We've been renting from bus companies for 20 years. This is by far the best company we've ever used. They are punctual, polite & have great customer service at a great price.
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See what reviewers are saying
The bus was perfectly on time for pick up in the morning and from the location in the afternoon. This made everything for our day run smoothly. Only comment would be to get a phone call when the bus... See more
I booked a bus for a Christmas bar crawl. First Charter made it easy to get a quote and book. Our driver, Andy, was punctual, helpful, and friendly throughout our entire day. They weren't the cheapest... See more
Buses were on time both leaving school and leaving the museum to return to school. They allowed students to leave backpacks on the bus which was a big help. THANK YOU to both of our drivers and First... See more
Company details
About First Charter Bus Rental - Chicago - West
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
4155 W Chicago Ave, 60651-3623, Chicago, IL, United States
- 800-204-4362
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Great Service!
Great driver
Great driver. Early to pick up. Clean bus. Safety
Talk to passengers. She terrific.
May use AI-assist with repliesRead more
Bus was a no show
The bus was late to the initial pick up so we had to change plans at the last minute and transport 80 people by Uber to our event. The event was on a boat which had a firm departure time so being late was not an option for us. I called 9 times over the period of an hour trying to determine where exactly the bus was and see if we could possibly still make it work. As I had allowed 45 minutes to go 1.5 miles in downtown Chicago to Navy Pier but ultimately 15 minutes before we needed to be on the boat the bus was reportedly to far too reach us in time. When I attempted to call back and confirm our cancellation they did not answer the phone and the voicemail was full so I could not leave a message. Hopefully I can get through to someone today to get a refund.

Reply from First Charter Bus Rental - Chicago - West
Unreliable company
We ordered and paid for two busses. They only sent one.

Reply from First Charter Bus Rental - Chicago - West
It was very good service and the driver…
It was very good service and the driver was very nice!
Great party transportation option
We had a wonderful experience with First Charter Bus Rental. They arrived on time and were flexible with our pick up time. The driver was polite and navigated the city really well.
Good company
Very good communication and easy to work with. Will use again!
The school bus driver was very helpful…
The school bus driver was very helpful and on time to pick us up..Great service
We had a great experience with First…
We had a great experience with First Student Charter.
Brook our bus driver was on time and…
Brook our bus driver was on time and very good with our seniors.
Not great service
Not great service
2 buses were late to the pickup in the morning.
For the pickup at our destination (to go back to school) one bus did not show up.
It took several calls to get a bus there, and the students waited 50 minutes.

Reply from First Charter Bus Rental - Chicago - West
We have always had nothing but great…
We have always had nothing but great customer service!
Wedding Rental
Wedding Rental
We had a bus for 3 hours for my wedding. The driver showed up early which was great! There was only a minor issue and they were a half hour late to the last stop, still not really sure what happened, so we had some guests arriving late.
Thanks for the bus drills!!
Driver was on time
Driver was on time, knew where they were going and got to drop off location early even after in traffic. great service.
First Student was wonderful for our…
First Student was wonderful for our event. All drivers arrived on time with a very helpful attitude. thank you for helping us with our event!
Our drive did not arrive at the…
Our drive did not arrive at the contracted time. Nor did she arrive at the contracted pick up time. We called the day/night of services numbers...both numbers went to voicemail. One number's voicemail box was full and we weren't able to leave a message. Our students were left waiting 45 minutes after our event ended. When the concern was brought to the company's attention, they stated they would look into it. Never followed up. After we followed up, they stated "Due to our research into the matter and the official GPS report, it was found that our driver fulfilled his duties as stipulated in the itinerary of the trip and was on time. Therefore no compensation can be offered at this time. I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience." Horrible customer service.

Reply from First Charter Bus Rental - Chicago - West
Wedding bus rental
We hired First Student for a Charter bus for our wedding and had a great experience. The bus arrived on time and was very clean, the driver was great. We did a few stops for photos that they were able to accommodate. They are far more economical than some competitors and I would definitely recommend them for shorter trips.
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