Four rules cover almost everything about traveling with kids on OurBus: every child books a ticket and gets their own reserved seat, car seats can come aboard, foldable strollers stow in the hold without touching your luggage allowance, and riders under 16 travel with an adult. We checked each policy on the OurBus FAQ on August 31, 2026, and everything below quotes what it says. Get these four right and the rest of the trip is snacks and window seats.
Does a baby need their own bus ticket?
Yes. The OurBus policy on traveling with children is written without wiggle room: “all infants and children, regardless of age, and regardless of whether they sit on the parent’s lap, must have a separate ticket.” Book a seat for everyone in the family, whatever their age, and you have followed the rule.
There is a real upside inside that policy, and parents who have done a long highway ride with a baby on their lap will recognize it immediately. A ticketed child is a child with a guaranteed seat. That means somewhere to secure a car seat, somewhere for a toddler to sprawl when they finally fall asleep, and a place that is theirs for the whole ride instead of a lap that goes numb outside Newark. A lap child is the airline-style arrangement where an under-2 rides held by an adult, and if that is the model you arrived expecting, adjust the budget by one fare and adjust the comfort expectations upward. One note on the lap itself: your baby always has their own booked seat, and whether they may ride on your lap for stretches instead “is subject to the policies of the individual bus company operating your trip,” as the FAQ puts it. Families booking several seats at once can also check the SuperSaver program for its current discount before checkout.
Can you bring a car seat on the bus?
Yes. The FAQ answers this directly: a car seat “can be brought, if required.” Since every child has a booked seat, there is a place to put one, which is exactly what a car seat needs.
One practical step makes it work smoothly. The operator model is how OurBus runs its network: routes are driven by vetted partner bus companies. The specific coach on your departure can therefore vary in build and features, seat belt fitting included; the full picture is in who runs OurBus buses. A car seat needs a belt to anchor to, so if one is central to your trip, contact rider support before you travel and ask about your specific departure, date and time included. Support runs around the clock, and a two-minute question beats improvising at the curb. For example, “does the 7:15 to Boston on Thursday have belts at the seats?” gets you a checkable answer in a way that a general question never will.
How old does a child have to be to ride alone?
Sixteen, and the FAQ states it cleanly: “you must be at least 16 years old to ride on OurBus without being accompanied by an adult. If you are under 16 years old, you must ride with someone who is age 18 or older.” One asterisk to note if your trip touches Illinois: a minor traveling out of that state must be at least 17.
Here is the part parents conflate, so it is worth slowing down for. The same FAQ also says there is “no minimum age to travel,” and both answers are true because they answer different questions. Traveling accompanied has no age floor at all; “passengers of all ages, including young children and infants, are welcome on board when accompanied by a parent or other adult.” Traveling alone is where the 16 applies. An unaccompanied minor is a rider under 18 with no parent or guardian on board, and the OurBus rule for that case is simple: 16 or older rides solo, under 16 rides with someone 18-plus. So can your high-schooler take the bus back to campus town by themselves? At 16, yes. Can they escort their 12-year-old sister? Not yet; the companion needs to be 18.
What can you bring for a baby or toddler?
More than you would think, and the stroller rule is quietly generous. Per the FAQ, “foldable strollers are allowed to be stowed in the cargo hold in addition to your one checked suitcase” — the stroller rides free and spends none of your allowance. A non-foldable stroller counts as your one checked bag and must stay within 62 inches of combined length, width, and height. The standard allowance is one 50-pound suitcase in the hold plus a handbag for your lap, per rider. Each ticketed child is a rider too, so a family of four books four seats and gets four luggage allowances, which in practice swallows the diaper-bag problem whole.
The onboard amenities read like a feature list until you are the one traveling with a four-year-old, and then they are the whole reason to book. There is a restroom on board, which is the single biggest difference from driving; a five-year-old’s “now” no longer means scanning for the next exit. Charging ports keep the tablet alive so nobody rations screen time by battery percentage. Free Wi-Fi covers the parent who still has work to do, and live tracking means whoever is meeting you knows exactly when to leave the house. For the general boarding routine, our first-time rider’s walkthrough covers it; the one tip worth repeating here is to arrive about 15 minutes early, because finding your coach with a stroller in tow always takes longer than you planned.
What makes traveling with kids on OurBus actually work?
Picking the right trip for it. In our experience the sweet spot is the family day trip, where the bus removes the two worst parts of the outing: the driving and the parking. For instance, the bus from NYC to Six Flags Great Adventure and the bus from NYC to Dorney Park both land you at the park itself, with every adult in the group free to enjoy the day instead of rotating designated-driver duty. City runs like the bus from NYC to DC work the same way, and if plans change — a kid wakes up sick, a birthday party materializes — you can rebook up to 60 minutes before departure. For an extended family or a multi-household group big enough that individual tickets stop making sense, a private vehicle is the better structure, and OurBus Charters quotes exactly that.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do babies need a ticket on OurBus?
Yes. Every infant and child needs their own ticket regardless of age, and that ticket reserves them their own seat for the whole ride. Confirm current terms on the OurBus FAQ before booking.
Can you use a car seat on OurBus?
Yes, a car seat can be brought if required, and your child’s booked seat gives it a home. Belt fitting varies by the coach running your departure, so contact 24/7 rider support with your date and time to confirm before travel day.
How old do you have to be to ride OurBus alone?
16, or 17 if the minor is traveling out of Illinois. Riders under 16 travel with a companion who is at least 18. There is no minimum age for children traveling with a parent or other adult.
Can you bring a stroller on the bus?
Yes. A foldable stroller stows in the cargo hold in addition to your one checked suitcase, at no cost to your allowance. A non-foldable stroller counts as your checked bag and must stay within 62 total inches.
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