rider's guide

1. Online: Use the Bus Tickets page.
2. Phone: Call our friendly bus ticket agents at 888-378-3823.
3. Ticketing Locations: Tickets may be purchased in person at most of our ticketing locations.

Getting On the Bus. Please arrive at the bus stop 15 minutes prior to the departure time. Seating is on a first-come, first served basis. Please do not wait in cars if possible. For bus charters, bus stop and pick-up arrangements will be made at the time you rent the bus.

Along the Way. Our buses are equipped with wireless internet, air conditioning, an on-board restroom, reclining seats with headrests, footrests, and tinted windows. Feel free to bring reading material, radio headsets, and a small pillow for your comfort. Food and non-alcoholic beverages may be carried on board for personal consumption.

Electronic Devices. Radios, laptops, and other electronic items may be carried on board, provided they do not disturb fellow passengers and that headphones are used.

Disabilities. Customers with disabilities who need travel assistance should call (888) 378-3823 at least 48 hours prior to departure.

On-board Restrictions. All passengers should remain seated while the bus is in motion. For everyone’s safety and comfort, we ask passengers to follow certain restrictions while on board: No smoking. No alcohol. No illegal drugs. No weapons. No unruly behavior.

Company Privacy. Photography, video, or audio recording of Barons Bus personnel, equipment, or procedures is prohibited.

Animals. No dogs, cats, birds, or other animals will be transported. However, a service animal, trained for the purpose of accompanying a person with disabilities, will be permitted to travel with the person with disabilities at no additional charge.

Every effort will be made to maintain operations during adverse weather conditions, however, safety is our primary concern. Barons Bus reserves the right to delay or cancel service. Call for up to date weather information or follow us on Facebook for breaking news updates.

Any passenger under the age of 12 years old must be accompanied by another passenger at least 17 years of age or older at all times. Passengers that are 12 to 16 years of age may travel unaccompanied at full adult fare when certain conditions are met in their entirety.
If any of the below conditions are not met, then the passenger must be accompanied by a passenger at least 17 years of age or older in order to travel.

• The passenger’s trip will begin and end on the same schedule (no transfers).
• The passenger’s trip will be no longer than eight (8) hours in duration, and must occur between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
• The person named on the Unaccompanied Child Form (located below) who is providing the child transport to the departure bus stop must stay with the child until the bus arrives.
• The child must have and carry with them a copy of the Unaccompanied Child Form, signed by the child’s parent, legal guardian, or custodian, giving them permission to travel.
• The person named on the Unaccompanied Child Form who is meeting the child at the destination bus stop must be at the destination bus stop prior to the bus’s scheduled arrival.
• The person named on the Unaccompanied Child Form who is meeting the child at the destination stop must have positive photo identification, such as a driver’s license or state-issued ID card. Without such identification, the child will be released into the custody of Child Protective Services or to local law enforcement.
• The child’s parent or legal guardian must contact at (888) 378-3823 at least 24 hours in advance of the travel date.
• The parent, guardian or legal custodian of the child must complete and sign the Unaccompanied Child Form authorizing the child to make the trip. This form lists the departure and destination locations of the child’s trip, as well as the name, contact details, and signature of the person who is authorizing the trip (the child’s parent, guardian, or legal custodian), and the name and contact details of the person meeting the child at the destination bus stop. It also provides an emergency contact name and telephone number in the event it is needed.

Download Unaccompanied Child Form

Customers are welcome to use child safety seats on Barons. However, if the bus is full, the seat space may need to be purchased. You should ensure that your child seat has been approved for use in a motor vehicle, and is used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

You are responsible for providing the strapping or webbing manufactured by an approved child seat manufacturer. An “Appropriate Booster Seat” is a secured insert seat designed to raise a child to the correct height for safely using a standard adult shoulder belt. A description of appropriate booster seats is available from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. You are also responsible for securing your child in the child seat.

How may we assist you?

Our goal is to make your travel on Barons Bus a safe, pleasant and convenient experience. Our drivers and friendly staffing are available to meet the needs of customers with disabilities. We provide assistance with boarding and de-boarding buses, luggage, transfers, stowage and retrieval of mobility devices. This service is provided during transfers, rest stops and other times as/when reasonably requested. We can help whether you are traveling alone or with a personal care attendant, using various mobility devices, or being accompanied by a service dog.

