reach out to Bus.com before the previous school year ends and the committee breaks for the summer.
Minors, waivers, medical forms, chaperones
If you do rent a bus, it’s important to follow some steps to ensure the students’ safety and that you’re doing things legitimately. Underage drinking is not permitted on our buses, so if your group is comprised mainly of minors, you may want to consider a dry frosh, or at least dry activities for the ones that use the bus. Each student should have identification with them at all times, and each bus carrying minors should have at least two chaperones on it. Even if your bus has no minors, a good rule of thumb is to have two frosh leaders on every bus.
Drinking on the bus
Drinking isn’t usually permitted on our buses, but to be sure, confirm with your booking specialist, since it always depends on the bus provider’s rules. Again, if there are minors on the bus, there should be no drinking. Doing the party bus thing with drinks flowing can be fun, but it can also go very wrong. If someone gets sick on the bus, the clean-up fee will probably come out of the deposit (typically around $200). To be safe, it may be best to avoid alcohol during bus rides completely. Trust us: Froshies will find other opportunities to drink!
Rideshare option
If your frosh schedule includes a trip to a big event that partners with Bus.com, and you don’t have enough people to fill one bus, you could consider the convenient rideshare option, wherein you book individual seats alongside other passengers rather than the entire bus for your group. Consult our guide to learn more about that option.
Decorating your bus
A big part of frosh week is school pride — you’re welcoming in a whole new class of students and they need to know from day one that they made the right choice. Announce yourselves to the city — and taunt your rival schools — by wrapping your bus in school colours, your school logo, or your sports team name. You could even organize a contest to come up with the best bus wrapping design!
Best frosh activities on the road
Again, it’s all about school pride! Teach your new schoolmates all the songs and chants everyone else already knows — that way they’ll know what they’re doing by the time they show up to their first school football or basketball game. Oh, and don’t forget about bashing your rival schools. As loyal as your frosh should be by week’s end, they should also be fully certified in chirping all the other schools.

Loading the bus
It’s important to consider loading zones around the city and around campus — places you can legally leave your bus sitting and running while students board. Make sure to check all the signs beforehand and build out a plan for pick-ups and drop-offs.
Communications on the road
How will you communicate with your group while on the road? Well, kids these days are pretty into their phones. So why not start there? Set up a group chat through iMessage or Facebook, or have everyone download Slack and message there. Share all important documents through their new school email addresses to get them accustomed to using them. Finally, create a fun hashtag for the week — you know they’ll be posting snaps with their new friends all over their socials! #BestFroshEver
August 14, 2019
A Patriots Fan’s Guide to Attending an NFL Game
Believe it or not, football season is almost back! And for NFL fans, every football Sunday is like Christmas morning, especially if you’re lucky enough to score some tickets to the game. A vital thing to note is that an NFL game is a two-part experience: firstly, the tailgate. Secondly, the game. Both are equally important, but the tailgate definitely requires more planning. With the Bus.com New England Patriots rideshare partnership, Pats fans can get the ultimate game day experience from the pickup downtown Boston to the tailgate to the game itself to the ride back home. Here’s what you need to know before you join us.
The difference between tailgating in a car and tailgating on a shuttle bus
If you’ve ever tailgated at a football game, you already know that the bigger the vehicle, the better. The more storage space, the better. And the more people that can arrive together, the better. Plus, if you can avoid making anyone get behind the wheel of their own vehicle (especially once a few beers have been thrown back), you’re already ahead of the game.
What to pack
The beauty of arriving to a football game — and in particular, the tailgate — by bus, is the storage space you can use to carry the items you need. Coach buses in particular conveniently feature enough undercarriage space for all your stuff. A proper tailgate requires some packing, including a tent to mark your spot and provide some shade. You’ll also probably want a portable barbecue or two to grill your eats, some coolers for the adult beverages, and some chairs, tables, and lawn games for your ultimate pregame setup. When you head to an NFL game, the tailgate is as much a part of the experience as the game — so come prepared!
