Start with a free written quote
Book a Chicago Party Bus, Limo, or Shuttle
Tell us the date, the headcount, and where you are going. You get availability and pricing in writing before you decide anything.
Get Your Free Quote
Pickup ZIP, date, headcount, and hours get you one written total with the driver, fuel, taxes, and gratuity included.
What happens after you send the form
The form at the top of this page is a request, not a reservation. Here is the sequence from there.
1. We read the request. Date, start time, number of passengers, pickup area, and the kind of event are enough to check which vehicles fit. If something is missing or unclear, such as a headcount of "20 to 30", expect a short follow-up question, because those two numbers point to different vehicles.
2. You receive a written quote. It names the vehicle, the transportation provider that will run the trip, the hours, the rate, and the additional charges that apply. Chicago Party Bus Fun arranges quotes and may place the trip with an affiliated or independent provider; the about page explains how that works.
3. You compare and ask questions. Want to see how a 20 passenger party bus prices against a 14 passenger limo Sprinter? Ask for both. There is no charge for a second option.
4. You reserve with a deposit. The vehicle is held once the deposit described in the quote is paid. Before that, the date is still open to other groups.
5. You confirm the details a few days out. Final headcount, the pickup address, the order of stops, and the name and mobile number of the person the driver should call.
Prefer to talk it through? Call 1-773-570-7445. For anything that is not a quote, the contact page lists the best way to reach us.
Details that make a quote accurate
A vague request gets a vague number. These are the details that change the price or the vehicle, in rough order of importance.
- The exact date and start time. A Saturday in May and a Thursday in February are priced differently, and a 5 p.m. start may leave a vehicle free for a later group while a 9 p.m. start does not.
- An honest headcount. Count everyone who might come, not everyone who has replied. Seats are a legal limit, not a suggestion. The group size calculator helps you turn a maybe-list into a number.
- Every pickup and drop-off. One house in Oak Park is a different job from four houses across the western suburbs. Street addresses are best; neighborhoods will do for a first quote.
- The stops in between, in order. Dinner, photos, three bars, a stadium. The trip duration estimator shows how fast stops and loading time eat the clock.
- The type of event. Prom, a wedding shuttle, and a bachelor party have different rules. Youth trips are alcohol-free and need an adult contact; weddings often need two runs rather than one long hire.
- Anything unusual. A wheelchair user, luggage for an airport run, a cooler, decorations, a guest who needs a low step.
You do not need every answer to start. Send what you know, mark the rest as undecided, and the quote can be revised as the plan firms up.
How the price is built
We do not print rates on this page, because a number without your date and route attached would mislead you. What we can do is show you what moves the price, so the quote makes sense when it arrives.
Hourly rate and minimum hours. Group vehicles are priced by the hour with a minimum. The minimum is longer on the nights everyone wants, and it runs from the moment the vehicle arrives at your first pickup until the final drop-off, including time spent waiting outside a restaurant.
Day of the week. Across our booking network's quote requests, 81% asked for a Friday or Saturday. Demand that concentrated means weekend rates and minimums are higher, and a Sunday-to-Thursday date is the simplest way to bring a quote down.
Season. Spring carries proms, graduations, and the start of wedding season; December carries holiday parties. January is the quietest month in our data, with only 5% of requested dates, so midwinter is when you have the most room to choose.
Distance. Time is billed from pickup, but a long run out to the far suburbs, a casino, or a Wisconsin venue may add fuel or travel time from the garage. Pickups in places such as Naperville or Schaumburg are routine; they simply need to be in the request from the start.
Vehicle size and type. A larger vehicle costs more per hour but often less per person. Splitting the total across 28 riders on a 30 passenger party bus can beat two smaller vehicles. Run your own numbers with the budget calculator.
Other charges. Tolls, parking, fuel, driver gratuity, cleaning, and overtime may be included or itemized depending on the provider. Your quote lists which apply; if a line is missing, ask before you pay. Our article on what a Chicago party bus costs walks through each item.
