There’s nothing quite like a party bus in Charleston, SC. How else can you travel underneath the Spanish Moss, along the Battery and traverse up and down King Street while dancing and drinking the entire time? Not to mention the vast majority of vacation rentals are between 20 – 50 minutes away from downtown and taxis can be difficult to secure, especially at 2 am.
While it’s obvious that booking a Charleston party bus is the best transportation option for a large group visiting the Lowcountry, it might seem daunting if you’ve never done it before. That’s why we wrote this comprehensive guide that goes over all of the booking aspects including when, for how long, what type of ride and vehicle, the best Charleston party bus rental providers and where to go once you’re on board. So grab a pen and notepad and let’s begin!
6 Essential Aspects of Booking a Party Bus in Charleston, SC
1. When
First you’ll have to decide when on your trip you want to book a party bus. If it was up to us, we’d reserve one the whole trip and take advantage of Double Black’s multi-day discounts.
However, everyone’s plan and budget is different. You’ll want to keep in mind that Saturday is their busiest day, so that’s when the demand and price are higher than any other day of the week. Fridays are also busy, as they are part of the weekend.
Booking a party bus on a Thursday or Sunday can be a great way to save some money and still have a blast. Check out Double Black’s weekday discounts.
2. How Long/Type of Ride
The biggest factor in price is the duration of your party bus rental. The longer it is, the more expensive it will be. However, there are some half-day and full-day discounts that can significantly bring down your hourly rate.
Another way to lower the price is by booking a round trip service, rather than by the hour. That means you will only get to ride the bus to and from your destination but you can save a lot of money. This is ideal for people who are staying in Isle of Palms or Kiawah and are more focused on getting downtown than spending the whole day on a party bus.
3. Type of Party Bus
While there are several different types of vehicles that can bring you downtown and let you drink on them, we believe that a vehicle must have 4 qualities to call itself a party bus. Those are: wraparound seating, surround sound speakers, LED mood lighting and a vehicle that is tall enough to dance in (no limos!).
Once you’ve made sure the provider has all of these features you can focus on other aspects, such as passenger capacity and bars.
4. Get Quotes
Now that you know the when, how and what of your Charleston party bus rental, it’s time to find your provider. There are three main party bus companies in Charleston: Double Black Transportation, Charleston Black Cab Company and Coastal Limo. Charleston Black Cab Company has the biggest fleet and vehicles, so make sure to check them out if your group is 50+ passengers.
Meanwhile, Double Black has the best discounts including weekday, roundtrip, half-day, full-day and multi-day. They also have the newest vehicles! Coastal Limo has some great vehicles as well. It’s best to get quoted from all three vendors and then go from there.
5. Where to Go
Now you must decide where to go! For a lot of people staying outside of Charleston (Isle of Palms, Kiawah, Folly Beach, etc.) this is relatively easy.
They want the party bus to take them downtown around King Street and eventually back home. However, that is not always the case! Some other great options include going to the beach, golfing, wine tours, brewery crawls and more! If you need help brainstorming, give us a call!
6. Invite List
Lastly, you will need to create the guest list for your party bus rental. If you’re on a trip that’s pretty easy, just the same people as you’re traveling with. However, if you are a local or know locals, that might get trickier. Either way we suggest you always leave a couple of open spots in case you find some really fun people at the bar!
Conclusion: A Charleston Party Bus Guide
We hope this comprehensive guide has helped demonstrate how easy it is to book a party bus rental in Charleston. If you need more help or information, give us a shout and we will be happy to help plan your next adventure.