Keys to a Successful Trip

Assistance is available to customers with disabilities when they travel within the national network. There are three simple steps that will help us serve you:

1. Contact Barons Bus at 1-888-378-3823 at least 48 hours prior to your departure. This is not required but suggested.
2. Provide the phone operator information about your specific travel needs and schedule.
3. Inform our employees and contractors of your needs during your trip.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law in 1990, guaranteeing people with disabilities equal opportunity in employment, public accommodations and telecommunications. Title II of the ADA assures people with disabilities comparable transit services to those without disabilities.

Reasonable Modifications

Barons Bus makes reasonable modifications to its policies, practices, and procedures when the modifications are necessary to prevent discrimination on the basis of disability, subject to limitations listed below.

Barons Bus may deny a request for a reasonable modification on one or more of the following grounds:

• Granting the request would fundamentally alter the nature of Barons Bus services, programs, or activities;
• Granting the request would create a direct threat to health or safety;
• Without the requested modification, the individual with a disability is able to fully use the entity’s services, programs, or activities for their intended purpose; or,
• Granting the request would result in an undue financial or administrative burden to Barons Bus.

Requests for reasonable modifications may be submitted by contacting the Barons Bus Safety Director in any of the following ways:

By Mail:
Reasonable Modification
Safety Director
13315 Brookpark Rd, Brookpark, OH 44142

By Phone:
888-378-3823 Ext 300

By Email:
info@baronsbus.com

Assistance in Boarding

When you provide a 48-hour advance notice, we can better assist you. If you do not provide this notice, we will make every reasonable effort to help you if such an accommodation will not delay departure of the schedule on which you wish to travel.

Lift-equipped bus: When using a wheelchair lift-equipped bus, the combined weight of the customer and mobility aid cannot exceed 600 pounds. The mobility aid can be no more than 30 inches wide and 48 inches in height.

Traveling Alone or With a Personal Care Attendant (PCA)

You may travel alone on Barons Bus if you can travel independently and do not require assistance of a personal nature, which Barons Bus personnel are not required to provide. If you require assistance that we cannot provide, you may wish to include a personal care attendant (PCA) in your travel plans.

At Barons Bus, your attendant may be issued a 50 percent discounted ticket to travel with you. The Barons Bus PCA program is voluntary and not mandated by any federal regulations. Barons Bus reserves the right to invoke and/or modify program qualifications and qualification guidelines for participation in this program.

PCA program guidelines

• Approval for participation in the PCA program is based on information received from the customer while making a reservation. The PCA’s name must be provided at this time.
• Participation in the PCA program is based on assistance requested and not a customer’s disability.
• Request for a PCA ticket cannot be combined with any other Barons Bus reduced fare offer which prohibits the issuance of such ticket.
• Request for a PCA ticket must be made 24 hours prior to a customer’s time of departure.
• If made in conjunction with a request for wheelchair lift-equipped bus service, the request for a PCA ticket must be made 48 hours prior to the beginning of a customer’s trip.
• PCA must provide picture identification for ticket to be issued.
• PCA must be capable of providing the assistance and be at least 12 years of age.
• PCA must sign for tickets at the point of issuance.
• PCA ticket will be issued for the entire length of trip.
• If the PCA ticket is lost prior to departure or enroute, the PCA must purchase a new ticket at the applicable fare.
• The customer and PCA must travel the entire trip together.
• If an adult PCA is traveling with a minor who has a disability, the minor is charged a full adult fare.

Storing and Handling Your Mobility Aid

If you don’t want to travel seated in your wheelchair or mobility scooter, we can store it for you in the baggage compartment. Mobility aids such as canes and walkers can travel inside the bus with you but only if they can be safely stowed in the overhead compartment. Mobility Aids that cannot be safely stowed inside the bus will be placed in the baggage compartment, if possible.

The maximum dimensions for a mobility aid to go in the baggage compartment is 33” x 33” x 48”. The maximum weight for mobility aids is 200 pounds. Mobility aids that exceed either or both of these dimensions will not be accepted.

Ask a customer service agent for a claim check if your mobility aid is stowed in the baggage compartment. Assistive devices are not considered extra baggage and are transported free of charge unless you have more than one, in which case the second device would be considered additional baggage and subject to a charge.

Under the federal baggage tariff, if an item placed in the baggage compartment is damaged or lost, the maximum reimbursement of $250.00 is allowed per adult ticket purchased. To purchase excess valuation, ask a customer service agent at any of the terminals at the beginning of your trip. This applies to any mobility aids stored in the baggage bin.

Please arrive at the station or bus stop in plenty of time for us to store your wheelchair or mobility aid, which will help us get away on time.

