New Orleans Charter Bus Pricing & Rates
Charter bus rental costs in New Orleans, Louisiana are not one-price-fits-all. Your group size, the type of bus, the day of the week, how far you're going, and the time of year all push the number up or down. The fastest way to know what your specific trip costs is to fill out the quote form on this page — you'll see pricing from a network of transportation companies serving New Orleans in under a minute.
Or call 504-517-1560 any time. Keep reading to learn every factor that shapes your quote and how to put yourself in the best position to save!
Instantly Receive New Orleans Bus Rental Pricing In Seconds
The form takes only a few seconds to complete! After you submit your trip details, you can review pricing and available vehicles through a national booking company that works with bus companies serving New Orleans.
How Much Does It Cost to Rent a Charter Bus in New Orleans, Louisiana?
Charter buses (40–56 passengers) cost $205–$385+ per hour on weekdays, $225–$410+ per hour on weekends, and $1,650–$2,950+ per day. Minibuses (15–35 passengers) cost $180–$370+ per hour on weekdays, $180–$385+ per hour on weekends, and $1,150–$2,415+ per day. Party buses (15–50 passengers) cost $248–$426+ per hour on weekdays, $265–$460+ per hour on weekends, and $1,827–$2,954+ per day.
School buses cost $205–$365+ per hour on weekdays, $240–$380+ per hour on weekends, and $1,670–$2,335+ per day. Sprinter vans with a driver cost $190–$373+ per hour on weekdays, $218–$466+ per hour on weekends, and $1,395–$2,848+ per day. Sprinter limos cost $190–$340+ per hour on weekdays, $190–$355+ per hour on weekends, and $1,300–$2,080+ per day.
These are ranges — your actual quote depends on your specific trip details.
| Type of Vehicle | Cost Per Hour Weekdays | Cost Per Hour Weekends | Cost Per Day | Cost Per Mile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 56 Passenger Charter Bus | $205 – $385+ | $225 – $410+ | $1,650 – $2,950+ | $6.20 – $8.95+ |
| 35 Passenger Minibus | $225 – $370+ | $255 – $385+ | $1,815 – $2,415+ | $6.20 – $8.95+ |
| 30 Passenger Minibus | $205 – $365+ | $240 – $380+ | $1,670 – $2,335+ | $5.90 – $8.60+ |
| 28 Passenger Minibus | $190 – $355+ | $220 – $370+ | $1,540 – $2,255+ | $5.65 – $8.25+ |
| 25 Passenger Minibus | $190 – $350+ | $195 – $365+ | $1,420 – $2,180+ | $5.40 – $7.90+ |
| 20 Passenger Minibus | $190 – $340+ | $190 – $355+ | $1,300 – $2,080+ | $5.15 – $7.50+ |
| 18 Passenger Minibus | $190 – $330+ | $190 – $350+ | $1,210 – $1,990+ | $5.00 – $7.25+ |
| 15 Passenger Minibus | $180 – $310+ | $180 – $330+ | $1,150 – $1,880+ | $4.75 – $6.95+ |
| 15-50 Passenger Party Bus | $248 – $426+ | $265 – $460+ | $1,827 – $2,954+ | $6.75 – $9.95+ |
| Sprinter Van with Driver | $190 – $373+ | $218 – $466+ | $1,395 – $2,848+ | $5.00 – $6.95+ |
| Sprinter Limo | $190 – $340+ | $190 – $355+ | $1,300 – $2,080+ | $5.15 – $7.50+ |
| School Bus | $205 – $365+ | $240 – $380+ | $1,670 – $2,335+ | $5.00 – $7.60+ |
| ABOVE PRICES ARE JUST EXAMPLES. Your final price and vehicle options depend entirely on your specific trip details. To get an instant price quote for your trip, request an online quote or call 504-517-1560. | ||||
What Factors Affect Charter Bus Rental Prices in New Orleans, Louisiana?
Six factors shape every charter bus quote in New Orleans: the type and size of bus, how far and how long you need it, the day of the week, the time of year, where the bus is coming from, and any extra stops along your route. Each of these factors is covered in detail below, so you'll know exactly what you're looking at when pricing comes back — and you'll know which details to adjust if you want to bring the number down. Read on to learn how to prepare and save!
How the Type of Bus You Choose Changes the Price in New Orleans, Louisiana
It depends on what you're actually looking for. Bigger buses, newer buses, and buses with more amenities cost more per hour than simpler ones. Charter buses and minibuses have forward-facing seats and overhead storage — they're the practical, lower-cost way to move a large group from the French Quarter to the Superdome.
Party buses and Sprinter limos add LED lighting, flat-panel TVs, and lounge seating, and they cost more per hour as a result. Because Neworleanscharterbusrentals.com pulls from a large network of transportation companies serving New Orleans, you can compare a straightforward 28-passenger minibus against a 30-passenger party bus side by side and find the vehicle that actually fits your group and your budget.
