The short answer
- For 2 people, a sedan; for up to 6, an SUV with room for 6 bags.
- A stretch limousine seats up to 10, and a Sprinter up to 14; the Hummer stretch takes 18.
- Party buses seat 25 or 35, and a motor coach seats 56 for conferences and long trips.
- Seat counts are the most a vehicle carries, so a group that wants room to move, or brings luggage, should size up one step.
- Most vehicles show a price as you book; the BMW 7 Series, Mini Coach, Limo Trolley and Motor Coach are quoted.
Planning this trip? See the price online in a few steps, or talk it through with us any hour.
Limo or party bus? Match the vehicle to the headcount
Find your headcount in the left column. Seats are the maximum for each vehicle, taken from our fleet list; "ask" in the bags column means the vehicle has no fixed luggage figure, because the seating fills the cabin and space depends on the layout. Where the price column says quoted, you send the trip details and get a price back instead of seeing one in the booking form.
Group sizes rarely land exactly on a row. A group of 12 sits between the stretch limo and the Sprinter, and the right answer is the Sprinter, because 12 people cannot ride in a 10-seat limousine. Always round the headcount up to the next vehicle, never down.
| People | Vehicle | Seats | Bags | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Sedan / BMW 7 Series | 2 / 3 | 3 | Shown as you book / Quoted |
| 6 | Full Size SUV / Luxury SUV / Escalade SUV | 6 | 6 | Shown as you book |
| 10 | Black Stretch Limo / White Stretch Limo | 10 | ask | Shown as you book |
| 14 | Sprinter Limo / Executive Sprinter / Transit Van | 14 | ask | Shown as you book |
| 18 | Hummer Stretch Limo | 18 | ask | Shown as you book |
| 25 | Standard Party Bus / Mini Coach / Limo Trolley | 25 / 28 / 30 | ask | Shown as you book / Quoted |
| 35 | Large Party Bus | 35 | ask | Shown as you book |
| 56 | Motor Coach | 56 | ask | Quoted |
2 to 6 people: a sedan or an SUV
Two people with luggage fit a sedan, which takes 3 bags. For an executive or a VIP guest, the BMW 7 Series seats 3 in the back with a reclining rear seat; it is quoted rather than priced in the form. Three to six people need an SUV: the full-size, the luxury SUV with its panoramic sunroof, or the Escalade with quilted captain's chairs all seat 6 and carry 6 bags.
Six is a real limit, not a suggestion. Six adults in an SUV means somebody in the third row, and six people flying home after a week away usually have more than six bags between them. If both are true, book two SUVs or move up to a Sprinter.
For a family airport run with small children, an SUV is worth it even for four people: the spare seats make room for car seats, a stroller and the carry-ons that never fit under anything.
10 to 18: stretch limos, Sprinters and the Hummer
This is where most celebrations land, and the choice is about the kind of evening. The black and the white stretch limousines each seat 10 on wraparound leather under a starlight ceiling, which is the look people mean when they say limo. The white one is the usual wedding pick; the black suits an anniversary or a night downtown.
At 14 seats, the Sprinters are the most flexible vehicles in the fleet. The Sprinter limo has a bar area and LED lighting for a birthday or a bachelorette; the Executive Sprinter has leather captain's chairs for a client team; the Transit Van has forward-facing seats, a sliding side door and a high roof for an airport run with equipment. The Hummer stretch takes 18 with an LED light show, for a group that has outgrown a regular stretch but still wants a limousine.
25 to 56: party buses, the trolley and the coaches
Above 18 people, the question is whether the ride is part of the party or just transport. The standard party bus seats 25 and the large one 35, with lighting, sound and bar areas, and the large bus has two bars. The Limo Trolley, quoted on request, seats 30 in a wood-trimmed cabin and is a favorite for weddings and holiday parties.
When the ride is transport, choose a coach. The mini coach seats 28 on forward-facing seats with seat belts, which suits wedding guests between a hotel and the venue, or a corporate shuttle. The motor coach seats 56 on reclining seats with overhead screens, for conventions and out-of-town trips. Both are quoted.
Splitting the cost: why the bigger vehicle can be better value
A chauffeured vehicle is priced for the vehicle and the time, not per head. That changes the arithmetic for a group. Ten friends in two SUVs pay for two vehicles and two chauffeurs and ride apart; the same ten in one stretch limousine pay for one and arrive together. Past a certain size, one large vehicle is nearly always simpler than a convoy of small ones.
Time matters as much as size. Hourly service has a 2-hour minimum and includes unlimited stops inside our service area, so an evening with a pickup at three homes, dinner and a show is one booking, not five. Divide the price you see by the number of riders, and compare that with what each person would spend getting there separately, before you decide a party bus is extravagant.
When two vehicles do make sense, as for a wedding with a couple and their guests, book them together so the timings match.
Luggage changes the answer
Our fleet list gives a bag count only for the cars: 3 for a sedan and 6 for each SUV. The stretch limos, Sprinters, party buses and coaches have no fixed figure, and the motor coach lists overhead racks rather than a luggage bay. So for any airport trip or weekend away in a larger vehicle, tell us the number of suitcases when you book.
For a group of ten flying in with full-size bags, a stretch limo is the wrong car however good it looks; a Transit Van or an Executive Sprinter with seats to spare is the right one. A wedding party of 14 heading to a lake resort for the weekend may need a Sprinter for people and a second vehicle for the bags.
Occasion by occasion
The same headcount can call for different vehicles depending on the night. These are the pairings that work most often.
Two questions settle most close calls: will people want to stand, talk and move around, and is the ride the point of the evening or just the way to get there? Yes to the first points to a Sprinter limo or a party bus; the second decides between a party bus and a coach.
- Prom: a stretch limo for 10, the Hummer for 18, a party bus for the whole table.
- Wedding party: the white stretch for the couple, a mini coach or the trolley for guests.
- Bachelorette or birthday: the Sprinter limo up to 14, a party bus beyond that.
- Concert or game: a Sprinter or party bus that waits outside and leaves when you do.
- Corporate team: an Executive Sprinter for a small team, a coach for a conference.
- Group airport transfer: a Transit Van or coach, chosen by bags as much as by people.
Rules that come with bigger vehicles
Chicago treats party buses differently from cars. Under a city ordinance passed in 2017, party buses carrying 15 or more passengers, with alcohol on board or stops where alcohol will be served, must have licensed security guards and video cameras. Ask how the company handles that before you plan an adult party on a bus.
For trips that cross a state line, such as a game in Milwaukee or South Bend, the federal motor carrier agency says every bus company carrying passengers between states needs a USDOT number and federal operating authority, and its Bus Safety Search lets you check both, along with the company's insurance, before you book.
Neither rule is a reason to avoid a party bus. They are reasons to ask the right questions, and a company that runs its buses properly answers them easily.
