Bloomington Charter Bus Rental FAQs
About Busrentalbloomington.com
Busrentalbloomington.com is an advertising and quote comparison website that lets you compare bus rental options and pricing from a network of bus companies serving Bloomington through a national booking company. Fill out one quick form and you're taken straight to a results page showing vehicles, packages, and pricing from multiple transportation companies serving the area — no account needed, no waiting on callbacks. Busrentalbloomington.com is an advertising and referral website and does not own or operate vehicles. It exists to make finding the right bus faster, easier, and more competitive than calling around on your own.
No — Busrentalbloomington.com is a comparison and referral website. You use it to compare vehicles and pricing from a network of independently owned bus companies serving Bloomington and the Twin Cities metro, and the transportation itself is carried out by those independently owned companies. Think of it as the easy way to see more options in one place: you fill out one form, you land on a results page through a national booking platform, and you choose the bus that works for your group.
The site connects you to transportation — it does not provide it.
When you search on your own, you call one company, get one price, and hope it fits. With Busrentalbloomington.com, you fill out one form or make one call to 612-453-3590 and instantly see options and different price points from a network of providers serving Bloomington — all on one results page, in seconds. More vehicles, more packages, and more competition for your booking means better odds of finding the right bus at the right price without spending your afternoon on the phone.
An independently owned transportation company serving Bloomington. Once you fill out a quote, you're taken to a national booking platform where you choose the vehicle that suits the trip — the size, the amenities, the price point that works for your group. What you're selecting there is a vehicle and a price, not a company off a list.
The transportation company confirmed to your booking handles the actual trip, and you receive that confirmation after booking.
Booking a Charter Bus
Fill out the form on this page or call 612-453-3590, and you're taken straight to a search results page on a national booking company's website. That booking company partners with independently owned operators serving Bloomington and the Twin Cities metro, so the results page shows vehicles and pricing for your trip. From there, you choose the vehicle and price that fits your group and book directly on their website — all in minutes.
What you're choosing there is a vehicle and a price, and the whole process takes no longer than booking anything else online.
Your pickup city, where you're going, how many people are riding, and how many hours you need the bus. That's the minimum to get a quote started. The more detail you add — your stops, start and end times, any luggage or equipment, and the amenities your group needs — the more accurately the quote comes back and the better your chances of finding the right vehicle at the best price.
More detail in means better options out.
Right away — there's no waiting on a callback. As soon as you submit the form, you go straight to the search results page on the national booking platform and see vehicles and pricing for your trip immediately. No inbox checking, no phone tag.
If you'd rather talk through the details with someone, call 612-453-3590 and a live agent can walk you through your options and put together a package for your trip.
The earlier the better on a popular date, and for a large group or a specific vehicle, further ahead is always the smarter move. That said, because Busrentalbloomington.com puts your request in front of a whole network of providers serving Bloomington rather than one operator with one yard, short-notice trips are often still workable — that's the real advantage of comparing a network instead of calling a single company and being told no. Don't talk yourself out of submitting a last-minute request.
Submit the form or call 612-453-3590 and see what's available for your date.
All of those can be requested. Hourly, or as-directed, keeps the vehicle with your group for a set 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 them back. A multi-stop itinerary runs a set route with several stops along the way, like a brewery crawl through Northeast Minneapolis or a shuttle loop between a hotel near Mall of America and a venue in Saint Paul. A multi-day booking covers a trip that runs across more than one day.
Which format fits comes down to the trip itself — and a multi-stop or overnight itinerary should be laid out in full when you submit the request so it comes back timed and 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. Those are real planning ranges — and pricing is not one size fits all. The type of bus, the date, the distance, the number of stops, and how busy that date is across the Bloomington and Twin Cities market all move the number.
The range is a starting point, not your price. Fill out the form online and see pricing for your actual trip in seconds, or call 612-453-3590 — going through the trip with someone can turn up better packages and pricing than you'd find navigating it 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 outside the metro area — may carry a per-mile charge instead.