How the Distance and Duration of Your Trip Affect Charter Bus Rates in New Orleans
It depends. Buses are rented by the hour, by the day, or by mileage — which structure applies to your trip depends on the total distance, how many hours the vehicle is in use, and whether you need the bus for one event or across multiple days. A two-hour Mardi Gras parade shuttle along St. Charles Avenue costs differently than a two-day charter down to Grand Isle.
Fill out the quote form and you'll see pricing for your specific trip in seconds. If the results page doesn't show the exact package you need, call for quote-request help at 504-517-1560 and they'll work to put a custom package together for you.
How the Day of the Week Changes What a Bus Costs in New Orleans, Louisiana
Yes, the day matters — and it's the detail you have the most control over. Saturday evenings typically price highest across the New Orleans market. Friday evenings come in next.
Sunday through Thursday are typically the lowest, and Friday or Saturday daytime trips cost less than those same evenings. If your event has any flexibility, a trip that comes back too high on a Saturday may work for less on a Thursday or Wednesday — and shorter bookings tend to be easier to find on those days too. That said, Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday falls on February 9, 2027), Jazz Fest (April 22–May 2, 2027 at the Fair Grounds Race Course), Sugar Bowl weekend at Caesars Superdome, and Essence Festival over Fourth of July weekend fill the entire New Orleans market early regardless of what day they land on.
Book six months out or more for any of those dates. Dates around major local events can run more expensive.
How Starting Location and Deadhead Miles Affect Your Charter Bus Rate in New Orleans
Where your group boards changes what the platform prices against. Many operators serving the New Orleans metro are based near Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in Kenner, or in Metairie and Gretna. If your group is picking up in the French Quarter, the Central Business District, or the Garden District, those staging areas are close by.
If your pickup is in a far suburb — Slidell, Covington across the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, or Houma — the bus covers more ground before anyone boards, and that distance is part of the trip. Choosing a central pickup point or keeping your pickup and drop-off closer together is one of the most direct ways to bring your quote down.
How Seasonality and Peak Times Affect Charter Bus Rates in New Orleans
New Orleans is a warm-weather market, and that flips the usual assumption: winter here is not the slow season. The stretch from late November through early March — covering the Allstate Sugar Bowl on January 15, 2027, Mardi Gras season, and the weeks leading up to Fat Tuesday — is among the highest-demand periods of the year. Summer brings Essence Festival over Fourth of July weekend at Caesars Superdome, drawing large crowds.
Fall adds Saints home Sundays at the Superdome and Tulane Green Wave home games at Yulman Stadium. For a potentially less competitive window, compare dates in mid-September through October and the weeks immediately after Mardi Gras in late February or early March.
Hypothetical Bus Rental Pricing Examples
Example only. These sample scenarios are for illustration only. They are not real quotes, guaranteed prices, or offers. Your actual trip price and availability may be higher or lower depending on your city, date, vehicle, passenger count, route, trip length, booking details, fees, gratuity, and other details. Submit your trip details to compare quote options for your specific request.
Example Quote #1
Fourteen women are planning a Saturday bachelorette night starting in the Garden District — cocktails at a private house on Prytania Street, then a party bus ride to Frenchmen Street in the Marigny for live music at the Spotted Cat Music Club, followed by a crawl through the French Quarter ending at Bourbon Street. They've chosen a 15–50 passenger party bus with a built-in bar, LED lighting, and Bluetooth sound. On a weekend, a party bus costs $265–$460+ per hour.
With pickup at 7:00 p.m. and a final hotel drop-off near Canal Street at 2:00 a.m., the group is looking at roughly seven booked hours. At the lower end of the weekend party bus range, seven hours at $265 per hour comes to approximately $1,855; at $460 per hour, the same block of time reaches $3,220. Saturday nights in New Orleans during peak season sit toward the upper half of that range more often than the lower.
This is a sample to give you a general sense of scale — your actual quote depends on your specific pickup location, the operator available for your date, and the vehicle selected. Fill out the form or call 504-517-1560 for pricing on your date.
Example Quote #2
A group of 42 Jazz Fest attendees staying at hotels along Veterans Memorial Boulevard in Metairie needs round-trip shuttle service to the Fair Grounds Race Course (1751 Gentilly Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70119) on a Saturday during the festival's first weekend, April 24, 2027. They've selected a 40–56 passenger charter bus. On a weekend, a charter bus costs $225–$410+ per hour.
With a morning pickup at 10:00 a.m., the drive in on I-10 East, standby time at the venue, and an evening return after the headliner, the group estimates nine total booked hours. At the lower end of the weekend range, nine hours at $225 per hour comes to approximately $2,025; at $410 per hour, the same nine hours reaches $3,690. Jazz Fest weekend is one of the highest-demand stretches in the entire New Orleans market — availability tightens months in advance and pricing reflects that competition.
This is an example to give you an idea of cost, not a guaranteed price. Use the quote form or call 504-517-1560 for pricing on your specific date.
Example Quote #3
A pharmaceutical company needs a weekday shuttle to move 25 employees between the Hyatt Regency New Orleans on Loyola Avenue and the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (900 Convention Center Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70130) across two full conference days, with two morning runs and two afternoon return runs each day. They've selected a 25-passenger minibus. On a weekday, a 25-passenger minibus costs $190–$350+ per hour.