Make a tailgate team
Football is a team sport — and so is tailgating! Combine forces with your bus mates to cover all your bases for the pregame party. Before the big game, you could make a list to assign tasks and items for each person to bring. For example, one person brings a portable barbecue for the group, one person brings games, and others take care of the food and drink situation. That way you won’t double up on anything, and you’ll minimize each person’s preparations. Plus, tailgate parties are designed to share everything, with your tailgate teammates and with your parking lot neighbours. Spread the love with everyone around you (as long as they’re wearing the right jersey) and they’ll reciprocate.
Get decked out
You’ve made all the preparations, now you just have to look the part. Acceptable attire at a Pats game includes: a Patriots home jersey, a Patriots away jersey, a Patriots throwback jersey… and that’s all! No, but seriously, you’ve got to show up decked out in Pats blue. A shirt, a hat, a jacket — anything will do. If you’re wearing a jersey, you could go with classic staples, like Tom Brady’s number 12 or Julian Edelman’s number 11. Or, you could really impress the diehards and throw it way back with Andre Tippett’s number 56 or Ty Law’s number 24, for example. Just remember, football season runs through the fall and temperatures can drop pretty significantly come nightfall. Make sure to bundle up under your jersey and be prepared for all kinds of weather.
What to eat
Burgers and hot dogs might be the easiest thing to grill and eat in a parking lot, but that won’t earn you any tailgate respect. Go for something a little more elaborate (and delicious), like carefully marinated steak tips, mini beef sliders, or a layered nacho dip. Flex your muscles with breakfast burritos (the tailgate starts early!) or homemade Bloody Marys (okay, not that early!). Or pay homage to the New England area with a warm clam chowder, a filling meal for a long day – and especially appreciated if it’s chilly out.
Stay hydrated
One of our tailgaters’ favourite things about the Bus.com football rideshare is that you can drink on the bus, getting the tailgate started early. But that also means you need to be extra careful about staying hydrated. Bring your beers on board, but bring lots of water, too. We strongly recommend bringing a reusable water bottle that you can fill along the way.
Music selection
Every tailgate party needs some music. So what’s considered good football music? That depends on your group, but it definitely needs to be energetic enough to get you fired up for the game. We suggest filling the playlist with some local artists like Aerosmith and Boston, and you won’t have any trouble making friends by playing Dropkick Murphys on loop. Throw This is Our House by Bon Jovi on your playlist — that’s the Pats touchdown song you’ll be hearing all day long.
Be prepared for any kind of weather
When you go to an NFL game, you’re pretty much committing to a seven-hour day. For a 1PM game, the tailgate might start at 10AM or earlier. The final buzzer will sound just after 4PM, and by the time you get back to the parking lot, you’ll have spent the equivalent of a full workday outdoors. The football season runs from September through December, meaning weather is ever-changing from game to game. An early season game might benefit from Boston’s beautiful late summer and early fall weather. For those games, bring sunscreen to protect your skin during what is sure to be a long day out in the sun. But come November and December, temperatures will drop and you’ll want to bundle up. Wear a second pair of socks, bring earmuffs and gloves, and bring a blanket to wear during the game.
Clean up after yourselves
Tailgates are fun, but they’re also messy. Think about all the food and drinks you’ll be bringing and consuming. You’re going to have to dispose of them somehow! It’s important to be respectful of your surroundings and your fellow tailgaters, so do the right thing and clean up after yourselves. Bring some trash bags so you can leave your tailgate spot exactly as it was when you got there. Remember, everyone’s there for the same reason: to have a good time and cheer on the Pats. Keep it clean so everyone can have a good time.
Rent your own bus for your large group
Booking a bus for your travelling group of football fans is not only a blast on game day, keeping your whole gang in one vehicle, it’s the easiest and most affordable way to get to and from the game, or any event for that matter. A charter bus offers some perks that no other form of transportation can. First off, all that undercarriage storage can handle even the most prepared tailgaters. And since we let you drink on the bus, the tailgate starts early. Pro tip: Choose a bus with a bathroom on board to avoid making constant stops as the drinks (and waters!) flow. Not sure which bus suits your group best? Consult our Quick Guide to get started.
