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Desperate in D.C.

Remember the Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan movie, "Sleepless in Seattle"? Well move over, the new 2009 box office smash may just be titled, "Desperate in DC."

With estimates of over one million visitors converging on the nation's capitol to witness the historic swearing in ceremony of President-elect Barack Obama, groups of attendees are finding Washington D.C. charter bus availability limited to non-existent. Hotel accommodations within a one hundred mile radius are booked solid, with budget hotels charging in excess of $450 per room and requiring a 4 night minimum. .

With so many businesses charging over-inflated prices in an effort to capitalize on this event, and the desire to attend so intense, many people are making un-wise and uneducated decisions in regard to charter bus transportation. This article will help to provide guidelines for safe travel choices and expectations for normal pricing.

Washington D. C. charter bus companies, as well as all charter bus companies nationwide, are regulated by the U.S. Department of Transportation. There are several mandates they need to meet, here are just a few:
* Registered with the USDOT
* Licensed and Insured to a $5 million minimum
* Undergo Regular Inspections
* Meet Safety & Downtime Standards
* Driver certifications

A great resource for consumers to check out a charter bus company's compliance with these regulations is Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. On this site you can check Registration & Licensing, view the Company Snapshot, peruse Regulations, Search Company Safety Records, determine Number/Operating Authority, learn about charter bus operating Rules, and check Driver Qualification.

Washington D. C. charter bus companies, as most charter bus companies, will quote consumers a price based on a 3 point criteria.

Bus size as determined by capacity - Generally charter bus will range from a 20 - 30 passenger mini-bus to a 47 - 56 passenger Deluxe Motor Coach.

Day Trip - Generally a local trip with a 5 hour minimum price quote.

Over the Road Trip- A longer trip with cost based on mileage.

Additionally, the consumer would incur any cost for parking or tolls, driver gratuity, and driver accommodations for overnight trips. Drivers are mandated to not exceed 10 hours of drive time before taking a rest period. Consumer's desiring continuous travel exceeding 10 hours, will require a 2nd relief driver.

Dear Desperate in D.C., we hope this help you in your quest to attend the January 20, 2009 Presidential Inauguration. May you find the Washington D.C. charter bus of your dreams.

Cities Served:

Alabama: Birmingham, Huntsville, Madison, Mobile, Montgomery, Tuscumbia, Tuscaloosa, Decatur, Huntsville, Dothan
Arkansas: Little Rock, Fort Smith, Pine Bluff, Fayetteville, Jonesboro
Arizona: Mesa, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, Tucson, Flagstaff
California: Berkeley, Branford, Brea, Castroville, Chula Vista, Costa Mesa, Escondido, Fresno, Garden Grove, Los Angeles, Merced, Modesto, National City, Norwalk, Ontario, Pasadena, Placentia, Rancho Cucamonga, Sacramento, Salinas, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Jose, Santa Ana, South San Francisco, Stockton, Sunnyvale, Vernon, Redding, Bakersfield, Anaheim, Riverside
Colorado: Denver, Colorado Springs, Boulder, Fort Collins, Greeley, Durango
Conecticut: Hartford, Bridgeport, New Haven, Waterbury, Danbury, Stamford
DC: Washington D.C.
Deleware: all cities
Florida: Coral Springs, Fort Lauderdale, Gainesville, Jacksonville, Lake City, Lakeland, Longwood, Miami, Ocala, Orlando, Sebring, Tallahassee, Pensacola, Daytona Beach, Deltona, Spring Hill, Tampa, Sarasota, Cape Coral, West Palm Beach, Key West, Palm Bay, Naples
Georgia: Atlanta, East Point, Albany, Columbus
Indiana: Indianapolis, Bloomington, Terre Haute, Evansville, Louisville, Lafayette, Gary, South Bend, Fort Wayne, Muncie
Iowa: Des Moines, West Burlington, Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Sioux City, Davenport, Mason City
Idaho: Twin Falls, Boise, Idaho Falls, Pocatello, Nampa, Coeur D’ Alene
Illinois: Chicago, Elgin Aurora, Joliet, Peoria, Champaign, Springfield, Decatur
Kansas: Topeka, Wichita, Olathe, Manhattan, Salina, Hays, Newton, Hutchinson, Dodge City, Garden City, Liberal
Kentucky: Louisville, Paducah, Bowling Green, Evansville, Louisville, Lexington
Louisiana: New Orleans, Shreveport, Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, Alexandria, Monroe
Maine: Portland, Biddeford, Gorham, Brunswick, Lewiston, Augusta, Waterville, Bangor
Massachusets: Boston, Springfield, Worcester, Springfield, Brockton, Lowell
Maryland: Alexandria, Baltimore, District Heights
Michigan: An Arbor, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Kalamazoo, Detroit
Minnesota: Marshall, St. Cloud, St. Paul, Minneapolis, Rochester
Missouri: St. Louis, Kansas City, Columbia, Springfield, St. Joseph, Duluth
Mississippi: Jacksonville, Richland, Starkville, Gulfport, Natchez, Hattiesburg
Montana: Great Falls Missoula, Billings, Glacier National Park
Nebraska: Omaha, Lincoln, Norfolk, Columbus, Kearney, North Platte
New Jersey: Cape May, all cities
Nevada: Henderson, Las Vegas, Reno, Sparks
New Hampshire: Manchester, Nashua, Concord, Lebanon, Salem, Portsmouth, Dover, Rochester
New Mexico: Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Carlsbad, Roswell, Santa Fe, Taos
New York: Albany, Coxsackie, Middletown, Ronkonkoma, Schenectady, Vails Gate, West Hempstead, New York City, Buffalo, Rochester
North Dakota: Bismarck, Williston, Minot, Devils Lake, Dickinson, Jamestown, Fargo, Valley City
North Carolina: Charlotte, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Concord, Raleigh, Greenville, Jacksonville, Fayetteville, Wilmington, Asheville
Ohio: Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Toledo, Mansfield
Oklahoma: Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Bartlesville, Enid, Muskogee, El Reno, Chickasha, Lawton, Altus, Duncan, Ardmore, Ada, McAlester
Oregon: Portland, Eugene, Salem, Bend, Medford, Hood River
Pennsylvania: Allentown, Wilkes-Barre, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Reading, York, Philadelphia, Scranton, Jamestown
Rhode Island: Providence, Cranston, Warwick, Pawtucket, Fall River, New Bedford
South Carolina: Lancaster, Augusta, Greenville, Myrtle Beach, Charleston
South Dakota: Rapid City, Sioux Falls, Hot Springs, Spearfish, Mitchell, Huron, Aberdeen, Watertown, Brookings
Tennessee: Chattanoga, Knoxville, Memphis, Nashville
Texas: Austin, Beaumont, College Station, Dallas, Fort Worth, Galveston, Houston, Hutto, Killeen, San Antonio, San Marcos, Waco, Amarillo, Lubbock, Wichita Falls, Denton, Plano, Longview, Tyler, Odessa, Midland, El Paso, San Angelo, Temple, Bryan, Corpus Christi, Victoria, Harlingen, Brownsville, McAllen, Del Rio, Texarkana
Utah: Salt Lake City, Ogden, Cedar City, St. George
Vermont: Burlington, Rutland, Hanover, Middlebury, Essex, Barre, St. Albans
Virginia: Roanoke, Richmond, Virginia Beach Newport News, Charlottesville
Washington: Bellingham, Mt. Vernon, Everett, Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, Yakima, Spokane, Kennewick, Port Angeles, Moses Lake, Pullman, Walla Walla, Ellensburg, Longview
West Virginia: Charleston, Clarksburg, Parkersburg, Morgantown
Wisconsin: Milwaukee, Madison, Eau Claire, Green Bay, Appleton
Wyoming: Casper, Rawlins, Rock Springs, Jackson, Cody, Powell, Buffalo, Sheridan, Gillette, Yellowstone National Park