How do I request a quote?
Do I need an itinerary before I call?
What is the difference between a “charter” and a “tour”?
Do you sell single tickets?
What is the seating capacity of your motorcoaches?
What methods of payment do you accept?
When do we pay for our trip?
What if I need to cancel?
How many hours may I use the bus?
Can I use the bus once I reach the destination point?
Are there luggage size or weight limits?
Can we bring food and beverages on the bus?
Do I need to supply parking for the bus?
Do I need to provide a room for the driver?
Are the motor coaches equipped with DVD player, restroom, etc.?
Can more than 2 students (children) occupy the same seat?
Is gratuity for the driver required?
What is a fuel surcharge?
Do you run tours to the casino?
Do you offer discounts?
Someone in our group has a CDL and/or drives buses for the schools. Can we just rent the bus and have that person drive us?
What happens if there is a problem on the road?
May I come by your facility to view the equipment before chartering a bus?
Can you provide your insurance certificate showing you have the required $5 million in coverage?
Does this company comply with all local, state, and federal regulations?
How eco-friendly is bus travel, really?
How do I request a quote?
You can request a quote by contacting our office via email or phone or by using our Quote Request Form. We will need to know where you are going, how many people are traveling, and travel dates. We can also arrange for lodging, meals, activities, entertainment, activities, and security for your trip. Just let us know what you would like to do, and we’ll do what we do best: planning great, affordable trips for your group throughout Corinth, Farmington, Tupelo, and Jackson, MS and beyond.
Do I need an itinerary before I call?
You do not need a complete itinerary to call us for a basic quote. Let us know your destination and approximate dates of travel, and we can help you plan stops along the way for food and restroom breaks. Corinth Charters and Tours does require an itinerary before the trip. Each itinerary is carefully reviewed for feasibility of the plan and compliance with safety regulations.
What is the difference between a “charter” and a “tour”?
A charter is an agreement to provide transportation only for a group of participants. Unlike a public bus company, for which anyone can purchase a ticket for fixed routes, a charter company provides private transportation for your group and your group alone to specific destinations. A tour is a package deal that typically includes transportation and lodging and can also include some meals, admissions, and activities. We are happy to arrange anything — from simple charters to elaborate tour packages.
Do you sell single tickets?
We do not run regular routes, so we do not sell single tickets for transportation. We do offer some tour packages, which include per-person prices. For more information on our current tour packages, see Upcoming Tours.
What is the seating capacity of your motorcoaches?
Our larger coaches seat 56 passengers. Our smaller coach seats 38 passengers. Visit our fleet for more details about capacities and amenities on our motorcoaches.
What methods of payment do you accept?
We accept cash, money order, check, and school purchase orders. For an additional fee of 3% of the trip cost, we also accept MasterCard and Visa. There is a $50.00 fee for each returned check.
When do we pay for our trip?
Reservations are made on a first-come, first-served basis. Your first payment is a deposit of $100 or 10% of the cost of your trip, whichever is greater. This payment, due with your signed contract, reserves a bus for your travel dates. Typically, full payment is due 30 days prior to the trip. Your contract stipulates a specific timeline for payment(s). If payments are not made on time, your trip may be canceled.
What if I need to cancel?
Notify our office as soon as possible. You may or may not be due a refund, per our cancellation policy and any specific deadline stipulations in your contract.
How many hours may I use the bus?
Each trip is different, and we will work with you to plan efficient use of the bus. Trips must be planned around safe limits on driving time and routine fuel stops. Federal law limits drivers to ten hours of driving time and a total of 15 hours on duty before requiring 8 hours of rest. These standards are for your safety, and we plan trips in accordance with these regulations to provide for the safety of our groups.
Can I use the bus once I reach the destination point?
Yes, you may use the bus once you reach the destination point, but we must be informed of your various transportation needs BEFORE we draw up your contract, to account for the additional mileage and plan our routes and driver schedules accordingly. If a customer requests travel beyond the scope of the contract, Corinth Charters and Tours will bill them accordingly for additional mileage and driver time, subject to availability of the bus and the driver.
Are there luggage size or weight limits?
You may be limited on the number, size, or weight of your bags, depending on the number of people in your group. Our overhead bins are similar to the overhead space in planes, able to fit a small backpack, but not a larger, rolling carry-on. You are welcome to carry items in your lap.
Can we bring food and beverages on the bus?
