You may have decided you want to take a charter bus tour for your next vacation. You might have decided where you want to go and how many people are going with you and have narrowed down the companies you are considering booking with. There might be some other things you haven't thought about when booking your charter bus tour. These can be very important, and you should have all the information you need to make an informed choice.
Here are a few tips on booking a charter bus tour that you might not have considered looking into before.
Ask To See Their Insurance Certificates
Whether you are booking a charter bus tour with the bus company itself or through a travel agent with a pre-planned trip, you should know that the charter bus company is fully insured before you get on board the bus. You have the right to ask to see the company's insurance certificate. When you see that they are insured, you will know that they are a legitimate and reputable company that carries liability insurance for their drivers and buses alike.
This means you are protected from having to pay any damages to the company for any accidents that might occur. This can help relieve any worry you might have with taking a charter bus tour so you can enjoy your trip.
How Often Are The Buses Inspected And Serviced?
You should find out how often the company's buses are inspected. They should be inspected on a regular basis. Every time the bus is taken on a trip, the driver and maintenance staff should do a circle check before it's taken off the yard. All systems should be checked often and any repairs should be done quickly once a problem is found.
You can also ask when the bus was last serviced. When a bus is used on multiple charter bus tours, there will be wear and tear on the vehicle. There should be service records within the last year for each bus. Vehicles need regular maintenance, and a good and reputable charter bus company will keep their buses in great shape. This will ensure you will enjoy your trip with no worry about breakdowns.
Will More Than One Driver Go On The Trip?
In some cases, charter bus tours will have more than one bus driver go along on the trip with you. This is especially true when it's a long-distance trip. Even though the bus will stop overnight or for a few days in certain destinations, driving for long periods of time can be very tiring for the driver. This can lead to dangerous conditions if you only have one driver on the trip.
You can ask if they will provide more than one driver for the trip or if they plan to make longer and/or more frequent stops along the way to not only let the guests off the bus to walk around but to rest the driver too.