A long day, generally around eight hours or more, often comes back as a day rate rather than stacked hours, because the vehicle is booked for so much of the day that a flat daily rate is simply more straightforward. Submitting the actual trip details is what determines which structure applies to your booking.
The type and size of bus, how long it's booked for, the date and day of the week, the distance and the route, the number of stops, and how busy that date is locally — those are the main movers. In the Bloomington market, Sunday through Thursday prices lower than Friday and Saturday, and daytime prices lower than those same evenings. Booking the size your group actually needs beats over-booking capacity you won't fill.
And grouping riders into one or two pickup points instead of five — say, a single hotel near Mall of America rather than four separate addresses across the metro — cuts the hours on the clock and brings the total down. Book as early as you can on peak dates, and submit the full itinerary so the quote comes back on your actual trip rather than a rough estimate.
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 — typically seating roughly 40 to 56 people — and the itinerary is entirely the group's own. Where you go, when you leave, and when you come back are set by the booking, not by a transit schedule.
On the outside, a full-size charter bus is a tall coach body with high windows running the length of both sides and luggage bay doors along the lower skirt. 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 from one trip to the next. On the inside, you'll find forward-facing seats in pairs on either side of a center aisle, with seat fabric in cloth or leather depending on the make and model.
Overhead racks run the length of the cabin, and a restroom sits toward the rear. Common makes include the MCI J4500, the Van Hool CX45, and the Prevost H3-45 — all full-size coaches with the same general layout, varying in finish and feature level.
Some of the amenities available on charter buses include reclining cloth or leather seats, individual climate controls, onboard restrooms, overhead and undercarriage storage, WiFi and power outlets, a PA system, and TV monitors. Features may include any or all of those depending on the make, model, and operator — what a specific coach carries is confirmed during booking, not before. If your group has amenities that matter — WiFi for a working ride, extra storage for equipment, or accessible seating — note them with the trip details when you submit the request.
That narrows which vehicles come back to the ones that actually fit.
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, 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: extra legroom configurations and wheelchair positions each take seats out.
Because Busrentalbloomington.com works with a network of providers, the exact coach on any given trip depends on what's available for your date — so submit the trip or call 612-453-3590 if the group needs a specific capacity confirmed.
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. That's the standard layout across full-size coaches. The row count drops on coaches built with extra legroom or a wheelchair position, and some coaches tier the front rows slightly for the sightline.
The 14-row, center-aisle layout is what most groups are riding.
A full-size charter bus is 45 feet long and 8.5 feet wide. To put that in perspective: roughly three cars parked end to end. That's the measurement people are working with when they're checking whether one fits in a parking area, a loading zone, or a venue approach.
Shorter coaches exist — most commonly around 35 feet — but the 45-foot coach is the standard full-size vehicle you'll see on most trips.
A full-size charter bus stands about 11 to 12 feet tall depending on the model, and traffic engineers design clearances for 12 feet. The reason people ask is usually clearance — a parking structure, a covered drop-off, a low bridge on the route. A useful comparison: a little taller than the first floor of a house.
If a route passes through a covered structure or a low-clearance area, that's worth flagging when you submit the trip details.
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. And even on coaches that do have it, onboard WiFi runs off a cellular connection and is built for light use across a full coach — phones, messaging, browsing — not for 50 or 60 people doing heavy data work at once.
If your group needs WiFi for the ride, note it with the trip details when you submit the request. That narrows which vehicles come back to the ones that have it.
Yes — an onboard restroom is standard on full-size charter buses. It sits toward the rear of the coach, and it's there so the group doesn't have to stop. On a longer run, the trip is still usually planned with real rest stops built in; the onboard restroom handles the gaps between them.
Features may vary by vehicle, so if an onboard restroom is important for your group, note it with the trip details when you submit the request.
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 from Bloomington to Chicago or Green Bay without anyone rationing battery life.
If outlets matter for your trip, note it with the details when you submit — that narrows the results to coaches that have them.
Yes — in two places. Overhead parcel racks run the length of the cabin inside the coach, and undercarriage baggage bays run along the lower skirt of the vehicle underneath it. 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 — which in practice is about one checked-size bag each below plus one small carry-on above.