Bus wrapping for group charters to Patriot games (or any other team games)
You might have the rowdiest crowd, the coldest beer, and the tastiest snacks, but to truly win the tailgate, you’ve got to do one more thing: wrap your bus in team colours. Bus wrapping is like branding your bus with a massive wallpaper. You can design it basically any way you like — get inspired here — and that can include a Patriots logo, a life-size image of Tom Brady, or whatever you can dream up. Whatever you do, let Bus.com’s expert partners print and install your bus wrap so you can go undefeated for your upcoming tailgate.
Final word
Since 2017, our team has operated a Pats fan-friendly shuttle service from downtown Boston to Gillette Stadium. Our shuttles are more than just a mode of transportation — they’re a fan rally on wheels, a moving tailgate, and a safe way to get in and out of the stadium. Now that the Pats are the defending champs, we’re back to deliver Pats fans to the game once again, from the banner raising ceremony all the way to another playoff run.
July 24, 2019
Transportation Tips for Seasonal Tour Operators
Peak tourism season is upon us, and that means it’s the busiest and most profitable time of year for tour operators. There’s so much to plan, and when the majority of a company’s business comes in the stretch of only a few months, things can get downright stressful. Transportation is one of the most important elements of the group tour, and Bus.com makes it easier to handle, taking into account the specific needs of each operator. If you’re looking for some helpful tips to facilitate your responsibilities this peak season, check out our tips for seasonal tour operators below.
Why should you charter a bus for group tours
For any group tour, be it a school trip or an office party, a charter bus is a no-brainer for transporting a large collection of people. Not only does a bus keep everyone together, but you enjoy the liberty of having your own driver with whom you can work to build a flexible itinerary. If ever you need to alter a route or mix up the schedule on the fly, you can do so as well. And with Bus.com, you’re connected with a booking specialist and will benefit from 24/7 support and access to our online trip platform.
When should you book your charter bus
When it comes to booking a charter bus, it’s always best to book as early as possible. We tend to recommend six months in advance, so if you have the luxury of planning your trip that far ahead, don’t hesitate, don’t wait, and don’t procrastinate. The peak season for bus operators coincides with peak season for tour operators, and both cities and travellers tend to all be on the same page, as far as busy season goes. All that being said, travellers are all looking for the same thing at the same time. So book as early as you can to make sure you get your ideal choice of bus.
How to book a bus for seasonal tours
Start by plugging your itinerary into our instant pricing tool to obtain a quote. The next step is to review the quotes we’ve provided for you and work with one of our booking specialists to choose the best bus for your tour group’s needs. Pro tip: If you have a full slate of bus trips on deck for the upcoming season, you can go ahead and book all your trips for the entire season in one go. Our experts will walk you through it to ensure it’s a breeze, getting a significant portion of your season’s work taken care of in no time. As a bonus, you can use our Book Now, Pay Later option to spread the costs out.
Get to know your booking specialist
Running a tour business is all about building relationships with partners and providers. When you work with Bus.com, your bus booking specialist is one of your most valuable partners. Our experts are here to answer any questions related to pricing, choosing a bus, insurance, and more. They’ll always help you find the very best bus operator at the very best price in your area.
How to keep track of your trips
Tracking your trips is easy when you work with Bus.com, because we provide you with a convenient and easy to understand platform that neatly organizes all of your trips, past and future. This makes it easy to refer back and look ahead for smooth organization. Twenty-four hours before your departure, you’ll receive a dispatch number and your driver’s name and number. We also provide you an emergency number to contact, and you can use that emergency support line at any time during your trip. Your convenience, safety, and comfort are our priorities.
Pick the perfect loading zone
There’s a lot that goes into organizing a bus tour, but we’re here to help you with intricate details you might not have considered ahead of time. For example, you have to plan pick-up and drop-off locations for each and every stop you make, and you have to consider the rules of every hotel, landmark, restaurant, or museum that your bus enters. Remember that coach buses can take up three or four parking spaces, so ask your hotel if they have designated spots for bus parking, or if they can block off a spot for you. You’ll find yourself calling and asking lots of establishments whether they have bus parking. If they don’t, don’t be shy to ask store managers with big parking lots whether you can use their space to stage and load your bus.
