Suppose you work for a big corporation and you’ve been assigned the task of organizing transportation to a conference that will be attended by the entire sales force of the company. You get somewhat of a break because the event is to be held in a local convention center. So, quickly you realize that ground transportation would be more than sufficient. Obviously, you don’t want to hire a number of limousines to drive the sales force to the event. One alternative is a Bus Rental.

Or suppose you are a member of a college fraternity and you are assigned the task of coordinating transportation for your chapter to attend a special event out of state in which members from all the chapters of the fraternity throughout the country will also attend. You consider a combination of ground and air transportation but you and the other fraternity chapters soon realize that a more cost effective option is a bus rental from a national bus charter service to bring everyone together.

There are all sorts of scenarios in which people have to travel to a particular location or come together to be a part of a special tour, or travel to a place where they may participate in a sporting event or church or social conference. With just a little bit of research you will probably conclude that renting a bus or a number of buses is the best method of transporting your group from one location to another.

Why Rent

There are so many reasons for a bus rental to provide transportation for any kind of group. They can include:

• Special events and Occasions

• Airport Transportation

• Corporate Transportation

• National Sports Events

• Family Events like Weddings, Reunions and Parties

• Convention and Trade Shows

• Exclusive Casino and Wine Tour Trips

• Specialized Tours and Sightseeing

• Church and School Field Trips

• Promotional Events

So once you conclude that the best mode of transportation is a bus rental, then you need to take the next step and identify a bus company or charter bus company from which you can rent. One method to identify companies can be to visit the website of IMG Coach (http://www.imgcoach.com).

IMG consists of independently owned tour and charter bus companies that have created a network that offers all sorts of travel services. Companies involved in the network operate more than 7,000 vehicles in North America and service more than 21 million customers.

While doing your research keep certain things in mind. How long has the company been in business? What associations does the bus company belong to? How many types of buses can they supply? Do they have on hand deluxe charter buses, executive tour coaches, luxury limousine buses, deluxe entertainment coaches, mini buses, and double decker buses?

If the trip is expected to be somewhat long, then you may want the bus rental to provide entertainment. Many of the more plush models like the executive tour coach, luxury limousine buses, deluxe entertainment coaches include such modes of entertainment as videocassette recorders, DVD players, CD players, etc. And of course most are equipped with public address systems so that announcements can be made or tour information can be given. Of course, the buses have restrooms. But if your group includes anyone who may be physically impaired, you may want to be certain that the bus you rent has a wheelchair elevator.

Of course, you will want to research the bus companies’ safety record. I wrote a previous article on this subject. I advise that you read it to get ideas on how to check this out.

Questions To Ask

When researching a bus rental company you need to be prepared to ask a variety of questions the answers to which will give you more of an idea about the company you are considering renting the bus from. You know the people who comprise the group that will be doing the traveling. You know what their needs and habits are. So be certain that you will be able to accommodate those needs. For example, a number of people in your party may smoke, so you want to make sure that it is all right to smoke on the bus. Many may want to indulge in a drink of an alcoholic beverage. In this case, you want to be certain that it is all right to serve alcohol. Ask about the buses like what do they look like and what kind of features do they have. Find out how far in advance you need to reserve a bus. Ask about the cost of renting the bus and how that figure is determined. Find out if there are other costs involved. That could include parking and toll fees, whether you are expected to pay for the bus driver’s lodgings and tip, etc. And many companies have a processing fee to cover administrative costs and costs of refunds and cancellations. Make certain that there is a procedure that would allow you to change plans like the dates you will need the bus or changes in the itinerary and ask about the company’s cancellation policy.

As said, there are very many scenarios one can imagine when bus transportation is probably the most efficient way to go. No matter how long or short the trip may be, memories are being built that you can share with those who accompanied you for many, many years to come.

Whether you have been on a packaged bus tour or not, you probably think that the tour managers at the bus company simply pull out a map and plot out a route via interstate highways and local roadways. Trace the route in a magic marker color and give it to their drivers.

In fact, the package tours created by the bus company are very elaborate and are based upon alliances that the bus company has with a variety of entertainment attractions, restaurants, hotels and other service providers.

If you book a tour from a bus company that takes you some distance from home, then that tour needs to include restaurants where the bus can stop so that you and your group can have meals; hotels that will provide you lodging as well as meals; and even special attractions that might be a part of the tour package because they are on the way or within easy access from and back to the route.

