Des Moines Charter Bus Rental FAQs
About Desmoinescoachbuscompany.com
Desmoinescoachbuscompany.com is an advertising and quote comparison website that lets you compare bus rental options and pricing from a network of bus companies serving Des Moines through a national booking company — all from one quick form or one phone call to 507-780-3115. Instead of hunting down individual operators and waiting on callbacks, you fill out your trip details once and land on a results page showing vehicles and pricing in seconds. Desmoinescoachbuscompany.com is an advertising and referral website and does not own or operate vehicles; the transportation itself is carried out by independently owned companies serving the Des Moines area.
No — Desmoinescoachbuscompany.com is a comparison and referral website. In practical terms, that means you come here to compare vehicles and pricing from a network of bus companies serving Des Moines, and the transportation itself is carried out by independently owned companies in the area. You use Desmoinescoachbuscompany.com to find the right bus at the right price; the independently owned operator assigned to your booking handles the actual trip.
It is a faster, easier way to find group transportation than calling operators one at a time.
When you search on your own, you call one company, hear what they have available, and start over if it does not fit. With Desmoinescoachbuscompany.com, you fill out one form or make one call to 507-780-3115 and immediately see more options and different price points than any single operator can offer. Vehicles and rates come back in seconds rather than hours, and because the request goes to a whole network of providers rather than one yard, you are comparing instead of settling.
That is the time you get back.
An independently owned transportation company serving Des Moines. Once you fill out the quote form, you are taken to a national booking platform where you choose the vehicle that suits your trip — a vehicle and a price, not a company off a list. The transportation company assigned to the booking is confirmed to you after you book.
The platform works with different operators serving the area so the vehicle that comes back fits your actual trip rather than whatever one company happens to have open.
Booking a charter bus
Fill out the form on this page — or call 507-780-3115 if you would rather go through it with someone — and you are taken straight to a search results page on a national booking company's website. That booking company partners with different operators serving the Des Moines area, and right there on their site you browse available vehicles, see trip-specific pricing, and book the bus you want online in minutes. What you are choosing on that results page is a vehicle and a price; the booking company handles the rest from there.
Your pickup city, where you are going, how many people are riding, and how many hours you need the bus. That is enough to get a quote started. The more detail you give — your stops, start and end times, any luggage or oversized gear, and the amenities the group needs — the more accurate the quote comes back and the better the options you will find.
If you have a multi-stop itinerary or an overnight trip, lay the full route out with the request so it comes back timed and priced correctly.
Right away — there is no waiting on a callback. As soon as you submit the form you go straight to the search results page on the national booking company's website and see available vehicles and pricing for your trip immediately. Nothing to wait for, no phone tag.
If you would rather talk through the trip with someone first, call 507-780-3115 and go through it live — that works just as fast and can turn up options you might not spot on your own.
The earlier the better when the date is a popular one — a specific vehicle type or a large group goes further ahead. That said, because Desmoinescoachbuscompany.com puts your request in front of a whole network of providers serving Des Moines rather than one operator with one yard, short-notice trips are often still workable when a single call to one company would come back empty. The advantage of comparing a network is exactly that: one company saying no does not end the search.
Submit the request or call 507-780-3115 even on short notice — it is always worth checking what is available for your date.
All of those can be requested. Hourly or as-directed keeps the vehicle with your group for a block of time so you control the schedule; a one-way transfer moves the group from one place to another without a return leg; a round trip brings everyone back to the starting point; a multi-stop itinerary runs a set route with several stops along the way; and a multi-day booking covers a trip that runs across more than one day. Which format fits comes down to the trip itself.
A multi-stop or overnight itinerary should be laid out in full — stops, timing, and any overnight logistics — with the request so it comes back priced correctly the first time.
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 — not a single price, because pricing is not one size fits all. The type of bus, the date, the distance, the number of stops, and how busy that weekend is in Des Moines all move the number.
The ranges give you a starting point, not your final price. To see what your actual trip costs, fill out the form and get pricing for your specific date and route in seconds — or call 507-780-3115, where going through the trip with someone can turn up better packages and pricing than you would find on your own.