Airport pick-up
One of the great perks of chartering a bus rental for your tour group is the airport pick-up. Flying into a foreign city for a vacation, a business trip, or a sports tournament is exciting, but once you land there’s a level of stress that kicks in over hailing a cab or a transit bus and getting to your hotel — and when you’re travelling in a big group, that stress is only amplified. But when you can walk out of the airport as a group, and your charter bus is waiting for you, ready with a direct route to the hotel, that’s simply euphoric.
Seniors’ trips
While the busy season can be hectic for tour operators, the off-season can sometimes be a little too quiet. Thankfully, certain groups will prefer travelling in the off-season to avoid the crowds and higher rates. Seniors in particular like to get away during the lower volume seasons; wintertime is particularly popular for senior tours, as plenty of retired Northern snowbirds tend to journey down South to enjoy the sunnier states during that time. These groups can fill in that coveted off-season slow time for your tour company. For senior groups, we always suggest the coach bus as it’s the most comfortable and spacious option, loaded with perks like air conditioning, undercarriage storage, and wheelchair accommodation.
Marketing in the off-season
Many companies thrive off summer tours and suffer from particularly slow winters. What can they do to remedy the imbalance in their schedules? First, you can plan specialized tours during the holidays — Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, and Easter all fall in the so-called off-season. You can also seek out groups that are not reliant on the time of the year: wedding parties, corporate groups, traveling sports teams, and family reunions. Plus, you can use the slower off-season to plan ahead and prepare for the high-season when you are super busy. Use this time to double down on your marketing efforts.
July 18, 2019
A Coach’s Guide to Planning an Away Tournament
When you got into coaching, it was probably because you’re an expert in your sport, you’re a proficient manager of people, and you’re a shrewd game planner. You know how to teach the fundamentals of your game and help your players improve on them. You likely didn’t get into coaching so you could book hotels and plan trips — but that’s the reality of managing a travelling sports team. If you dread the logistics, we’re here to help. Here’s your guide to planning your team’s out-of-town tournament.
How to pick the right bus for your trip
Choosing the best bus for your tournament can be a bit like game planning for a big matchup; it requires you to assess your team, evaluate the challenges ahead, and make a timely decision that sets your players up for success. Start with your roster — how many players do you have? Depending on how old and how big they are, how much room will they require? Next, consider the trip itself: How far are you travelling, how much equipment are you bringing, and what other needs will the team have? Our four main bus types offer a range of amenities, like air conditioning, entertainment systems, and bathrooms. The coach bus best accommodates the team bringing lots of sports equipment along. The school bus — not just for school trips! — is good for shorter trips. The time and distance of your trip is one of your most important considerations, since you’re paying for your driver’s time. That will make a greater impact than the price difference between the different bus models. For visual types, coaches that like to draw up their plays on a big whiteboard, you’ll appreciate our infographic guide to choosing a bus type, a surefire way to ensure you make the right play call in a pressure situation.
For team of 15 players or less, a sprinter van may be the vehicle best suited for you. A sprinter van is a type of luxury passenger van that has sapcious legroom and amply storage space. Bus.com offers simple sprinter van rentals that can be reserved in our online trip builder.
When to book your bus
In baseball terms, you’ll want to reserve your charter bus in the first inning. In other words, right away. In real terms, six months ahead of the tournament or away game is a good guideline for booking that bus. Now, we know what you’re thinking: We might have our schedule six months in advance of the tournament, but our team roster isn’t even complete yet, so how can we collect money? We’ve got a clutch option for you: Book Now, Pay Later. Using this strategy, the team manager can book their team’s transportation well in advance, but can wait to collect team fees and only need to finalize payment 21 days before the departure date. How’s that for a game changer?
How much do charter buses cost
While prices may deviate by city or time of year, there are four standard price points to keep in mind for our bus fleet: the coach bus at $115/hour, the mini coach bus at $105/hour, the mini bus at $98/hour, and the school bus at $81/hour. Book easy and affordable private bus travel for your team trip using our quote tool online.