Yes, you may bring some food and drink with you on the bus, with some limitations. Only drinks in bottles with screw-on tops are permitted; no cans or fast food cups are allowed. You may not bring colored drinks (e.g., Red Powerade, Grape Kool-Aid, etc.). Sticky candy like gummies or Hot Tamales are not permitted. Sunflower seeds and nuts that must be shelled (e.g., pistachios) are not permitted. No restaurant food may be brought onto the bus. If a bus requires excessive cleaning, those costs will be charged to the group. For more information, please see our Motorcoach Policies.
Do I need to supply parking for the bus?
When we arrange for pick-up and drop-off points, we will suggest a suitable meeting spot that has ample room for the bus. At the destination, we will take care of finding parking for the bus. We cannot park the bus in an unsafe area (e.g., muddy field or in a place that may obstruct traffic) or in an area for which we do not have explicit permission to park. If there is no free, safe parking available, you will be responsible for the cost of parking the bus if there are fees involved.
Do I need to provide a room for the driver?
In some cases, yes, you will need to provide a room for the driver. If your trip requires an overnight stay, the driver will need his own room. Drivers have a limit of 10 hours of driving and 15 hours on duty, per US DOT standards. If your trip requires more than 10 hours of driving or 15 hours on duty, the driver must have a room and a rest period of 8 hours before the driver may drive again, or two drivers may need to be assigned to the trip. Your contract will state if you need to provide a room for the driver.
Are the motor coaches equipped with DVD player, restroom, etc.?
All our motorcoaches are equipped with DVD players and WiFi. The 56-passenger coaches are restroom-equipped. Select buses also have DirecTV. For more information, visit Our Fleet.
Can more than 2 students (children) occupy the same seat?
No. Each passenger must have his or her own seat. The number of passengers is limited to the capacity of the bus, no matter what age. A 56-passenger motorcoach holds a maximum of 56 passengers.
Is gratuity for the driver required?
Tips are never required, but they are always welcome. If you feel your driver has done an exceptional job, please feel free to give him a tip. The group leader may collect tips from the group to present to the driver at the end of the trip. For a brief guide on tipping, see “Tip Amounts for Tour Bus Drivers” from USA Today.
What is a fuel surcharge?
When we figure a quote and issue a contract, we are estimating fuel costs based on current prices and trends in the fuel market. A significant amount of time may elapse between the time a contract is issued and the date of your trip. If the price of fuel rises above a certain level (always specified in your contract) for your trip dates, we may impose a secondary charge to account for the difference between the projected cost of fuel and the actual cost of fuel. Fuel surcharges are standard in the transportation industry.
Do you run tours to the casino?
We do not offer a casino route. If you would like to charter a trip to one of the casino areas for a group of people, you are welcome to contact us to request a quote for your group.
Do you offer discounts?
We offer a 10% discount to church groups.
Someone in our group has a CDL and/or drives buses for the schools. Can we just rent the bus and have that person drive us?
No, they cannot. Our drivers go through a rigorous review and training process before being placed on our roster, to provide you with safe and courteous service. All drivers of our buses must be employees of Corinth Charters and Tours. Insurance regulations do not allow other drivers to operate our equipment. If you know someone who is interested in working with our team, please have them contact us.
What happens if there is a problem on the road?
During normal business hours, you may call our office for assistance. For all other times, there is someone on call to handle any problems that arise on a trip. Your driver or group leader will have our on-call number.
May I come by your facility to view the equipment before chartering a bus?
Absolutely. Please call ahead to be sure motorcoaches are available at our shop, and then come by to tour the coaches and meet our staff.
Can you provide your insurance certificate showing you have the required $5 million in coverage?
We will be happy to provide this certificate upon request. We carry $5,000,000 liability coverage as required by federal law.
Does this company comply with all local, state, and federal regulations?
Yes! During every compliance review, including our most recent one in August 2014, Corinth Charters and Tours has received a satisfactory rating (the highest awarded). Every motorcoach carrier that does business in the US has a public record with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), a division of the US Department of Transportation. You can visit their website to check our safety record. Enter our USDOT number (1009534) in the field, or search for us by name to view our record.
Before you book with any charter bus company, you should always check their safety record. Visit the FMCSA’s helpful page, “Look Before You Book.”
How eco-friendly is bus travel, really?
Traveling by bus is actually very eco-friendly! Though a motorcoach’s miles per gallon of fuel consumption may not be as efficient as your own personal vehicle, the number of passengers that a motorcoach can carry displaces many cars from the road. Motorcoach travel is safer, more efficient, and greener than any other form of transportation (other than a bicycle or your own two feet!). In the Union of Concerned Scientists’ 2008 report on transportation, “Getting There Greener,” motorcoach travel comes out on top in every category!