From the Hollywood Hills to downtown Los Angeles, LA is a city rich with culture and flair. It’s known around the world for its stunning beaches and spectacular surfing destinations, but there’s a huge variety of things to do and see for locals and visitors alike. If you’re planning to rent a bus to travel in L.A, chances are you’ll be flying into Los Angeles International Airport. LAX is not only the largest airport in L.A., but it’s one of the largest hubs on the West Coast and one of the busiest airports in the world! Don’t let its size worry you, though. With a charter bus rental with Bus.com, you can avoid the hassle of hailing expensive cabs or figuring out local public transport after a long flight. We’ll pick you up right at the airport and whisk you to the doorstep of your hotel, hassle-free.
Do you need to charter a bus from LAX?
With group travel, the final leg of the journey can be one of the most challenging. While it’s possible to rely on taxi or rideshare services when you touch down as a group at LAX, they tend to be best for individuals or very small groups, and they can quickly become complicated and expensive for larger groups.
Whether you’re a corporate group in town for a product launch, an academic faculty attending a conference, or a bunch of friends together for a wedding, a charter bus rental or shuttle service is the more reliable, affordable choice. Also, choosing to rent a bus to travel means you won’t need to split your group up on the move, and specific bus types like the coach bus or mini coach bus have dedicated storage bays for luggage or equipment, which can be crucial for sports teams.
How far in advance should you book your transportation from LAX?
The short answer is you should rent a bus as soon as possible! Generally speaking, we suggest booking your charter bus rental or shuttle service at least six months before your departure date. This is especially important if you’re planning your trip during peak season, from around March or April to September or early October. Six months of advance time can go a long way in making sure you can reserve the perfect vehicle for your needs, with all the amenities and features your group will require. Booking early is one of the best ways to get a lower price for your trip. We also offer a Book Now/Pay Later payment plan, so you can secure a lower price option today and pay closer to the date of your trip.
How much should an LAX charter bus cost?
The cost of your LAX charter bus depends on a few factors, including what vehicle type you chose. We’ve detailed the costs of all of them to help you with the choice of your vehicle, but keep in mind there are several other factors that affect the cost of your charter rental, including, the time of the year, local gas prices, and how far you’ll be traveling from the airport. That may sound confusing, but it’s helpful to remember the most important factor that goes towards determining the price of your rental, apart from your vehicle choice, is your driver’s total on-duty time. Check out our blog if you’d like more information on how your driver’s time contributes to the cost of your charter or shuttle bus rental price, or for creative ways to to finance your charter or shuttle bus rental.
Coach Bus
The coach bus is our largest bus type, and specific models have seating for up to 55 passengers. Coach buses also have our most expansive selection of optional amenities available, including TV/DVD equipment, air conditioning, WiFi connectivity, and electric outlets for charging devices. Besides these optional amenities, coach buses have an onboard restroom that comes standard and undercarriage storage bays for baggage and equipment. The average cost of renting a coach bus ranges from $600 to $1,200 per day.
Mini Coach Bus
The mini coach bus is a smaller version of the full-sized coach bus and, depending on their configuration, can have a seating capacity of between 32 and 40 passengers. Much like their larger coach bus counterpart, most mini bus configurations also feature a spacious undercarriage luggage compartment and many of the same selection of optional amenities that are available on a coach bus. However, not all models have an onboard restroom. The mini coach bus typically costs between $550 and $1,000 per day and makes a great bus for a shuttle service.
School Bus
The classic yellow school bus is mainly associated with student groups, field trips, and sports teams, but that doesn’t mean that’s all it’s good for. School bus rentals in LA are extremely versatile, and they’re also one of our most cost-effective options, for passengers of all ages. School buses are a popular choice with tour groups, shuttle services, and even as quirky photo backdrops and VIP transports for lighthearted weddings. School buses have seating for up to 47 passengers and they typically cost between $389 and $850 per-day.
Minibus
The minibus is one of our smaller vehicles. They cost between $400 and $900 per-day and seat up to 21 passengers in most configurations. While minibus rentals aren’t typically the vehicle of choice for longer trips or larger groups, it’s frequently relied on for shuttle services, especially in urban environments. They’re popular for ferrying wedding guests between the ceremony and the reception, and they make efficient corporate shuttles for getting attendees between conference venues. They’re also great vehicles for tour groups and they’re a common sight at all the stops along the Hollywood Walk of Fame or the Santa Monica Pier.
Sprinter Van
Sprinter vans are a newer type of hybrid vehicle that skirt the line between vans and buses. They’re adaptable and considerably smaller than a full-sized coach bus or mini coach bus, which can be helpful when parking near busy LA landmarks. LA sprinter vans rentals also have a variety of configurations and seat anywhere between 12 and 15 passengers. The average daily cost of renting a Sprinter van ranges from $350 to $700 per day. Uniquely for Sprinter vans, we also offer driverless Sprinter van charter rentals. For more information, please consult our page on renting Sprinter vans without a driver.
When is the best time of year to visit LA?