It depends on the trip, and all three are used. A short trip of a couple of hours — say, a game-day shuttle from downtown Des Moines to Jack Trice Stadium in Ames — is usually priced hourly. A trip that runs long distance, roughly past the 100-to-200-mile mark or heading well out of the area, may carry a per-mile charge instead.
And a long day, generally around eight hours or more, often comes back as a day rate rather than stacked hours, simply because the vehicle is booked for so much of the day. Which structure applies to your trip is determined by the actual itinerary you submit — fill out the form or call 507-780-3115 and the pricing comes back matched to your route.
The type and size of bus, how long it is booked for, the date and day of the week, the distance and route, the number of stops, and how busy that date is locally all move the price. In Des Moines, the Iowa State Fair in August, Drake Relays weekend in late April, Iowa State home football Saturdays in Ames, and prom season across the metro school districts are the dates where the whole market tightens fastest. Sunday through Thursday prices lower than Friday and Saturday; daytime prices lower than those same evenings.
Booking the size the group actually needs — rather than over-booking capacity — keeps the quote tighter, and grouping riders into one or two pickup points instead of five cuts the hours on the clock. The form gets you pricing for your specific date in seconds so you can see exactly where your trip lands.
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 its own schedule — rather than riding a fixed public route. It is built for moving a large group over a distance in one vehicle, and a full-size coach seats roughly 40 to 56 people. The group has the whole coach to itself for the duration of the booking.
On the outside, a full-size charter bus is a long, tall coach body with high tinted windows running the length of both sides and baggage bay doors along the lower skirt. The exterior is most commonly finished in white, silver, black, or a solid color, though some coaches are wrapped in an operator's own graphics — so the coach that shows up will not always look the same. On the inside, you find forward-facing seats arranged in pairs on either side of a center aisle, with seat fabric in cloth or leather depending on the make and model.
Overhead parcel racks run the full length of the cabin. A restroom sits toward the rear. Popular full-size models include the MCI J4500, the Van Hool CX45, and the Prevost H3-45 — all built to the same basic layout, differing in fit and finish.
Some of the amenities available on charter buses include reclining cloth or leather seats, individual climate controls, onboard restrooms, overhead parcel racks and undercarriage baggage bays, WiFi, 110-volt AC power outlets and USB charging ports, a PA system, and flat-panel TV monitors. Features may vary by make, model, and the specific vehicle — not every coach carries every item on that list, and what a given bus is equipped with is confirmed during booking. If there are amenities the group needs — WiFi, power outlets, accessibility features — note them with your trip details so the vehicles that come back are the ones that are actually equipped for your trip.
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 is configuration: extra legroom or a wheelchair position each take seats out of the layout. Because Desmoinescoachbuscompany.com works with a network of providers, the exact coach on any given trip depends on what is available for your date — submit the trip or call 507-780-3115 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. The row count drops on coaches built with extra legroom or a wheelchair position, since each takes space out of the layout. Some coaches also tier the front rows slightly higher for sightlines.
The 14-row, 56-seat layout is the standard full-size build.
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 is the reason people ask: they are working out whether one fits somewhere, whether a parking area, a driveway, or a venue drop-off lane.
Shorter coaches exist, most commonly around 35 feet, and are a better fit when the destination has tighter clearance. The 45-foot coach is the standard full-size vehicle.
A full-size charter bus stands about 11 to 12 feet tall depending on the model, and traffic engineers design overhead clearances for 12 feet. A useful comparison: a little taller than a single story of a house. That is the number to check against a parking garage, a covered drop-off, or a low overpass on the route — because the reason people ask is almost always clearance.
If a venue or garage has a height restriction, mention it 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 before the trip: 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 by make and model. The other thing to set honestly — onboard WiFi runs off a cellular connection and is built for light use across a full coach: phones, messaging, browsing, a video call or two.
It is not built for 50 or 60 people doing heavy data work at once. If WiFi matters for the group, note it with your trip details so the vehicles that come back are the ones actually equipped with it.
