The company was very helpful in setting up our trip, making sure we had air conditioned buses reserved, and had quick communication. Our drivers Sylvia and Lynetta were friendly, patient, and commu... See more
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Excellent driver! Our driver was very prompt and friendly. I can't remember his name, but he provided excellent service!
Our driver was super friendly and made the ride enjoyable. There was miscommunication on the type of service booked. We booked a shuttle to be non stop between two locations and there was miscommunica... See more
Great experience with very reasonable rates.
Company details
- #2 of 5 best companies in Bus and Coach Company
- #2 of 3 best companies in Bus Charter
About First Charter Bus Rental - Normal
Written by the company
Think Yellow for your next event.
From field trips and party buses to corporate events and conventions to national organizations and non-profits, choosing yellow is the fun and flexible choice for all types of groups and destinations. School bus rental prices range from $85 to $125* per hour.
First Student is North America’s largest and most trusted provider of chartered yellow school bus transportation because we have the best drivers, buses and customer service.
The best buses
Because we have North America’s largest fleet, we are able to provide you with the best, newest and cleanest buses in the industry.
The best drivers
Most of your experience comes down to the driver, and we take our responsibility to provide you with a safe, respectful and caring professional driver, very seriously. We have a thorough screening and selection process to ensure we hire only the best and a continual training program to make them even better.
The best customer service
First Student has dedicated charter centers across North America, staffed with transportation professionals who know your region and are ready to partner with you on your most complex transportation needs.
*Location prices vary. Minimum trip time and other restrictions may apply.
Contact info
2000 Eagle Rd, 61761, Normal, IL, United States
- 800-204-4362
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Great experience with very reasonable…
Great experience with very reasonable rates.
The driver was ok and made our trip…
The driver was ok and made our trip better. But we hopped on the bus and no AC. It was a 90 degree day with + a heat index projected to be in the 100’s. We had a two-hour bus trip planned.
We got lucky. Right before we hopped on the bus, there was a storm that wiped out the hot air, and it was cooler on the way back.
Not the drivers, fault but more the company.
The company was very helpful in setting…
The company was very helpful in setting up our trip, making sure we had air conditioned buses reserved, and had quick communication.
Our drivers Sylvia and Lynetta were friendly, patient, and communicative. They helped make our experience wonderful!
The bus did not show up
The bus did not show up. Customer service from the 1-800 line to the phone number in Normal was terrible. Never will I use your service again. My students were heartbroken, as was their families and my staff.
excellent!
Excellent driver!
Excellent driver!
Our driver was very prompt and friendly. I can't remember his name, but he provided excellent service!
Worked along with this group as a team
Worked along with this group as a team. They did a great job!
Our driver was super friendly and made…
Our driver was super friendly and made the ride enjoyable. There was miscommunication on the type of service booked. We booked a shuttle to be non stop between two locations and there was miscommunication regarding that. Our designated contact person was also contacted numerous times throughout the night which distracted them from enjoying their time at our wedding reception. Overall good experience but could have been a little better streamlined.
Great service
Buses were on-time as requested. And the drivers were very flexible with returning our wedding guests to their hotels as needed.
bus driver 1 flew over a MASSIVE bump…
bus driver 1 flew over a MASSIVE bump and sent the riders flying. missed multiple turns.
They were great on time and got us to…
They were great on time and got us to and from the venue safely with no problems
Worst Experience Ever
The bus did not show up and left all of our wedding guests stranded the night of our wedding. All of the phone numbers given on our quote/confirmation were not valid. One phone number had no answer and the other number was from an ex-employee. Getting a refund and any type of apology has been an equally frustrating experience and I don’t think the company has any remorse.
A driver with a salty attitude
We hosted a wedding reception on our farm October 15, 2022. The shuttle was rented to move folks from our property to a hotel roughly 17 minutes away. The service was paid to run from 430pm-1am.
The first load of guest arrived with nothing but negative things to say about how angry, unkind and downright mean the bus driver was to them as they loaded the bus. While no beverages were to be consumed on the bus a gentle reminder to my aunt with a bottle of water and my great uncle with a cup of hot tea would have been appreciated vs. the scolding the got in front of every other guest on the bus.
When the next bus load arrived, I was beyond disappointed to hear this is how every guest on that load was treated as well. This was the story throughout the evening. When the last load of guests was dropped off around 630pm, he called and asked when he needed to come back. I requested that he come back and sit in our long lane so that when the first load was ready to go, he would be ready. He proceeded to be rude to me and say he would rather sit in Bloomington than here and to call when I was ready.
As a bride I had other things to attend to aside from the bus driver with an attitude problem, yet that seemed to be all I was continually brought back too.
Around 12:05 as the evening was winding down my husband asked if he was going to come back to our property and wait for the last load of guest’s vs sitting in Bloomington. The bus driver proceeded to tell my husband his plan was to be home by 12-1am at the latest. However, we paid for the shuttle to stop running at 1 am.
In the end he did come back out and pick up our last set of guests at 12:45 with the same salty attitude he showed the other 120 people he picked up that night.
This was not a cheap rental by any means and while there were definitely other options, we thought this would be kind of fun for everyone, what a waste of $630.00. In a world of google reviews and multiple options I am not sure why this man was hired to begin with, let alone approved for overtime to run a Saturday night shuttle that was booked MONTHS in advance. A good 1/3 of our guests live in the Bloomington/Normal area and rest assure you have lost our business as well as theirs.
We used First Student Charter for our…
We used First Student Charter for our wedding. They were excellent, timely and very accommodating for our guests. Wonderful experience. Thank you.
This is the first time we have used…
This is the first time we have used First Student and I was happily surprised they were hear early and ready to go.
Great Drivers
The drivers were on time and both were great with all our guests going to and from my daughter's wedding. I'm so glad that Rick at The Walton Centre recommended First Charter Bus from Normal, Illinois.
Jamie Oelschlager
Thank you for providing safe and…
Thank you for providing safe and reliable transportation this weekend for our wedding!
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