Charter Bus Rentals in Long Island, New York

Why Rent a Bus in Long Island?

The area of Long Island outside of NYC doesn’t have the same extensive subway system that New York City does. The MTA runs the Long Island Railroad (LIRR), which provides transportation from the city to the rest of Long Island. But what do you do once you’re out there?

Your group will have a couple of options. Nassau County’s public buses run all along the island, and Long Island also has taxis, rideshares, and rental buses for you to choose from. Here are some pros and cons for each choice:

• Public transportation: Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE) buses are affordable, at $2.75 per trip for each adult. They also have fairly extensive routes—but your group will have to work around the bus stops instead of going exactly where you want to, and traveling by public bus can take a long time.
• Local taxis and rideshares: Long Island has a few taxi services, though taxis aren’t as common as in NYC. You can also take advantage of Uber or Lyft to get your group exactly where you want to go. However, most taxis and rideshares can’t hold more than six people, so large groups will have to split up and spend a huge amount of money on cars.
• Charter buses: A charter bus rental will keep your entire group together and get you exactly where you want to go. However, you will need to do a little advance planning on where to park, and you’ll want to make sure you’re with a large group so you can split the cost.

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Beaches in Long Island

Long Island isn’t only a vacation spot—but that doesn’t change that it is a great vacation spot. The island boasts abundant beaches known for their size and the shopping, concerts, and festivals they offer. Plan an elegant business outing in the Hamptons, a friends trip to Fire Island, or a family day at Jones Beach with the help of Shofur.

When you’re done swimming, surfing, and sunbathing, you can head to the famous Long Beach boardwalk or tour the turn-of-the-century mansions along the Gold Coast. If you’re more into shopping, the Hamptons offers luxury shops like Gucci, Goop, and Love Adorned. But Long Island’s main focus remains its welcoming beaches.

Robert Moses State Park (Fire Island)

Address: Robert Moses Causeway, Babylon, NY 11702

Charter bus parking: Parking for commercial buses is available for $75.

Jones Beach State Park

Address: 1 Ocean Pkwy, Wantagh, NY 11793

Charter bus parking: Like at Robert Moses State Park, parking for commercial buses is available for $75.

Long Beach Boardwalk

Address: Boardwalk, Long Beach, NY 11561

Charter bus parking: Long Beach has public paid parking at several lots near the beach.

Long Island Weddings

As you may have guessed from its beautiful beaches and expensive hotels, Long Island is a popular destination for weddings. Even if you don’t want to get married on the sand, you’ll find plenty of country clubs, gardens, restaurants, and mansions that are happy to host your ceremony or reception. In fact, online databases like The Knot list more than 200 wedding venues on Long Island.

Long Island is also a great place to celebrate before or after you get married. Host your bachelor/ette night at one of Long Island’s comedy spots, nightclubs, or bars, and let your charter bus driver serve as your DD so you don’t have to worry about anyone having a safe ride back to their hotel.

Field Trips in Long Island

Image credit: Sagtikos Manor, Wikimedia Commons 

We promised that Long Island wasn’t just a vacation destination, and we meant it. Since Long Island has a lot of schools, it also has a lot of students who want to go on field trips. You can teach your kids about one of America’s most famous poets at the Walt Whitman Birthplace or let them explore different kinds of culinary, medicinal, and textile plants at the Bridge Gardens.

If your students are learning about Long Island’s history, treat them to a visit to the Stony Brook Grist Mill, which dates back to 1751 and offers demonstrations of how to grind up corn from a modern-day miller. About 40 minutes from the mill, you’ll find the even older Sagtikos Manor, which dates back to 1697 and once hosted General George Washington for a short stay.

Walt Whitman Birthplace State Historic Site

Address: 246 Old Walt Whitman Rd, Huntington Station, NY 11746

Charter bus parking: Your charter bus can park near the birthplace, and your group can enter for $8 per adult or $6 per student. The visitor center, house tours, picnic area, and gift shop are accessible so everyone can explore Whitman’s birthplace.

Bridge Gardens

Address: 36 Mitchell Ln, Bridgehampton, NY 11932

Charter bus parking: The Bridgehampton Long Island Railroad station parking lot and 99 School Street parking lot both lie near the botanical gardens and may have space for a bus.

Stony Brook Grist Mill

Address: 100 Harbor Rd, Stony Brook, NY 11790

Charter bus parking: When you call 631-751-2244 to book your field trip, you can request parking for your bus.

Sagtikos Manor

Address: 677 Montauk Hwy, Bay Shore, NY 11706

Charter bus parking: Parking is available at Gardiner’s County Park across the street from the manor.

Sporting Events in Long Island

The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Long Island hosts three professional sports teams: the New York Islanders NHL team, the Long Island Nets basketball team, and the New York Riptide lacrosse team. That alone could draw plenty of sports fans, but the island also hosts the Long Island Ducks, a minor league baseball team, and two professional soccer teams, the Long Island Rough Riders and the New York Cosmos.

Some of these sporting venues also welcome amateur teams. For example, the soccer teams play at Mitchel Athletic Complex, which frequently hosts youth baseball, softball, soccer, and lacrosse games. If you’re bringing your team to Long Island, you can book a charter bus with undercarriage storage space to hold your bats, balls, sports drinks, and uniforms. When you contact Shofur, we can find the perfect coach to take your athletes to your next tournament.

Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum (Home of the New York Islanders, the Long Island Nets, and the New York Riptide)

Address: 1255 Hempstead Turnpike, Uniondale, NY 11553

Charter bus parking: When you purchase group tickets for the Islanders, Nets, or Riptide online, you can note that you have a bus and receive parking information with your discounted tickets.

Bethpage Ballpark (Home of the Long Island Ducks)

Address: 3 Court House Dr, Central Islip, NY 11722

Charter bus parking: Parking is free at the lots outside the Suffolk County Courthouses, which are just across the street from the ballpark.

Mitchel Athletic Complex (Home of the Long Island Rough Riders and the New York Cosmos)

Address: 1 Charles Lindbergh Blvd, Uniondale, NY 11553

Charter bus parking: The Mitchel Athletic Complex has a large parking lot where you can leave your bus rental.

Book a Charter Bus to Explore Long Island

Whether you’re headed to Long Island for a field trip or a beach vacation, Shofur can help your group travel around the island safely. We’ll transport you between Long Beach, Bridgehampton, and Uniondale on a comfortable coach with reclining seats, plenty of legroom, and climate control. Just give us a call at 1-800-436-8719 to book your next group trip to Long Island.