With the first pickup at 7:30 a.m. and the last return drop-off at 6:00 p.m., the vehicle is in service for approximately ten and a half hours each day, across two days. At the lower end of the weekday range, ten and a half hours at $190 per hour comes to approximately $1,995 per day; at $350 per hour, the same day reaches $3,675. Conference dates can tighten availability in New Orleans — book well ahead.
This is a sample only; call 504-517-1560 or use the form to get pricing for your dates.
Example Quote #4
A group of 30 Saints season ticket holders wants a Sunday game-day shuttle from a private residence on Magazine Street in Uptown to Caesars Superdome (1500 Sugar Bowl Dr, New Orleans, LA 70112), with a pregame stop at a sports bar on Poydras Street and a return trip after the final whistle. They've selected a 30-passenger minibus. On a weekend, a 30-passenger minibus costs $240–$380+ per hour.
With pickup at 10:00 a.m., the pregame stop, kickoff, and a return trip wrapping by 6:00 p.m., the group estimates eight total booked hours. At the lower end of the weekend range, eight hours at $240 per hour comes to approximately $1,920; at $380 per hour, the same eight hours reaches $3,040. Saints home Sundays can tighten availability in the New Orleans transportation market — check the official schedule and book ahead.
This is an example to give you a sense of scale, not a final price. Fill out the form or call 504-517-1560 for a quote on your date.
Frequently Asked Questions About New Orleans Charter Bus Rental Prices
Neworleanscharterbusrentals.com helps you compare buses rental options; it is not a transportation company and does not rent, own, or operate vehicles. When you submit the quote form, your trip details go through a booking company so you can review pricing and available vehicles for your date. You compare the options and book through the process shown with your quote.
Neworleanscharterbusrentals.com is an advertising and quote comparison website that helps you find and compare bus rentals in New Orleans. It is not a bus operator, not a motor carrier, and it does not set prices. You fill out the quote form with your trip details, and those details go to an online booking platform that returns pricing based on what independent operators have available for your specific trip.
Booking is completed on that platform, not on this site.
Enter your pickup city, date, passenger count, trip times, and any stops as accurately as possible — those details are what the booking platform prices against. More complete trip details return more accurate vehicle options. Weekday trips, shorter routes, earlier booking, and flexible timing may help with pricing when those options are available for your date and route in New Orleans.
Neworleanscharterbusrentals.com passes your trip details — pickup location, date, group size, timing, and stops — to the online booking platform. The platform prices the trip against what independent operators in the network have available for those specifics. The result reflects availability on your date and the rates those operators have set, not a published rate card.
The booking platform generates the pricing; Neworleanscharterbusrentals.com does not.
Different operators in the network price the same itinerary differently. Each independent operator sets its own rates based on its fleet, its costs, and its availability on a given date. The booking platform returns what each operator has available for your trip.
Two quotes for the same route on the same day can differ because two different operators are behind them — that's why comparing through a network gives you more options than calling one company.
Yes, weekends cost more. Demand is higher on Friday and Saturday evenings — bachelorette parties on Bourbon Street, Saints game-day shuttles, Jazz Fest crowds at the Fair Grounds — and all those groups compete for the same pool of available vehicles at the same time. When more groups need buses on the same night, pricing goes up.
A party bus costs $248–$426+ per hour on weekdays versus $265–$460+ per hour on weekends.
Every additional stop adds time to the trip, and more time means more hours booked. Multiple pickup locations — say, a hotel in the Central Business District and a second pickup in the Garden District before heading to the Fair Grounds — extend the vehicle's schedule before the main event even begins. The more stops on your itinerary, the more accurately you need to map the timing when you fill out the quote form, so the platform can price the full block of hours correctly.
Significantly. Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest, Essence Festival over Fourth of July weekend at Caesars Superdome, Sugar Bowl weekend in January, and Saints home Sundays all drive demand across the entire New Orleans market at once. When every group in the city needs a bus on the same weekend, available vehicles get taken early and pricing reflects the competition.
Book six months out or more for any of those dates.
New Orleans is a warm-weather market, so winter is not the slow season here — Sugar Bowl and Mardi Gras season make November through February among the busiest months. For a potentially lower-demand window, compare dates in mid-September through October and the two to three weeks immediately after Fat Tuesday, when festival volume drops. Those stretches may offer more options at lower rates than other times of year.
Book three to six months out for most New Orleans trips. For Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest, Essence Festival, Sugar Bowl, and Saints home games, six months or more is the safer window. The New Orleans market moves fast on high-demand dates — waiting until the last minute means higher rates and fewer vehicles to choose from.
Total distance and how much of the day the vehicle spends in motion versus parked are the primary factors. Short in-city trips — a shuttle loop between a French Quarter hotel and Caesars Superdome — typically cost by the hour. Long-distance trips covering significant highway miles, like a charter to Baton Rouge or a multi-day run to Houston, are more likely to be priced by the day or by mileage.
The booking platform determines the structure based on your specific itinerary.