Type "Empire City Casino" into a GPS app from anywhere around New Rochelle, and it will happily route a full-size bus straight onto a road that legally will not let it through. The Hutchinson River Parkway and the Cross County Parkway — the two roads that shave the most time off the drive to Yonkers — are both closed to commercial vehicles, and that includes charter buses and party buses. Most groups do not find that out until they are already stuck behind a low clearance sign wondering why the app rerouted them.
The good news is the actual answer is simple once you know it: stay on the interstate. Empire City Casino sits at 810 Yonkers Avenue, Yonkers, NY 10704, at the corner of Yonkers Avenue and Central Park Avenue, and a bus reaches it cleanly off Interstate 87 without ever touching a restricted parkway. Below is exactly where a party bus or charter bus drops your group, where it waits while everyone plays, what the casino's own rules mean for a group trip, and what a night out at Empire City actually costs to arrange.
Why Rent a Bus to Empire City Casino?
A casino night with a group of ten, twenty, or forty people usually turns into a logistics problem before anyone reaches a slot machine: who has a car big enough, who splits off early, who has to stay sober enough to get everyone home. A New Rochelle party bus rental or charter bus removes all of that at once. Everyone gets picked up at one spot, arrives at the same time, and leaves together whenever the group decides the night is over — nobody has to skip a hand of blackjack because they are the one who drove.
It also solves a problem specific to this venue: Empire City does not have a hotel on site, so there is no reason for a group to linger in the parking lot afterward. A bus stages nearby, and when your group is ready to head back to New Rochelle, White Plains, or Manhattan, it is waiting instead of being circled for on an app.
Charter Bus & Party Bus Drop-Off at Empire City Casino
Empire City runs two ways in: a valet entrance and a self-park entrance, and both work for a group vehicle. The venue's own Entertainment Lounge page places the Lounge and The Pub "near the valet entrance," which puts valet drop-off on the same side of the building as the casino's main gaming floor and bars — the entrance a group actually wants.
For groups who would rather self-park and walk in, the casino's official parking page confirms "free self-parking and Shuttle Bus Service are available from general parking" to the West Entrance, which the casino identifies as the Grand Victorian entrance. Either route works for a private group vehicle. Because a party bus or charter bus is not part of any organized tour program, there is no gate, no lot letter, and no reservation to make — the bus simply uses the same entrance any other vehicle would, on the casino's own schedule, not a fixed motorcoach slot.
Where a Bus Waits While Your Group Plays
There is no parking permit to buy in advance and nothing to prepay. Self-parking at Empire City is free for every vehicle, and that includes a full-size charter bus — a real difference from a Manhattan casino trip, where every car pays for a garage before anyone sits down at a table. A bus can simply hold a spot in general parking for the length of your group's visit and be ready when you are.
One thing worth knowing before you book: Empire City's own group Motor Coach Marketing program — the incentive plan that comps tour-bus operators for bringing gamblers in — is currently paused. The casino's official FAQ page states plainly that "we are not currently operating our Motor Coach program." That pause has nothing to do with a privately booked party bus or charter bus.
You are not registering for a marketing program; you are parking a vehicle, and a vehicle of any size uses the same free lot and shuttle everyone else does.
Getting to Empire City Casino from New Rochelle: The Route GPS Gets Wrong
Both the Hutchinson River Parkway and the Cross County Parkway close to commercial vehicles, which rules out the two roads a phone will usually suggest first for the New Rochelle-to-Yonkers run. The route that actually works for a bus stays on the interstate the whole way: south on I-95, over to the Cross Bronx Expressway, then north on I-87 (the Major Deegan Expressway continuing into the New York State Thruway) to Exit 4, which lets out directly onto Central Park Avenue (NY-100) northbound — the same road Empire City sits on, a straight shot up to the Yonkers Avenue corner.
From New Rochelle, that interstate routing runs roughly 10 to 12 miles and typically 25 to 35 minutes outside of rush hour; the Cross Bronx segment is the part to budget extra time around on weekday afternoons. A group starting from White Plains or the northern suburbs has an easier run, picking up I-87 south and taking the same Exit 4 into Central Park Avenue from the other direction.
Manhattan groups have it easier than the mileage suggests. Empire City's own site describes the casino as sitting "just 20 miles north of Times Square," and the drive follows the same interstate logic — north on the Major Deegan Expressway (I-87) to Exit 4, no parkway detour needed because Manhattan pickups never touch one in the first place.