Yes — an onboard restroom is standard on full-size charter buses, located toward the rear of the coach. It is there so the group does not have to stop, and on a long run the trip may still be planned with real rest breaks built in. Amenities may vary by vehicle, so if an onboard restroom is important for the trip, note it with your details so the right coach is matched to the group.
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, a group can keep phones and laptops charged across a long run without hunting for a plug at a rest stop.
If the group needs power at every seat, note it with the trip details so the vehicles that come back are equipped for it.
Yes — in two places. Inside the coach, overhead parcel racks run the full length of the cabin. Underneath it, undercarriage baggage bays run along the lower skirt of the coach and hold the bulk of the group's bags.
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 cubic feet overhead — in practice, about one checked-size bag per person below and 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 bags.
If the group is traveling with oversized or specialty items, state that with the trip details so the right coach is matched to what you are actually bringing.
Charter bus service in Des Moines, Iowa
Any group with anywhere to go. Airport transfers to and from Des Moines International Airport (DSM) are one of the most common setups — one bus, everyone's luggage, no parking scramble. Corporate travel and employee shuttles move teams between offices, hotels, and event venues without the logistics of a car fleet.
Weddings and private events use shuttle buses to keep guests together from hotel to ceremony to reception. Concerts and sporting events — Casey’s Center, Principal Park, Iowa State games in Ames — are easier with one bus than a parking lot full of cars. School and church group trips, government and military moves, brewery and winery tours, prom, and long-distance travel to Kansas City, Minneapolis, Chicago, and beyond are all trips the network serves.
If a group needs to get somewhere together, there is a bus for it.
The network serves Des Moines and the surrounding metro — including Ankeny, Waukee, West Des Moines, Urbandale, Johnston, Clive, Altoona, Indianola, Ames, and communities throughout Polk County, Dallas County, and Warren County. Those are examples, not the complete coverage area — the network reaches well beyond any list. If your pickup or destination is not named here, enter the full route in the form or call 507-780-3115 to check availability for your specific trip.
The Iowa State Fair in August — 11 days in August, drawing more than a million visitors to the fairgrounds on East Grand Avenue — is the single busiest charter bus period of the Iowa year, and the whole market tightens weeks out. Drake Relays weekend in late April is one of the highest-demand single weekends in Des Moines. Iowa State home football Saturdays in Ames from September through November pull enormous demand from the metro, as do Iowa Hawkeyes home games in Iowa City.
Prom season across DMPS, Waukee, Ankeny, and Johnston school districts runs April and May. Graduation season at Drake, Grand View, and Iowa State lands in May. Wedding season peaks June through September.
New Year's Eve in the East Village books out fast. On those dates, the whole local market moves early — book well ahead. For any other date, submit the request or call 507-780-3115 even on short notice, because the network covers more than any one operator can.
Planning your Des Moines, Iowa charter bus trip
Yes — the primary airport serving Des Moines is Des Moines International Airport (DSM) (5800 Fleur Dr, Des Moines, IA 50321), about 5 to 7 miles southwest of downtown, roughly 10 to 15 minutes off-peak. DSM is served by American, Delta, United, Southwest, and other carriers. For groups needing a larger hub with more carrier options, Kansas City International Airport (MCI) is about 195 miles south on I-35, roughly 3 hours.
The bus meets your group outside the terminal at the spot the airport designates for buses and larger commercial vehicles, following that airport's own ground transportation guidelines — so everyone loads together at one spot without hunting for a pickup zone.
Yes — the network serves every major venue in and around Des Moines. Casey’s Center (730 3rd St, Des Moines, IA 50309) is home to the Iowa Wild and Iowa Barnstormers and hosts major concerts and NCAA events; bus drop-off runs on Center Street with Iowa Events Center parking nearby. Principal Park (1 Line Dr, Des Moines, IA 50309) hosts Iowa Cubs games along the river.