Assistance at Rest Stops

When the bus is at a scheduled stop, you may request that our personnel and/or contractor assist you with any reasonable request.

Traveling With Your Service Dog

At Barons Bus, customers with disabilities accompanied by a service dog are welcome. The service dog is the responsibility of its owner and must be under the control of its owner at all times (i.e., leash, harness or carrier). The service dog must ride in the bus within the customer’s space. The service dog may not travel in the aisle or occupy a seat. Barons Bus reserves the right to refuse passage to any service dog that poses a direct threat to the health and safety of other customers, Barons Bus personnel or contractors.

Oxygen / Respirators

Portable oxygen and respirators may accompany you on Barons Bus. A maximum of four (4) canisters may travel with the customer – two (2) aboard the bus and two (2) in the baggage compartment. The maximum dimension for each container may not exceed 4.5 inches in diameter and 26 inches in length. Customers are responsible for ensuring that they have enough oxygen to complete their travel and are responsible for making arrangements for refills while enroute. Oxygen canisters to be stored in the baggage compartment must be in protective cases with safety caps on the valves.

Reminder: Always keep your medicine with you. Do not leave it in your checked baggage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I call Barons Bus 48-hours in advance of my trip?
With 48-hour advance notification, Barons Bus can meet the service needs of all customers with disabilities, including people who use wheelchairs. This advance notice allows us to prepare and make sure the necessary arrangements are in place to provide requested assistance. This is not required but suggested. If you do not provide 48 hours notice Barons Bus will make every reasonable effort to accommodate you without significantly delaying the bus schedule on which you wish to travel.

What is done with the information I provide?
Our phone operators will use the information about your travel needs and schedule to arrange assistance by company personnel or contractors at your point of departure, rest stops, and your final destination. Other transportation carriers involved in your trip will receive this information as well.

What if I need assistance during my trip?
Please notify Barons Bus of your need for assistance at each location. Even if you contacted us at 1-888-378-3823 Ext 1,  you must make Barons Bus or its contractors aware of your need for assistance throughout your entire trip.

Do I have to provide proof of my disability?
In accordance with federal regulations and in keeping with the company’s desire to foster positive relations with our customers, we do not require proof of disability.

Can I request priority seating?
Priority seating is available for the elderly and customers with disabilities. However, you may sit where your needs are best accommodated. The front bus seats located in the first row directly behind and across from the driver and the wheelchair securement areas are designated as priority seating. If these seats are occupied, the driver, other Barons Bus personnel and/or contractor may ask the seated customer to move. If the person occupying the seat refuses, he or she cannot be forced to move. You may sit in the next available seat and move to the designated seats as they become available.

Your Rights as a Customer

Upon request to Barons Bus personnel or its contractors, assistance will be provided to you for reasonable requests. Barons Bus is committed to protecting your rights. If you would like to speak to someone about your needs or rights as a Barons Bus customer, please call us promptly at 1-888-378-3823 Ext 1. If you feel that your rights as a person with a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) were violated and would like to file a formal complaint, please send a written statement to:

Barons Bus, Inc.
ADA Compliance Office
13315 Brookpark Road
Brookpark, OH 44142

Please include your ticket showing your travel itinerary, a detailed description of the incident, including: the bus schedule number, date, time and location, as well as the names(s) and/or description(s) of any Barons Bus personnel or contractors you believe did not provide you appropriate assistance.

To arrange assistance for travel within or originating on the Greyhound system, please call their Customers with Disabilities Travel Assistance Line at 1-800-752-4841. Here are other helpful Greyhound numbers:

Deaf/hard of hearing/TTY/TDD
1-800-345-3109

Spanish/Español
1-800-531-5332

ADA Compliance Corporate Office
1-800-755-2357

All passengers should remain seated while the bus is in motion. For everyone’s safety and comfort, we ask passengers to follow certain restrictions while on board.

• No smoking or chewing tobacco.
• No alcohol.
• No illegal drugs.
• No objects defined as (or intended to be used as) a weapon. No guns, knives, sharp objects, or anything defined as a weapon will be allowed while riding Barons Bus scheduled services.
• No physical or sexual contact with drivers or other passengers.
• No unruly behavior.
• No use of obscene, profane, or indecent language.
• No hazardous materials (see restricted items).
• No passenger is allowed to solicit for any contributions.
• Do not open windows.
• Shirt and shoes must be worn at all times.

Each passenger is allowed one (1) piece of checked baggage. Additional pieces of baggage will be accepted if space is available. Extra checked baggage will be charged a minimum of $15 per bag.