In LA, it seems like there’s always something going on. And somehow , no matter what time of the year it is, knowing exactly where to park in LA is crucial. The most popular time to visit is between the months of April and October, with crowds reaching their peak in June and July. That said, while that’s the most popular time of the year to visit, it may actually be the worst time to plan your trip if you can avoid it. Planning your trip in the off-season usually means it’s much easier to rent a bus type that’s perfect for your needs, even if you’re booking at the absolute last minute. Not only that, but booking during quieter months can help you avoid surge pricing and can contribute to getting the best charter bus and shuttle bus rental prices available. However, it doesn’t factor in quite as much as your driver’s total on-duty time.
Add these iconic Los Angeles landmarks to your travel itinerary
What is a trip to Los Angeles without visiting all of its iconic sites? Be sure to add the following spots to your travel itinerary to make the absolute most of your Los Angeles visit.
Hollywood Sign
Even in a city of iconic landmarks, the Hollywood Sign in LA’s Hollywood Hills stands out. Perched on the side of Mount Lee, the bright white letters were originally put up in 1923, and actually first spelled out Hollywoodland. At the time, the sign was only a large-scale advertising campaign for a planned real estate development and no one suspected it would become one of the most recognizable and widely photographed destinations in the world. Today, you can’t get too close to the sign itself, but there are quite a few hiking trails to get interesting angles and loads of excellent vantage points from Griffith Park, including from the Griffith Observatory itself.
Hollywood Walk of Fame
In many ways, the Walk of Fame is the beating heart of Hollywood. This outdoor, public walking district is dedicated to the glitz and glamor of the silver screen. It features more than 2,690 decorative terrazzo stars embedded into the sidewalks, honoring some of Hollywood’s most iconic personalities. The neighborhood is also densely packed with other iconic locations, including the TCL Chinese Theatre, the El Capitan Theatre, and Madame Tussauds Hollywood. The walk itself runs 1.3 miles from Hollywood Boulevard between Gower Street to La Brea Avenue. It also features short segments of Marshfield Way running diagonally between Hollywood and La Brea and Vine Street between Tucca Street and Sunset Boulevard.
Disneyland
Disneyland is almost synonymous with LA, and just mentioning the ever-popular theme park is enough to stir happy memories in both kids and adults. Disneyland is located in downtown Anaheim, about half an hour drive by charter bus to the Southeast of Los Angeles. Walt Disney himself took it upon himself to design major aspects of the park, and he personally supervised its construction to make sure it would really live up to its nickname as the “happiest place on earth.” Today, the park spans 85 acres. It features more than 60 attractions and welcomes over 44,000 visitors each and every day.
Santa Monica Pier
Reaching out onto the Pacific Ocean, the legendary Santa Monica Pier is a great place to unwind and connect with the cultural roots of the city. Located in Ocean Park, a small section within the hip and sophisticated Santa Monica neighborhood, the Santa Monica Pier has a little something for everyone. From restaurants and gift shops to educational aquariums and miles of gorgeous, white sand beaches, the area is an enjoyable experience for folks of all ages. Originally built in 1916, the pier has been modernized multiple times to suit the flavor of the age. These days, the site attracts theme park lovers from across the globe, and the iconic Ferris wheel is actually solar-powered!
Dolby Theater
The Dolby Theatre is one of the most recognizable live performance halls in the world. It’s also one of the most enduring symbols of the Hollywood entertainment industry. The theater itself is on Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue and is part of the larger Hollywood and Highland Center shopping mall and entertainment complex. The complex is also home to the beloved TCL Chinese Theatre and sits right across Hollywood Blvd. from the venerable El Capitan Theatre. The Dolby Theatre’s stage hosts a huge variety of events, including live concerts, symphony orchestra performances, and charity events, but it’s best known as the home of the annual Academy Awards, having hosted the event since 2002.
Getty Museum
Often referred to simply as “the Getty” by locals, the J. Paul Getty Museum actually has two campuses, the Getty Center in LA’s Brentwood neighborhood and the Getty Villa in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood. The Getty center is actually the newer site is home to pre-20th century European paintings, drawings, manuscripts, sculptures, and photographs from all over the world, while the original Getty Villa hosts art from Ancient Greece, Rome, and Etruria. If you’re planning a visit, take a look at our in-depth guide to LA parking for the best pick-up and drop-off spots for your group.
Los Angeles is a cultural powerhouse with loads of exciting locations and landmarks. Whether you’re in town for a field trip to Disneyland, a conference at the LA convention center, or a wedding at the St.Vibiana Cathedral, an airport shuttle from Los Angeles International Airport is a surefire way to get your events off on the right foot. When you rent a bus to travel from the airport it ensures no one in your group gets separated after their flight, no one has trouble finding venues or hotels, and no one is late!
We have the tools to make booking your LA charter bus rental from LAX quick and easy, and our customer care team is always on hand to help you get the best shuttle bus rental prices available and address any questions you may have. Reach out to us for advice on choosing the right bus type, or check out our ultimate guide to charter bus rentals for the inside scoop.