Jack Trice Stadium in Ames (1732 S 4th St, Ames, IA 50011), about 35 miles north on I-35, is one of the highest-demand charter bus destinations from Des Moines on Iowa State home Saturdays. Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City (825 Stadium Dr, Iowa City, IA 52242), about 110 miles east on I-80, draws large groups on Hawkeyes home game days. The Iowa Speedway in Newton for the Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend is about 30 miles east.
Traffic patterns around all of these venues shift significantly on event days — build extra time into the pickup window, especially around the I-235 interchange downtown.
Yes — the network serves the full Iowa Events Center campus downtown, including Casey’s Center, EMC Expo Center, and the Community Choice Convention Center (730 Third St, Des Moines, IA 50309). The Iowa State Fairgrounds (3000 E Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA 50317) hosts the Iowa State Fair and large trade and agricultural events year-round, with a dedicated motorcoach parking area on the grounds. Hoyt Sherman Place (1501 Woodland Ave, Des Moines, IA 50309) hosts concerts and private events.
Large venues like the Iowa Events Center have designated bus loading areas separate from the main pedestrian entrance — and a repeat shuttle between a hotel block 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. The network serves the full range of Des Moines wedding settings: the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden (909 Robert D. Ray Dr, Des Moines, IA 50309) along the river, the grand ballroom at The Temple for Performing Arts (1011 Locust St, Des Moines, IA 50309), the historic Hotel Fort Des Moines (1000 Walnut St, Des Moines, IA 50309), Sticks & Stones Farm in Huxley about 20 miles northeast, and venues throughout the western suburbs and surrounding counties. The most common wedding setup is shuttling guests between a hotel block and the venue — and giving the exact venue address with the request gets the right vehicle matched to the route.
If the group needs a specific bus color, mention it; white, black, and silver are commonly available through the network.
Yes — the network serves school districts and campuses across the metro. Public school districts include Des Moines Public Schools (Roosevelt, Lincoln, North, East, and other high schools), Ankeny Community School District, Waukee Community School District, and Johnston Community School District. Colleges and universities include Drake University (2507 University Ave, Des Moines, IA 50311), Grand View University (1200 Grandview Ave, Des Moines, IA 50316), Des Moines Area Community College — Ankeny Campus (2006 S Ankeny Blvd, Ankeny, IA 50023), and Iowa State University in Ames.
Field trips and team travel are typically pickups at the school or campus itself; 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 — the network serves the full Des Moines craft and nightlife circuit. Brewery stops include Confluence Brewing Company (1235 Thomas Beck Rd, Des Moines, IA 50315), Exile Brewing Co. (1514 Walnut St, Des Moines, IA 50309), and the Iowa Taproom (215 E 3rd St, Des Moines, IA 50309) in the East Village. Jasper Winery (2400 George Flagg Pkwy, Des Moines, IA 50321) and Summerset Winery in Indianola (about 20 miles south on US-65) are popular winery tour stops.
Iowa Distilling Company in Cumming (3636 IA-44, Cumming, IA 50061) is about 20 miles south and a natural add-on. Prairie Meadows Casino, Hotel & Racetrack (1 Prairie Meadows Dr, Altoona, IA 50009) is about 10 miles east of downtown and one of the most popular casino destinations in Iowa. The East Village and Ingersoll Avenue corridors anchor downtown nightlife.
A multi-stop tour route is timed by how long the group stays at each stop — list the stops and approximate time at each one with the request so the hours come back right.
Yes. The network handles long-distance trips from Des Moines regularly. Common destinations include Kansas City, MO (about 195 miles south on I-35, roughly 3 hours), Omaha, NE (about 135 miles west on I-80, roughly 2 hours), Minneapolis, MN (about 245 miles north on I-35, roughly 3.5 hours), Chicago, IL (about 335 miles east on I-80, roughly 5 hours), Branson, MO (about 285 miles south, a popular group travel destination), and Wisconsin Dells, WI (about 290 miles northeast, a popular summer destination).
A long-distance trip is usually booked as a one-way transfer or a multi-day trip rather than by the hour — and an overnight trip needs the full itinerary laid out with the request, including any overnight stops, so it comes back priced correctly. Call 507-780-3115 or fill out the form with the full route and the pricing comes back for your actual trip.