Merriweather Post Pavilion is one of the best outdoor venues in the region, and anyone who has driven there knows the catch. The post-show parking crawl out of the lots in Columbia can take longer than the encore, and a group in separate cars spends the night meeting up and then losing each other on the way out. A charter bus rental drops your whole group near the entrance, waits through the show, and rolls home together while the cars are still inching toward the exit. Charter Bus Alexandria books and dispatches these trips out of Alexandria every week.
This guide is for the friend groups, company outings, and concert crews heading to Merriweather from the Alexandria area. It covers the drive and drop-off, the parking problem a bus solves, choosing a vehicle, lawn tips, and what the night costs. Call 703-705-7785 to set a show date, or request a free quote for a price. For other regional venues, our concert bus rental service page covers the broader options. Groups also booking The Birchmere or Wolf Trap should see our Birchmere and Wolf Trap concert bus guide guide.
The Drive and Where the Bus Drops
Merriweather sits in Columbia, Maryland, about forty miles and forty-five minutes to an hour north of Old Town Alexandria up I-95. It is a quick drive, but the venue funnels thousands of cars into a few lots, so arrival and especially departure are slow. The bus drops the group near the entrance, stages for the show, and returns to the same spot, so the group walks in together and out to a waiting ride.
Merriweather Post Pavilion
10475 Little Patuxent Pkwy, Columbia, MD 21044
(410) 715-5550
merriweathermusic.com
Why the Bus Beats the Parking Crawl
The departure is the whole reason groups bus to Merriweather. When the show ends, the lots empty onto a couple of roads all at once, and it is normal to sit a while before you are even moving. On a bus, the group reboards together, relaxes, and the driver works the exit while everyone talks about the show, with no one stuck driving home tired after a late finish.
Lawn or Pavilion, and What to Bring
Merriweather is mostly an outdoor venue, with covered pavilion seats and a big open lawn behind them. The lawn is the value choice and the fun one for a group, so bring blankets and low chairs if the venue allows them for that show, and check the bag policy before you go. With a bus, the group can bring those extras without cramming them into car trunks. Tell us your plan and we set the drop so you have time to spread out.
Which Bus Fits the Group
Concert trips are about headcount, so size to the group plus a little room.
| Vehicle | Seats | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Sprinter van | Up to 14 | A small crew or a VIP group |
| 20-passenger minibus | Up to 20 | A small office or family group |
| 35-passenger minibus | 15 to 35 | A fan group or a couple of families |
| 56-passenger charter bus | 50 to 56 | A big group, restroom for the highway |
Comfortable seats and climate control make the wait and the ride home easy on a warm summer night. Compare every size on our buses page, and see our private event transportation page for more on event rides.
What It Costs and When to Book
How much a Merriweather charter bus rental costs comes down to the vehicle size and the hours, and a concert night is a full evening block with the wait built in. As a rough guide, a minibus generally starts around $150 per hour and a full-size coach runs about $180 to $500 per hour, so a full day commonly lands in the range of roughly $1,500 to $3,800 depending on the size, the hours, and the distance. Our charter bus prices page shows ballpark ranges. Big shows sell out and book up fast, so reserve the bus as soon as you have tickets, and the fastest way to a real number is a quick 30-second quote.
Book Your Merriweather Charter Bus
Make the show the whole night and skip the parking crawl entirely. For another concert option, see our guide to Jiffy Lube Live, or our roundup of things to do near Alexandria.
Call Charter Bus Alexandria at 703-705-7785 or request a free quote for your group. Our charter bus service team is available seven days a week to plan your trip.