Empire City Casino: Bus vs. Rideshare vs. Driving Yourself
Free parking changes the picture on this trip compared to most venues, so it is worth being honest about when a bus actually makes sense here.
| Option | Cost shape | Arrive together? | Parking | Best group size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private party bus or charter bus | One flat rate split by the group | Yes — one vehicle, one arrival | Free, no permit needed | 10–56 |
| Rideshare (Uber/Lyft) | Per car each way | No — multiple cars, multiple ETAs | N/A | 1–4 per car |
| Everyone drives | Gas per car, no parking cost | No — caravans split up | Free for every car | 1–2 per car |
For a couple or a family of four, the free lot makes driving yourselves the simplest call — there is no reason to charter anything. But once a group grows past what fits comfortably in two or three cars, the picture flips. Separate cars mean separate arrival times, someone always circling back for someone who wandered off, and at least one person in every car who cannot fully cut loose.
A bus keeps a birthday group, a retirement send-off, or a company outing moving as one unit from pickup to the valet entrance and back.
What Size Bus Fits Your Casino Night Group?
Empire City draws everything from a table of six to a fifty-person office party, so the right vehicle depends entirely on your headcount. Here is how the vehicle lineup breaks down for a casino run.
| Vehicle | Typical seats | Best for | Key amenities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sprinter van or Sprinter limo | Up to ~14 | Small friend groups, couples' nights | Leather seating, USB charging, tinted windows |
| Minibus | 18–35 | Office outings, milestone birthdays | Reclining seats, strong A/C, overhead storage |
| Party bus | 15–40 | Group celebrations wanting the ride to be part of the night | Color-changing LED lighting, premium sound, wraparound seating |
| Charter bus | Up to 56 | Large company outings, senior center trips, club events | Climate control, overhead storage, onboard restroom, reclining seats |
A New Rochelle party bus rental is the popular pick for a birthday or bachelor-style crowd that wants the ride itself to feel like the start of the night, while a New Rochelle charter bus rental fits better for a larger, mixed-age group — a company holiday outing or a senior social club trip where comfort and an onboard restroom matter more than lighting and sound. For groups landing right around 20 to 25 people, a minibus keeps costs down without giving up climate control or legroom.
Empire City Casino Party Bus & Charter Bus Rental Prices
Pricing for a casino run depends on a handful of clear factors: vehicle size, how many hours you need the bus committed to your group, the date, and how far the pickup point is from Yonkers. There is no permit or parking cost to add on top of that, since Empire City's self-parking is free regardless of vehicle size.
To give you an idea, a New Rochelle group of about 20 booking a minibus for a 6-hour casino night — pickup, a few hours on the floor, and a return trip — might land somewhere around $700 to $900 total, or roughly $35 to $45 a person. A larger office outing of 45 people on a full charter bus for the same window tends to run higher in total but often comes out cheaper per head once it is split across the group. Those numbers move with the date, the hours booked, and demand, so the fastest way to get a number for your actual trip is to fill out the quick form or call 914-604-3610 — Newrochelleminibuscompany.com can compare vehicles and pricing for your date in about a minute.
Check the New Rochelle bus rental prices page for a broader sense of what different vehicle sizes typically run.
Casino Rules Your Group Needs to Know Before Booking
Empire City enforces a few rules that are worth planning around, straight from the casino's own pages:
- Everyone on the gaming floor must be 18 or older. The casino's FAQ states plainly that no one under 18 is allowed inside the building, including the dining areas. If your group includes anyone younger — a mixed-age family celebration, for instance — plan for them to sit that portion of the visit out.
- Valid photo ID is required for entry, per the casino's official contact and policies page. Make ID a pre-boarding checklist item; there is no fixing a forgotten wallet once the bus is already on I-87.
- Oversized bags and backpacks are not permitted inside. The same page states that "all oversized bags and backpacks will not be permitted." Anything bulky — totes, gift bags for a birthday group, gear from an earlier stop — is easiest left on the bus rather than checked at the door.
- No outside food or drinks, and no smoking, vaping, or marijuana use inside. Both rules are enforced throughout the building, gaming floor and restaurants alike.
- The building is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 a.m., according to the casino's contact page, so a group has a wide window to build a schedule around, whether that means an early-afternoon outing or a night that runs past midnight.
Leaving Empire City Casino: Getting Your Group Back Together
Because Empire City has one main entrance area on each side of the building — valet near the Lounge and Pub, the West Entrance for self-parkers — the pickup spot for the ride home is almost always the same door your group walked in through. Agree on that spot and a rough pickup window before anyone splits up to play, since a casino floor is exactly the kind of place a text message can sit unread for twenty minutes. With a bus reserved for a block of hours rather than a single one-way trip, it can hold that spot and be ready whenever your group is finished, instead of everyone hunting down parking on the way out the way they would after driving separately.