Our booking-network data
How far ahead groups ask for quotes
Lead time is the one part of the price you fully control. These figures come from two years of quote requests across the booking network we belong to.
26%
30%
81%
5%
Source: 65,687 group-transportation inquiry records with 2024–2025 event dates, collected across the national booking network that Chicago Party Bus Fun is part of. These are quote requests — not completed trips, unique customers, or Chicago-only figures. How we measure this
How early should you book?
Earlier than most people do. Across 65,687 quote requests in our booking-network data, only 18% arrived 90 days or more before the event, and roughly a quarter came in with less than two weeks to go. Late requests still get quotes. They get fewer choices, and on a peak Saturday the right size may already be gone.
The pattern differs sharply by occasion, and that tells you what your competition for vehicles is doing.
Weddings plan furthest ahead. Among wedding inquiries, 41% came in at least 90 days out, more than double the overall rate, and 45% were for fall dates. If yours is a September or October Saturday, ask as soon as the venue is signed. The wedding transportation guide covers shuttle loops and timing buffers.
Prom is compressed and late. Nearly three quarters of prom inquiries were for spring dates, 94% were for a Friday or Saturday, and a third arrived only two to four weeks before the dance. Whole schools chase the same few nights, so the parents who ask in February get the pick of vehicles. See the prom party bus guide for the adult-contact and no-alcohol rules that apply.
Everything else: for a weekend night, four to eight weeks ahead gives you a real choice of sizes. For a weekday or an off-season date, two weeks is often fine. For a large group needing a 56 passenger coach bus, or several vehicles at once, treat it like a wedding and start three months out.
Not sure which vehicle to request?
Pick a headcount and an occasion to see the sizes that fit. About half of the quote requests in our booking network are for groups of 11 to 20, so if that is you, there is plenty to choose from.
Find Your Perfect Vehicle
Tell us about your group and we'll match you with the right bus, limo, or coach. Two clicks and you're there.
How many passengers?
What's the occasion? (optional)
Select your passenger count above, or browse the full fleet →
Before you pay a deposit
Read the quote once as a planner and once as a skeptic. It should answer these questions without a phone call:
- Which company is providing the vehicle and driver, and how do you reach them on the day?
- What vehicle is assigned, how many seats does it have, and what equipment does it include? Features vary from one vehicle to the next, so the quote, not a photo, is the record of what you are getting.
- What are the pickup time, the end time, and the overtime rate if you run late?
- Which charges are included and which are extra?
- How much is the deposit, when is the balance due, and what is refunded if you cancel by which date?
- What are the rules on alcohol, glass, food, smoking, and decorations? Alcohol is for passengers 21 and over only and is never allowed on youth trips.
If an answer is missing, ask for it to be added in writing. A provider that will not put a term in writing is telling you something. First-time renters may also find the first-time party bus renter guide useful before signing.
Work out your numbers before you ask
Three quick calculators for the three things every quote depends on: what the group can spend, how many seats you need, and how many hours the plan takes.
Pricing polls
How do other groups handle pricing and deposits?
Vote to see how other groups answered. One vote per poll, no sign-up, and nothing personal is stored.
How often do you think businesses should review their pricing models?
3 votes
How do you respond to price increases in your local market?
No votes yet — be first
How do local taxes affect your perception of prices in your city?
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Booking questions, answered
Straight answers for planning a group trip in Chicago
Does sending the quote form reserve a vehicle?
What is the minimum number of hours I can book?
How much is the deposit and when is the balance due?
Can I change the date, hours, or headcount after I book?
Why do you ask for every stop before quoting?
Is gratuity included in the quote?
Who actually operates the trip?
Can I book a party bus for the same week?
What happens if the vehicle I booked becomes unavailable?
Do I need to pay anything to get a quote?
Compare vehicles and plan the occasion
More vehicles to compare
See all 53 vehicles →
Ready? Request your written quote
Tell us about your event and ask for a written quote. If your reservation is serviced by an affiliate or sister company, confirm vehicle, operator, base rate, minimum hours, and included charges with that provider before paying a deposit.