Funding your tournament transportation
If your game plan includes fundraising efforts to offset the costs of your team transportation, take a look at our bus rental infographic, which’ll tell you exactly how hard you need to go to afford each bus. (Have you noticed, we have an infographic for everything?!) For a lot of teams, away tournaments may not have been part of the original preseason budget. So that team bus might feel like another burden on the wallets of your team’s parents. But if you consider alternative transportation options (everyone takes their own car) everyone will be saving time and money by pooling the costs into one team bus — not to mention the priceless bonds that are formed on those long team road trips!
What and how to pack for an away tournament
Uniforms? Check. Equipment? Check. Those are the basics, but have you considered things like food and formalwear? It’s smart to pack healthy snacks on a team bus so the players don’t go hungry, plus you’ll be avoiding a potential fast food stop — never a good idea before a big game. Bigger buses like the coach will offer plenty of storage space for things like a hard cooler or grocery bags. Now what’s that about formalwear? Well, some teams like to arrive at games with their players wearing suits and ties, and your tournament might have a banquet that requires a jacket. These can be tricky to pack, so be sure to consult our carry-on packing guide before you do so. Pro tip for the future pros: If you’re travelling in a suit, take that jacket off as you board the bus. Sitting down with it on will wrinkle it.
Transporting Minors
Travelling with minors? You’ll need to get some documents in order before doing so. Each minor will need to have a signed document of permission from their guardian. The team must designate a chaperone that is responsible for each child, and that chaperone also has to sign a document acknowledging their responsibility.
Book accommodations and other activities
When you roll into town in your stylish team bus, your driver can take you directly to the team hotel for drop-off. But before that, we suggest seeking a deal on a hotel to reduce the cost for each player. Most hotels offer a group rate for bulk bookings that can make it a little easier on the budget. While you’re in town for the tournament, you may want to schedule a few other activities during downtime. If the host city has a pro sports team that’s playing while you’re there, why not snag some tickets? If you’re visiting a city most of your players have never been to, arrange a sightseeing tour on the team bus to explore landmarks. And for high school teams, consider meeting with your seniors to discuss visiting college campuses in the area.
Airport pickup
If the tournament’s far enough that you’ll be flying in, you’ve just added an extra layer of planning that can easily slip through the cracks. Thankfully, your charter bus can always make that all-important airport pick up to help avoid cab fare and dealing with directions in a foreign city. Your experienced driver will know exactly how to get you to the hotel or field and will take the thinking out of it for your coaches and parents following a long flight.
Show team spirit
Team spirit isn’t reserved for the field or court — you should bring it with you the entire weekend. Since you’ll be spending quite a bit of time on the team bus, send a message to the whole city that your team is in town by covering your bus in team colours and your logo. Branded bus wraps turn your charter bus into a travelling team mascot and get attention everywhere you go.
Communication on the road
For safety and efficiency, you’ll need a convenient method of communication while away from home. What’s the best way for your coaches, players, and parents to communicate during the tournament? Maybe you can create a big text message thread or a Facebook group where everyone can chat. If not everyone has a device they can use away from home, implement a buddy system to make sure everyone is accounted for. Create a digitized itinerary that you can update in real time to provide constant updates.
July 16, 2019
A Coach’s Guide to Planning an Away Tournament in Miami
When it comes to planning that big out-of-town tournament for your sports team, there are just so many things to think about. As the coach, you’ll be juggling hotel bookings while collecting funds, putting together your lineups and training your players for some elevated competition all at the same time. Team transportation is probably the last thing on your mind. Thankfully, it’s the first thing we think about, and we’re here to help. Consult our guide to planning that tournament in one of America’s biggest cities: Miami. Put us in, Coach. We’re ready to play!
When to book your bus
Right away! We always recommend booking your bus six months ahead of time, but we recognize that tournaments aren’t always planned that far out. Our advice to you in that case is to simply book as soon as you have confirmed dates and locations for your tournament.
Which bus is right for you?
Okay, so you’ve settled on a team bus as your mode of transportation for the big away tournament. Now comes the question: which bus is best for your group? We’ll simplify things for you. If your team has to bring lots of large equipment — we’re thinking football or hockey teams — then you should opt for the coach bus. For shorter trips with less equipment — say a basketball team from within the state — a classic yellow school bus, minibus, or sprinter van might be better. And since the largest portion of the cost of your charter bus is the driver’s time, the price difference between school buses and coach buses isn’t all too drastic.