Yonkers Raceway Racing Nights & Entertainment at Empire City
Empire City is also home to Yonkers Raceway, and live harness racing draws its own crowd on top of the regular casino traffic. The venue's official racing page lists the marquee stakes races run there each year, including "the Yonkers Trot, Art Rooney Pace, Messenger Stakes and the $1,000,000 International Trot" — big-purse nights that bring larger crowds and fuller lots than a typical weeknight.
On the entertainment side, the casino runs live music at its Entertainment Lounge on Friday and Saturday nights from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. through the summer and fall, right by the valet entrance. If your group is planning a Friday or Saturday visit, or timing a trip around a stakes race, book earlier rather than later — those are the nights this vehicle size and date combination goes first.
Tips for Visiting Empire City Casino
- Save the casino's number. Empire City can be reached at 914-968-4200 if anyone in your group gets separated or needs guest services once inside.
- Bring ID for everyone 18 and up and plan for younger guests to skip the gaming floor entirely.
- Leave bulky bags on the bus rather than trying to carry them in, since oversized bags and backpacks are turned away at the door.
- ADA accommodations are available — the casino's FAQ notes handicap parking, ramps, and restrooms, with wheelchairs available from staff on request.
- There is no hotel on site, so build the return trip into your plan rather than assuming you can extend the night at the property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does a bus drop off at Empire City Casino?
A private group vehicle can use either the valet entrance, on the same side of the building as the Entertainment Lounge and The Pub, or the West Entrance (Grand Victorian), reached from general parking by the casino's free shuttle. There is no separate motorcoach gate or reserved slot for private buses — the vehicle uses the same entrance any other car would.
Does it cost anything to park a bus at Empire City Casino?
No. Self-parking is free for every vehicle at Empire City, including a full-size charter bus, and there is no permit to buy or prepay in advance.
What's the best route from New Rochelle to Empire City Casino for a bus?
Stay on the interstate: I-95 south to the Cross Bronx Expressway, then north on I-87 to Exit 4, which leads directly onto Central Park Avenue (NY-100) toward the casino. The Hutchinson River Parkway and Cross County Parkway both close to commercial vehicles, so a bus cannot use either shortcut even though a GPS app will often suggest one.
Is Empire City Casino's Motor Coach program still running?
Not currently. The casino's own FAQ states it is "not currently operating" its Motor Coach Marketing program, the incentive plan built for tour-bus operators. That has no effect on a privately booked party bus or charter bus, which simply parks like any other vehicle at no cost.
How old do you have to be to enter Empire City Casino?
18 or older for the gaming floor and dining areas, per the casino's FAQ page. Anyone younger in your group will need to sit that part of the visit out.
What size bus works best for a casino night?
It depends on the group. A Sprinter van covers up to about 14 people, a minibus fits 18 to 35, a party bus is a strong fit for 15 to 40 people who want the ride itself to be part of the celebration, and a full charter bus covers groups up to 56.
How much does a party bus or charter bus to Empire City Casino cost?
Pricing depends on vehicle size, total hours, the date, and pickup distance from Yonkers. There is no parking cost to add on top since self-parking is free. Call 914-604-3610 or use the online quote tool for a number specific to your date.
Can the bus wait while our group plays?
Yes. The bus is reserved as a block of hours, so it can hold a spot in the free lot for your entire visit and be ready at the same entrance your group walked in through when you're ready to head home.
What items aren't allowed inside Empire City Casino?
Oversized bags and backpacks are not permitted, along with outside food and drinks. Smoking, vaping, and marijuana use are also prohibited throughout the building.
How far in advance should we book a bus to Empire City Casino?
Two to three weeks of lead time works for most weeknight trips. For a Friday or Saturday visit timed around the Entertainment Lounge's live music, or a night that lines up with a stakes race like the Yonkers Trot or the International Trot, book earlier — those dates draw bigger crowds and the right-size vehicles go first.
Book Your Empire City Casino Bus Today
Whether it's a milestone birthday, a company outing, or a group of friends who just want to hit the tables in Yonkers without splitting into three cars, getting a party bus or charter bus to Empire City Casino comes down to one clean route off I-87 and a free lot at the other end. Also planning a day at Playland Park or a trip to Yankee Stadium? