Planning tool
BYOB & Ice Planner
Estimate how many drinks, cups, ice bags, and coolers to bring for a BYOB trip from your group size, ride length, and drink mix. The results are planning assumptions, not a rule. Confirm the provider's written policy on alcohol, glass, coolers, and ice before you shop; many providers prohibit glass and some supply ice.
- From
- $245/hr
- Most trips
- 4 hours
- Quotes sent
- 16k+
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What the BYOB & Ice Planner is for
Running out of ice two hours into a four-hour ride is a very avoidable problem. So is hauling three untouched cases back home. This planner gives you a shopping list for a bring-your-own-drinks trip: drink count, pounds of ice, coolers, water and cups, all scaled to your group and how long you've booked.
Use it once you know the provider allows alcohol on board, and before you head to the store. The numbers are an opening quantity you can adjust for your crowd. They don't replace the provider's rules on glass, coolers and ice, or local laws about drinking in a vehicle.
How to use it
- Enter your group size. Count everyone riding, including people who aren't drinking. Ice, water and cups are sized for the whole group, so a smaller number would leave you short on the basics.
- Enter the hours. Use the booked rental length, from 1 to 12 hours. Drinks and ice both scale with hours, so a five-hour booking gets noticeably more than a three-hour one.
- Pick a drink preference. Choose Mostly Beer or Seltzers, a Mix of Beer and Cocktails, or Light Drinking and Wine. This sets the drinking pace and decides whether cups are included.
- Build your shopping list. Read the five cards: Total Drinks, Ice Needed, Coolers, Water Bottles and Cups. Adjust for anyone not drinking, then check the provider's policy before you buy.
BYOB & Ice Planner
Planning aid. Results use the assumptions explained below; your written quote and the provider's policies are what count.
Reading the results
The rates are fixed: 1.5 drinks per person per hour for mostly beer, 1.2 for a mixed crowd and 0.8 for light drinking, all rounded up. Ice is 1.25 pounds per person per hour. Coolers assume 40 pounds of ice each. Water is 1.5 bottles per person no matter the hours. Cups are 2.5 per person, and N/A for the beer option because cans need none.
Those are planning assumptions built into the tool, not measurements of how anyone actually drinks. Your group knows itself better. If half your guests won't drink, lower the drink count by hand but keep the ice and water sized for everyone.
Before you shop, get the provider's written policy. Some supply ice or coolers, many ban glass, and some don't allow alcohol at all for certain groups or trips.
Worked example: Twenty guests, four hours, mixed drinks
With the defaults of 20 people, 4 hours and a mix of beer and cocktails, you get 96 drinks, 100 pounds of ice, 3 coolers, 30 water bottles and 50 cups.
Switch to Mostly Beer or Seltzers and the drink count rises to 120 while cups go to N/A, since everyone is drinking from cans. Ice and coolers don't move, because ice depends only on people and hours.
Now say five of the twenty aren't drinking. Keep the 100 pounds of ice and 30 waters, but scale the drinks: 96 divided by 20 is 4.8 per person, times 15 drinkers is about 72 alcoholic drinks. Swap the difference for sodas and extra water and your list matches your actual crowd.
Mistakes to avoid
Shopping before checking the policy
Alcohol, glass and cooler rules change from provider to provider, and some trips have an under-21 passenger rule. Get the written policy first so you don't buy things you can't bring.
Buying glass bottles
Glass on a moving vehicle breaks, and many providers ban it outright with a cleaning fee attached. Go with cans or plastic even if the policy says nothing.
Forgetting where the coolers go
Three coolers take real floor space. Ask whether the vehicle has built-in ice wells or cooler storage, which might cut how many you need to bring.
Underbuying water on long rides
The water count doesn't grow with hours. On a six-hour ride, or a hot day, bring more than the card shows.
Where to go next
- Alcohol Policy Checklist Work out what to ask the company, and which rules to look up, before any alcohol goes on board.
- Policies: what to expect Read how provider rules on drinks, glass, and cleaning are typically written.
- Cost Split Calculator Add the cost of drinks and ice as extras so everyone shares it with the rental.
- Bachelor parties See planning notes for one of the trip types where BYOB comes up most.
What people actually pay
Quotes across our markets · June 2023 – September 2026
- Per hour, starting around
- $245–$355
- Typical night out (4 hours)
- $1,300–$1,580
| Party size | Per hour, from |
|---|---|
| 1–10 passengers | $225–$315 |
| 11–15 passengers | $240–$340 |
| 16–20 passengers | $260–$365 |
| 21–30 passengers | $280–$400 |
| 31–40 passengers | $305–$450 |
| 41–60 passengers | $300–$450 |
Your price depends on the date, the city, how many hours you need, the bus and your group size. These come from quotes we have actually sent: the low end up to the middle of the range. Busy Saturdays cost more, quiet weeknights less. Minimum hours, the drive to your pickup, tolls and gratuity all move the final number.
Five minutes that saves the night
Full booking checklist- Pay the company named on the contract, nobody else.
- Ask for photos of the actual bus and its legal seat count.
- Get one total with hours, travel, tolls, tax and gratuity listed out.
- Read the cancellation and bad-weather terms before you put money down.
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BYOB & Ice Planner questions, answered
How does the BYOB planner decide how many drinks to buy?
It multiplies your group size by your hours and a fixed pace: 1.5 drinks per person per hour for mostly beer, 1.2 for a mix of beer and cocktails, and 0.8 for light drinking or wine, then rounds up. Those paces are assumptions built into the tool, so adjust the total for how your crowd actually drinks.
Why does the ice amount stay the same when I change drink preference?
Ice comes only from people and hours, at 1.25 pounds per person per hour. The tool assumes you need drinks cold for the whole ride whatever is in the cooler. Changing the drink type changes the drink count and the cups, but not the ice or the coolers.
Why are cups listed as N/A for beer?
Pick Mostly Beer or Seltzers and the tool assumes everyone drinks from cans, so it skips cups. If anyone in the group prefers a cup, or you're bringing a few bottles of wine alongside the beer, switch to the mixed option or just throw a sleeve of cups in the cart.
How big a cooler does the planner assume?
Each cooler is assumed to hold about 40 pounds of ice, so it divides your ice total by 40 and rounds up. It doesn't allow for the space the drinks themselves take. If your coolers are smaller, or you want the cans in the same coolers, bring one more than the card shows.
Should non-drinkers be included in the group size?
Include them. Ice, water and cups are sized for everyone on the bus, and non-drinkers still want cold sodas and water. The drink total will run high as a result, so scale that one number down by hand to match the people actually drinking alcohol.
Does the provider supply ice or coolers?
Some do, some don't. Built-in ice wells, supplied ice and cooler limits all vary by provider and vehicle. Ask before you shop, and ask whether there's a limit on cooler size or number. If ice comes with the bus, you may only need the drinks, water and cups from this list.
Can I bring alcohol if some passengers are under 21?
That depends on local law and the provider's written policy, and many providers restrict or forbid alcohol when minors are aboard. This planner doesn't check age rules. Get the policy in writing before you plan a BYOB trip for a mixed-age group, such as a prom or a family event.
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Ready for a real price?
Send us what you worked out here and we will quote your actual trip.
No obligation. Written quotes from a reservation agent. Availability varies by date, vehicle, and provider.
What we see in real requests
Taken from quote requests people sent us. These are requests, not completed trips.
61% of every request we get is for a Saturday, and another 20% for a Friday. That is why Saturday availability is the first thing to ask about.
All markets · June 2023 – August 2026
Requests peak in April, July, and August, when prom, graduation, and wedding season all land at once. Spring dates are the ones that go first.
All markets · June 2023 – August 2026
4 hours is by far the most common ask: 71% of the requests that name a length come in at exactly that. Another 18% want 6 hours or more.
All markets · June 2023 – August 2026