In general, acceptable baggage includes suitcases, duffel bags, toolboxes, trunks, and securely tied cardboard boxes. A plastic and/or a paper bag is not acceptable as checked baggage. Baggage must not exceed 62 inches when adding the total exterior dimensions of the piece (length + width + height).

One (1) carry-on bag plus one (1) small personal item can be taken on board for each adult or child. All carry-on bags must fit in the overhead compartment or under your seat.

Personal-type items include purses, briefcases, cameras, food containers, laptops, etc.

Carry-on bag must be 25 pounds or less and is limited to the dimensions of 10 x 16 x 24 inches.

The following items are not considered carry-on bags or personal-type items and are not counted against the “one-bag plus one personal-type item” limit:

• A child restraint device for a ticketed child with a reserved seat or when complimentary, available space exists.
• Mobility devices for individuals with a disability.
• Outer garments or other wearable articles of clothing.
• Food for consumption during your trip.
• Walking canes or umbrellas.

Passengers are responsible for transferring their own bags if they are changing buses. Baggage assistance is available upon request if staffing is available to assist.

All baggage must have a claim check and identification tag. This will be given to passengers at the terminal or will be provided by the bus driver.

The bus driver will open the luggage and storage compartment, assist passengers in loading and unloading baggage in appropriate luggage storage compartment, and close luggage compartment after all handling of baggage is complete.

Note: If you are traveling on with Greyhound or another carrier, you may want to check their baggage policies.

Lost Luggage: We do not offer coverage for lost baggage. We do not accept any liability for unchecked baggage. Call for more information if your baggage is missing so we can try to assist in locating your baggage.

These items are prohibited on checked or carried baggage:

• Ammunition
• Animals (other than service animals)
• Combustible liquids or materials (e.g. gasoline)
• Compressed gases
• Corpses
• Cremated remains
• Explosives or explosive materials (e.g. dynamite)
• Firearms of all types (Ohio’s Concealed Carry Law will be enforced)
• Fireworks
• Flammable liquids
• Hazardous or toxic materials (e.g. volatile chemicals, poisons, radioactive materials, etc.)
• Large bulky items (e.g. furniture or extremely large boxes)
• Materials with a disagreeable odor
• Matches
• Merchandise for resale
• Protruding articles, or any unsecured articles including those in plastic or paper bags are prohibited
• Vaporous materials (e.g. Pesticides)

Prohibited checked items (they CAN only be carried on board)

• Electronic equipment (televisions, stereos, gaming devices, laptop computers, computers, etc.)
• Film (flammable)
• Perishable items (food)
• Money
• Prescription medication

If you are traveling beyond the Barons service with another carrier such as Greyhound, please check that company’s Prohibited Items List as it may differ from Barons.

Disruptive passengers will not be tolerated on Barons Bus. Unruly behavior is unfair to other passengers and a distraction to the driver. In the event that a passenger is disruptive the driver will request that the problem passenger cease the behavior immediately. Passengers who continue objectionable behavior will be reported to the dispatcher (who may contact law enforcement officials) and be taken to the nearest public place and asked to leave the bus. Disruptive behavior may result in denial of future service.

Our tickets are non-refundable, but Barons Bus will in some cases refund valid tickets. Tickets are valid up to time and date of travel. You may also have a valid ticket reissued for a fee . Ticket refund requests must be postmarked by date of travel. We ask that you mail your tickets with a letter explaining the reason for refund . Be sure to include your mailing address and a phone number where you can be reached if we have any questions.

There are no refunds on:

• missing the bus
• partial tickets
• reissued and canceled tickets
• partial group tickets (when multiple tickets are issued under one confirmation number)
• delayed bus schedules (unless schedules are delay more than 12 hours; see extenuating circumstances below)
• tickets with other carrier's name at the top

Extenuating circumstances include:

• Immediate family death. Refund request must contain the family member's name, relationship to the customer, and a copy of obituary or death certificate.
• Illness. Request requires a letter (on a licensed physician's letterhead) confirming that travel was not recommended on the travel date due to the customer's illness.
• Jury Duty. Requires a copy of customer's jury summons.
• Military Service. Requires a copy of customer's original orders.
• Canceled or delayed bus schedule. If on another carrier, customer must provide documentation.

If your request is approved, a refund (less cancellation fees) will be issued in the form of a check. This process can take 4 to 6 weeks, depending on when we receive your request. Send refund requests to: Barons Bus, PO Box 31088, Independence, OH 44131