A large independent bus company may be independent but it may have also been able to negotiate alliances or partnerships with entertainment attractions, restaurants, hotels and other service providers on their own. I feel save in saying that depending on how big that individual bus company may be may have an influence as to the reach it has beyond its headquarter city. For example, a bus company in Montreal, Quebec, Canada may have reach only into the suburbs of Montreal. So it can provide you with a great tour of Montreal taking advantage of alliances or agreements it may have worked out with restaurants and sites of attraction, but is unable to go beyond that boundary.

Other companies are large and have offices in many regions of the country so they have a longer reach and can provide you with a choice of more restaurants, special entertainment attractions, hotels and other service providers.

Then there are alliances like International Motorcoach Group. International Motorcoach Group is an alliance of 50 bus companies in Canada and the United States and each has access to the entertainment attractions, restaurants, hotels and other service providers that the alliance has been able to partner with.

Let’s face it. An alliance of many companies which can include large and small bus companies have more strength than one bus company. And it is an alliance that can negotiate partnerships with a better standing than say one large company.

What does that mean to you the traveler? It can mean stays at top rated hotels, meals at top rated restaurants, appearances at top rated entertainment attractions all across the country.

International Motorcoach Group partners with 41 entertainment attractions which include:

Andy Williams Moon River Theatre

Branson Variety Theater

Crazy Horse Memorial

Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theatre Complex

Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede

Dollywood

Graceland/Elvis Presley’s Heartbreak Hotel

Grand Ole Opry/Gaylord Attractions

IMAX Entertainment Complex

Jamestown/Yorktown Foundation

Jim Stafford Theatre

Longwood Gardens

Lookout Mountain Attractions

Newseum

Quebec Casinos

Ripley’s Aquarium

Sands Casino Resort — Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

The New England Aquarium & Simons IMAX Theatre

And more.

International Motorcoach Group has partnerships with 20 hotels and resorts including:

Allenberry Resort Inn & Playhouse

AmericInn International

Beau Rivage Resort and Casino

Best Western Oceanfront

Country Inn of Lancaster

Country Inns of America

Fairfield Inn Properties of the Smokies

French Lick Resort & Casino

Hiltons of Branson

Quality Inn Gettysburg

Turning Stone Resort & Casino

Wyndham Hotel Group

Then International Motorcoach Group has an alliance with Tour Operators who have access to entertainment and other special sites in their region. These Tour Operators include:

Branson Vacation Company/Edgewood Receptive Services

Northeast Unlimited Tours

Ozarks’Kirkwood Tour & Travel

Smokey Mountain Tour Connection

Sweet Magnolia Tours

The Maine Tour Connection

The restaurants with which International Motorcoach Group is associated include:

Branson Best Restaurant.com

Dandy Restaurant Cruise Ships

Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre/Prather Entertainment Group

Hershey Farm Restaurant & Inn

Finally, International Motorcoach Group has ties to 44 convention visitors bureaus that stretch from the East Coast to the West Coast with a large number in the middle of the country too. These visitors bureaus include:

Adirondack Coast Visitors & Convention Bureau

Branson (Missouri) Lakes Area Convention Visitor Bureau

Chattanooga Area Convention Bureau

Explore Minnesota Tourism

Gettysburg Convention Visitors Bureau

Kansas City Convention and Visitors Association

Louisville Convention Visitors Bureau

Maryland Office of Tourism Development

Memphis Convention Visitors Bureau

Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention Visitors Bureau

Pennsylvania Dutch Convention Visitors Bureau

Philadelphia Convention Visitors Center

Valley Forge Convention Visitors Bureau

Vermont Tourism Network

Virginia Tourism Corporation

VISIT Milwaukee

Visit Pittsburgh

So, again the question is what does all of this mean to you? Well, regardless what your interest, you can find package tours that fit it at International Motorcoach Group. Interested in gambling? As you can see, there are connections with gambling resorts. Interested in ante-bellum housing and pre-Civil War or Civil War history, International Motorcoach Group and turn you toward a bus company that can satisfy that. Interested in good old American family entertainment? You can get that too.

Go to imgcoach.com and check out their lists of entertainment sites, resorts and casinos and visitors bureaus. Click on any listing and you will be guided to the website of that listing.

It’s a great way to hone in on a particular tour you may want to take.