What changes it: 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 standard bags. A group heading from Bloomington to Wisconsin Dells for a weekend trip with full luggage will load differently than a corporate group doing a same-day shuttle to the Minneapolis Convention Center (1301 Second Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55403). State luggage and any oversized items with the trip details when you submit the request — that's how the right coach gets matched to the group.
Charter Bus Service in Bloomington, Minnesota
Any group that needs to move together — and the range is wide. Airport transfers to and from Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) are one of the most common requests, whether it's a corporate delegation, a family reunion group, or a travel team heading out. Corporate travel and employee shuttles between offices, hotels, and venues across the metro are another.
Weddings and private events use charter buses and minibuses to move guests between hotel blocks and venues. Concerts and sporting events at U.S. Bank Stadium, Target Center, and Grand Casino Arena are popular group trips. School and church group trips, government and military moves, brewery and winery tours through Northeast Minneapolis and beyond, prom, and long-distance travel to Chicago, Wisconsin Dells, or Duluth are all served.
Whatever brings the group together, there's a bus in the network ready for it.
Busrentalbloomington.com helps you find bus rentals in Bloomington and across the entire Twin Cities metro and greater Minnesota. Nearby cities served include Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Eden Prairie, Richfield, Burnsville, Eagan, Edina, Minnetonka, and Shakopee — and the network reaches well beyond that list. Enter the full route when you submit the request, or call 612-453-3590 to check a city that isn't listed above.
A few dates fill the Bloomington and Twin Cities bus market fast every year. Prom season (April–May) across Bloomington, Richfield, Eden Prairie, Edina, and surrounding school districts is one of the single busiest stretches — book six months out or more. Graduation season (May–June), including University of Minnesota commencement and high school graduations across the metro, follows right behind it.
Minnesota Vikings home games at U.S. Bank Stadium (September–January) and Gophers football Saturdays at Huntington Bank Stadium pull the whole market at once. The Minnesota State Fair (late August through Labor Day) draws roughly two million visitors and makes the entire metro tight for nearly two weeks. New Year's Eve and wedding season (June–September) round out the peak calendar.
On those dates, the whole local network gets taken early — book well ahead. Short-notice requests on other dates are still worth submitting, because Busrentalbloomington.com puts your request in front of a network of providers rather than one company with one yard.
Planning Your Bloomington, Minnesota Charter Bus Trip
Yes — and the main airport serving Bloomington is right next door. Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) (4300 Glumack Drive, St. Paul, MN 55111) is approximately 4–5 miles northeast of central Bloomington, a 10–15 minute drive under normal conditions — though I-494 between TH-169 and I-35W is one of the most congested stretches in the metro, so morning and evening rush hours (7–9 a.m. and 4–6:30 p.m.) can push that closer to 30 minutes. MSP has two terminals: Terminal 1 (Lindbergh) and Terminal 2 (Humphrey).
Charter buses meet groups at the ground transportation level outside baggage claim, following MSP's own guidelines for commercial vehicle pickup — confirm the terminal and door with the group before wheels down so everyone meets in the right spot. The bus stages off the active terminal roadway and pulls forward once the group is assembled curbside with all luggage in hand.
Yes — every major venue in the metro. U.S. Bank Stadium (401 Chicago Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55415) is home to the Minnesota Vikings and hosts major events including college football bowl games; it's approximately 11 miles north of Bloomington via I-35W, a 15–20 minute drive off-peak and 35–50 minutes on game days. Target Center (600 First Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN 55403) hosts the Timberwolves and Lynx.
Xcel Energy Center (199 West Kellogg Boulevard, Saint Paul, MN 55102) is home to the Wild. Allianz Field (400 Snelling Avenue North, Saint Paul, MN 55104) hosts Minnesota United FC. Huntington Bank Stadium (420 SE 23rd Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55455) is home to Gophers football.
On game days, buses use the designated commercial vehicle drop-off and staging areas at each venue — confirm the current assignment with the venue before each event, since staging can shift by game or by season.
Yes — including the major venues right in Bloomington and across the metro. Mall of America (60 East Broadway, Bloomington, MN 55425) is the largest mall in the United States and hosts conventions, trade shows, corporate events, and entertainment groups year-round; buses use the designated motorcoach drop-off areas on East Broadway and 24th Avenue South, and the mall has a dedicated bus parking area — confirm current assignment through Mall of America guest services before the trip. The Minneapolis Convention Center is approximately 11 miles north via I-35W; large events there have dedicated motorcoach staging areas.
Canterbury Park (1100 Canterbury Road, Shakopee, MN 55379) hosts live horse racing and large events approximately 18 miles southwest. A repeat shuttle between a hotel near MSP Airport and a convention 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 area. Bloomington and the surrounding metro have a wide range of venues, from hotel ballrooms near Mall of America and MSP Airport to destination venues across the Twin Cities. The Depot Minneapolis (225 Third Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55401) is a historic converted train depot popular for weddings.
Nicollet Island Inn (95 Merriam Street, Minneapolis, MN 55401) sits on an island in the Mississippi River. The Landmark Center (75 West 5th Street, Saint Paul, MN 55102) is a beautifully restored historic federal courthouse. The Aria (105 North First Street, Minneapolis, MN 55401) is a popular industrial-chic venue in the North Loop.
The most common wedding setup is a shuttle loop between a hotel block and the venue, running guests in rounds across the evening. Give the exact venue address with the request — that's how the right vehicle gets matched to the route and the timing.
Yes — all of them. In Bloomington itself, the district includes Kennedy Senior High School (9701 Nicollet Avenue, Bloomington, MN 55420) and Jefferson Senior High School (4001 West 102nd Street, Bloomington, MN 55437), along with Valley View Junior High, Oak Grove Junior High, and Lincoln K-8 Choice School. Normandale Community College (9700 France Avenue South, Bloomington, MN 55431) is a two-year college with approximately 10,000 students, right in Bloomington.
The University of Minnesota–Twin Cities (100 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455) is approximately 13 miles north. Field trips and team travel are typically pickups at the school or campus, and campuses have designated bus loading zones. Student trips should include the exact headcount plus any chaperone or accessibility needs with the request so the right vehicle comes back.
Yes — and the Twin Cities metro has a great range of options for a group outing. The Northeast Minneapolis brewery district is approximately 13–15 miles north of Bloomington (about 20–25 minutes), with Surly Brewing Co. (520 Malcolm Avenue SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414), Indeed Brewing Company (711 NE 15th Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55413), Dangerous Man Brewing Co. (1300 NE 2nd Street, Minneapolis, MN 55413), Bauhaus Brew Labs (1315 Tyler Street NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413), and Tattersall Distilling (1620 Central Avenue NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413) all within a short loop of each other. Fulton Beer (414 North 6th Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55401) anchors the North Loop.
For a longer day trip, Schram Winery (8785 Airport Road, Waconia, MN 55387) is approximately 30 miles west (35–40 minutes). Mystic Lake Casino Hotel (2400 Mystic Lake Boulevard NW, Prior Lake, MN 55372) and Canterbury Park are both approximately 20 miles southwest (25–30 minutes). A multi-stop route is timed by how long the group stays at each stop — list the stops and how long you're planning at each one when you submit the request so the hours come back right.
Yes — absolutely. Groups travel long-distance from Bloomington regularly. Chicago, IL is approximately 410 miles via I-90/I-94, roughly 6–6.5 hours by coach.
Wisconsin Dells, WI is approximately 250 miles via I-90/I-94, about 3.5–4 hours — a popular group destination for school trips and family reunions. Des Moines, IA is approximately 245 miles via I-35, about 3.5–4 hours. Duluth, MN is approximately 155 miles via I-35, about 2.5 hours — a common destination for outdoor group trips.
Milwaukee, WI is approximately 330 miles, about 5 hours. Fargo, ND is approximately 235 miles via I-94, about 3.5 hours. A long-distance trip is 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 so it comes back priced correctly.
Call 612-453-3590 for any multi-day or long-distance trip — going through it with someone gets the details right the first time.