Written by the Emily’s Limousine Service team. We are based in Orland Park, IL and cover all of the Chicago south suburbs. See our site at emilyslimousineservice.com.

Most people booking group transportation for the first time start with the wrong question. They ask what a party bus costs, or whether a limo is available, when the question that actually determines a good outcome is simpler: how many people, how much luggage, how far, and what happens on board.

Answer those four and the vehicle picks itself. This guide walks through every option in our fleet, what each one is genuinely good at, and where groups most often get it wrong.

Start With Four Questions

1. What is your real headcount? Not your invite list. The number of people who will physically be on the vehicle, including anyone joining at a second stop.
2. What are they carrying? Checked luggage, sports equipment, instruments, gift bags, coats, coolers, trade show materials. Luggage capacity and seat capacity are two different numbers, and the smaller one governs.
3. How far and how long? A 25 minute run to Midway and a six hour night out have different comfort requirements. Distance also determines whether an onboard restroom matters.
4. What happens during the ride? Are people sitting quietly, working, sleeping, or standing up and socializing? This is the question that separates a coach bus from a party bus, and it is the one most groups skip.

Sedans and SUVs: One to Six Passengers

Best for: executive travel, airport runs, client pickups, date nights, small family trips.

Our sedans and SUVs include the Mercedes Benz S Class, Cadillac XTS, Cadillac Escalade, Lincoln Navigator, and Chevy Suburban. Sedans seat four with light luggage. SUVs seat six with four bags comfortably.

Where groups get it wrong: booking an SUV for six adults who are all checking bags. Six people with six suitcases and six carry ons will not fit, no matter what the seat count says. If everyone is flying with luggage, treat an SUV as a four passenger vehicle.

This category runs through our black car service, and it is the default for airport transfers with small parties.

Stretch Limousines: Eight to Eighteen Passengers

Best for: weddings, proms, anniversaries, milestone birthdays, anything where photographs matter.

Our MKT stretch seats 10 and our Hummer stretch seats 18. Perimeter seating, classic interior, and a look that still reads as an occasion in a way that no van does.

Where groups get it wrong: treating a stretch limo as long distance transportation. Limos are wonderful for arrivals and short runs between venues. For a three hour highway trip with luggage, a Sprinter or coach is more comfortable and usually less expensive.

Also note that stretch limo capacity is measured tightly. Ten people in a 10 passenger limo in formal wear with coats is snug. Book one size up for comfort if you can.

Sprinter Vans: Ten to Fourteen Passengers

Best for: corporate teams, family travel, small wedding parties, airport groups, brewery tours.

This is the most versatile category we run, and it comes in three configurations:

• 14 passenger Sprinter shuttle: forward facing seats and real luggage space. The workhorse for airport transfers and group travel.
• 10 passenger executive jet Sprinter: a more refined interior with captain style seating, built for corporate travel where the ride is part of the meeting.
• 14 passenger Sprinter party bus: perimeter seating, sound, and lighting for smaller celebrations.

Full details on all three are on our Sprinter van rental and executive Sprinter pages.

Where groups get it wrong: underestimating how much a Sprinter improves a corporate day. Ten executives in three separate cars arrive at three separate times and in three separate moods. Ten executives on one Sprinter arrive together, having spent 40 minutes actually talking.

Party Buses: Fourteen to Thirty Passengers

Best for: bachelor and bachelorette parties, birthdays, brewery tours, concerts, nights out.

Our Sprinter party bus handles 14 and our Freightliner party bus handles 30. Perimeter seating, standing room, sound system, and lighting. The vehicle is the venue.

Where groups get it wrong: booking to capacity. A 30 passenger party bus seats 30 people who are sitting still. A group of 30 who plan to stand and socialize should book two vehicles or accept that it will be tight. Our rule is to book one size above your headcount when the group will be up and moving.

Our full party bus page covers the vehicles, and our south suburbs party bus guide covers routing, rules, and hourly minimums in detail.

Coach Buses: Thirty Five to Fifty Seven Passengers

Best for: weddings with guest shuttles, corporate offsites, school and church trips, sporting events, family reunions, conventions.

We run 35, 50, 51, 54, and 57 passenger coaches. Forward facing seats, under floor luggage bays, climate control, and on the larger models an onboard restroom. This is the category built for distance.

Where groups get it wrong: thinking of a coach as a downgrade from a party bus. It is not. It is a different tool. If your group is traveling more than an hour, carrying luggage, or moving between a hotel and a venue on a repeating loop, a coach is more comfortable and far more cost effective per seat than anything else on the road.

See our coach bus rentals and charter bus service pages for specifics.

A Quick Reference by Occasion

Wedding day. Stretch limo or executive Sprinter for the couple and wedding party. Coach bus for guest shuttles between hotel and venue. Our wedding limo service page and our guide to wedding transportation costs cover the full plan.

Airport group travel. Sprinter shuttle for 8 to 14, coach for anything larger. Luggage decides.

Corporate offsite. Executive Sprinter up to 10, coach bus above that. Details in our corporate transportation guide.

Prom. Stretch limo or party bus, depending on group size and school policy. Parents should read our prom limo guide first.

Concert or game. Party bus for the atmosphere, coach for larger groups. See our post on concert and sporting event transportation.

Brewery or winery tour. Party bus, every time.

Funeral or memorial transportation. Sedans and Sprinters, handled quietly and with care.

Three Sizing Mistakes to Avoid

Booking on seat count alone. Seat count assumes nobody is carrying anything and nobody stands up. Add luggage or add movement and effective capacity drops.

Forgetting the second pickup. Groups that add a stop often add people. Confirm the final headcount before dispatch assigns a vehicle.

Splitting a group across two small vehicles to save money. Two Sprinters usually cost more than one coach and always create coordination problems. Get a quote on both before assuming the smaller option is cheaper.

How to Get a Straight Answer Fast

Give us four numbers and we will tell you the right vehicle in one call: headcount, bag count, pickup and drop off, and total hours. That is genuinely all it takes.

Emily’s Limousine Service has moved groups across Orland Park, Tinley Park, Oak Forest, Palos Heights, Homer Glen, Mokena, Frankfort, New Lenox, Oak Lawn, Orland Hills, Lemont, Lockport, Crestwood, Country Club Hills, and the wider Chicago area for more than 25 years. Every trip is staffed by a professional chauffeur through our chauffeur service standards, and every vehicle is late model, licensed, and fully insured.

Our pricing page explains how flat rates work, and our FAQ answers the deposit, gratuity, overtime, and cancellation questions before you have to ask them.

Get Matched to the Right Vehicle

Do not guess. Tell us the four numbers and let us size it properly the first time.

Call (312) 446-7505 for a free, no obligation quote, or contact us online with your headcount and itinerary. Serving Orland Park and every Chicago south suburb, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.