Funding your tournament transportation
We know what you might be thinking: a team bus is just one more expense your team has to incur. True, but for all the reasons we’ve already mentioned, it’s just plain worth it. If you need help fitting the team bus into your budget, start with this helpful infographic we’ve put together. Our guide to funding bus rentals puts the fun in funding, and it will open your eyes to exactly what it will take to bring in the money for your team’s wheels. Once you’re ready to book, you can visit our website for a custom quote.
Packing tips
Many sports teams enforce a dress code, and if yours is one of those teams that likes to suit up in transit, we’ve got some advice you might be interested in. First, take that suit jacket off when you sit down to avoid wrinkles. (You’ll thank us later.) If you’re travelling with sports equipment (which you probably are) keep it out of the aisles. Make sure to choose a bus with undercarriage and overhead storage to avoid the danger and inconvenience of storing your stuff on or between seats. Finally, your road trip can be a crucial bonding experience for your team. As a coach or manager, think carefully about how to seat your players. If you let them choose where they sit, they’ll probably wind up in the same cliques and gangs as usual, so you might consider sitting players with those they aren’t as well-acquainted with, arranging them by position, or putting younger, quieter players with your team captains and leaders.
Need more tips? Check out our Packing Guide for Short/Medium/Long Bus Rides.
Transporting Minors
Travelling with minors requires a few documents, and it’s best to get these in line as early as possible because you never know how long they’ll take to collect. Each tour or sports group must have a designated chaperone, and that person should be responsible for collecting all pertinent documents and keeping them in a folder during travel. First, each minor travelling in the group must have a guardian sign a document of permission and acknowledge the chaperone has responsibility over their child. Second, the chaperone must sign a document acknowledging their responsibility.
Airport Pickup
As one of the United States’ most populous cities and one of its most popular travel destinations, you can be sure that Miami’s airport is super busy most days of the year. In fact, in 2018 it was America’s 13th busiest airport. So it goes without saying that transportation in and out can be a hassle. The charter bus continues to be a great option for airport pickups, and when you’re travelling with a large group or team, that is more true than ever. Forget parking headaches and confusing gate signs — arrive as a team with the help of an experienced driver.
Important Miami Sports Facilities
Cobb Stadium
Cobb is a multi-purpose stadium on the main campus at the University of Miami — or, as students call it, The U. The Hurricanes’ track and field teams, and its women’s soccer team call the 500-seat stadium home. In the Coral Gables neighbourhood, you’ll find plenty of restaurants and cafes where you can grab a bite between games.
Credit: Pinterest
Knight Complex
The Knight Sports Complex was gifted to Miami University by the famous newspaper publisher, James L. Knight, and houses hard surface courts for basketball and volleyball. Its locker rooms and coaching offices are state-of-the-art.
Credit: Pinterest
Schwartz Center
The 30,000 square foot multipurpose athletic facility is the hub for Miami U’s student-athletes. It features a 100-seat auditorium, a training room, and a players’ lounge. Browse the first floor for all Hurricanes trophies, from football national championships to basketball regular season championships.
Credit: Hurricane Sports
Riccardo Silva Stadium
The Florida International University campus features a 20,000 seat football stadium. It was newly renamed for Miami FC owner Silva, who donated money to the school so it could make improvements, including a Jumbotron scoreboard and a FieldTurf Revolution 360 playing surface.
Credit: Miami.curbed
Watsco Center
Along with University of Miami men’s and women’s basketball games, the Watsco Center also hosts concerts and trade shows. It’s the largest arena built on the university’s campus.
Credit: Watsco Center
Alex Rodriguez Park
The Hurricanes baseball field is named after the former MLB star who hails from Miami. The field was the beneficiary of a $3.9 million donation by A-Rod himself, the largest gift the school’s ball team has ever received. The team, and the field, has produced gifts of its own in the form of future MLB players Ryan Braun, Pat Burrell, and Yasmani Grandal.
Credit: Hurricane Sports
Sites to visit while you’re in Miami
Hard Rock Stadium
If you’re lucky enough to be in Miami during football season, and specifically when the Dolphins have a home game, you should try and score tickets to the NFL’s Hard Rock Stadium during a break in the tournament. Not only will it be a fun afternoon or evening out for the team, your charter bus will make getting there and tailgating a breeze!
Credit: Seat Geek
Marlins Park
For summertime tournaments, what better way to spend a free evening as a team than a night at the ballpark? The 2012-built Marlins Park is a marvel on its own, and it’s a bonus if you can catch an appearance by MLB stars and Marlins division rivals like Bryce Harper, Freddie Freeman, and Jacob DeGrom.
Credit: Fish Stripes
American Airlines Arena
Remember that iconic Ray Allen buzzer-beater in Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals to send the Heat to Game 7? It’s one of many epic moments that have happened at AmericanAirlines Arena. It was also the home of the infamous Big 3 Welcome Party in 2010, when 13,000 fans showed up to greet new signings Lebron James and Chris Bosh, joining Dwyane Wade.
Credit: Rate Your Seats
July 8, 2019
Must-See Group Tour Locations in Miami
Planning a tour to Miami with a group? Here are some Miami must-sees you don’t want to miss. You can add any of these to your existing itinerary, or you can build an entire trip around one or more of them. If your group is just a road trip away, you’ll definitely want to consult our bus options to find the one that best suits your needs. If you’re flying in, you can arrange for a bus pick-up from Miami International Airport to a hotel or any one of these destinations.
Museum Destinations
Miami enjoys one of the nicest climates on Earth, but when you need a breather from the sunshine, head inside to one of its many world-class museums.
Perez Art Museum Miami
1.5 miles from downtown Miami
This global modern art showcase sits in a dreamy location on the water, across Biscayne Bay from Watson Island. Its digital education program caters to teens and younger children making it a top option for school tours. Perez has plenty of free programming including no-cost tours six days a week and Second Saturdays each month, where in-house teachers lead groups in educational and fun art-inspired activities.
Credit: PAMM
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens
2.5 miles from downtown Miami
The 1920s Euro-inspired villa off South Miami Avenue will garner oohs and aahs from the bus ride in. Your tour group will be racing off the bus toward the authentically-designed 28-acre estate to admire its 34 rooms surrounding a beautiful courtyard. Fans of Bad Boys 2 will recognize it from the movie.
Credit: WPH South Beach
Miami Children’s Museum
3 miles from downtown Miami
Another great field trip destination, the Children’s Museum on Watson Island is where education meets entertainment for youngsters. The museum has a futuristic design and hosts summer camps and Mommy & Me classes. For your tour groups, kids can learn about world culture and financial literacy, with a unique Bank of America exhibit.
Credit: Skolnick
Phillip and Patricia Frost Science Museum
1.3 miles from downtown Miami
While it’s close to the Miami city center, it’s still a good idea to arrive by charter bus to the Science Museum’s 250,000 square foot campus. Four buildings, including an aquarium and planetarium, house sea creatures and host laser shows. The drive in to the museum’s bayside location is a treat in itself.
Credit: Youtube
Nature-lovers’ Destinations
When you get past the vibrant urban pockets of high-end dining and shopping, you’ll find that Miami is a nature-lovers’ paradise. Get outside and explore!
Everglades Safari Park
30 miles from downtown Miami
The best way to see the alligators at the Everglades Safari Park? By airboat! Follow a guided eco-tour to go deep into the marshes and streams of the largest tropical wilderness in the United States. For corporate groups or large celebrations, the family-owned park also boasts an event space that can host up to 500 people.
Credit: Miami and Beaches
Tropical Park
10 miles from downtown Miami
This 275-acre park southwest of downtown Miami is the place to go for groups looking to get active in the city. Aside from trails for cycling, walking, or running, it has a fitness center and boxing facility, plus fields and courts for football, soccer, softball, racquetball, basketball, and volleyball. Its picnic and grilling areas are open to the public.
Credit: Trip Advisor
Jungle Island
3 miles from downtown Miami
Credit: CT Moore
It was interesting enough to attract Winston Churchill for a visit in 1946, and it’ll do the same for you! On Watson Island next to the Children’s Museum, Jungle Island features a scenic bus ride in. Not only does it provide a close look at exotic animals like orangutans and lemurs, visitors can skydive, zipline, play escape rooms, and try a flight simulator.
Zoo Miami
23 miles from downtown Miami
As the only subtropical zoo in continental North America and with South Florida’s amazing climate, Zoo Miami is able to welcome a collection of animal species (more than 500) from Asia, Africa, and Australia. Visitors to the park enjoy lots of interaction with the animals. A private outdoor pavilion can host your birthday party or event with lunch and activities included.
Credit: Zoo Miami
Seaquarium
5 miles from downtown Miami
Just five miles from Downtown Miami on the Virginia Key, you’ll feel like you’re in a different world at Seaquarium. The park entrance welcomes you with Caribbean flamingos, then you can swim with dolphins, pet bamboo sharks and cleaner fish in the touch pool, and interact with African penguins and endangered manatee rescues.
Credit: WPTV
Sports Destinations
Miami has pro sports teams in three of the four major North American leagues. Literally any month of the year, either MLB’s Marlins, the NFL’s Dolphins, or the NBA’s Heat are in action.
Marlins Park
2 miles from downtown Miami
There’s nothing quite like a night at the ballpark, and the Marlins offer one of professional baseball’s most unique experiences. Major League Baseball’s greenest park, opened in 2012, provides fans classic ballpark food with a Latin twist while enjoying the game. And with live entertainment and a pool area, a night at Marlins Park is about more than baseball.
Credit: Ball parks of baseball
Hard Rock Stadium
15 miles from downtown Miami
One of the NFL’s most historic franchises, the Miami Dolphins, plays at Hard Rock Stadium. Fifteen miles removed from downtown, chartering a bus for the big game is an easy choice. Football Sundays are always traffic-heavy, and you’ll crush the pregame tailgate when your group arrives together with food and beverages conveniently packed in storage.
Credit: sbnation
American Airlines Arena
1 mile from downtown Miami
AmericanAirlines Arena is right downtown, making it a go-to destination for big events in the city. It’s not only home to the three-time NBA champion Miami Heat, it also hosts A-list concerts. Just this summer, it’ll welcome Jennifer Lopez, Shawn Mendes, and Khalid. While it’s close in distance, parking can be downright brutal, so a bus makes your night at the arena hassle-free.
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Miami Cultural Destinations
From public galleries to performance art, you never know what you’ll find on the streets of Miami.
Miami Design District
4 miles from downtown Miami
Miami’s most vibrant, lit-up part of town dazzles locals and tourists alike with some of the most unique architecture you’ll find anywhere. More than that, there’s high-end shopping and dining lining the streets. You’ll have a hard time believing this used to be one of the city’s dingy neighbourhoods.
Credit: Miami Design District
Wynwood Walls
2.5 miles from downtown Miami
Wynwood Walls made its debut during Art Basel in 2009, the brainchild of the now-late Tony Goldman. Since then, the free public gallery has played home to some of the world’s best street art. What began as a collection of murals throughout the district expanded to include decorated doors and green space at the city’s only outdoor street art park.
Credit: Culture Passport
Miami Beach Boardwalk
8.5 miles from downtown Miami
The scenic stroll on Miami Beach runs 40 blocks along the shore from Indian Beach Park to 5th Street. With ocean on one side and restaurants, bars, and cafes on the other, you can choose to sprinkle stops along the way or just take in the sights all around you. For the best experience, let your charter bus drop you off and pick you up.
Credit: Miami Beach Advisor
Bayside Market
1 mile from downtown Miami
There’s only one thing that should factor into your decision on whether to include Bayside Marketplace on your itinerary: It’s the number one most visited attraction in all of Miami. The two-story open-air shopping center on the marina is more than stores and restaurants: It also has island cruises, bike tours, and daily live music.
Credit: Bayside Marketplace
E11even Night Club
1 mile from downtown Miami
One of Miami’s most popular, high-end clubs, E11even Night Club is nightlife like you’ve never seen it. DJs and live music just set the tone for burlesque performers and trapeze dancers in an all-out entertainment setting. It’s in a prime downtown location, and a charter bus is the safest, most convenient transport option for a big group.
Credit: 11miami
July 5, 2019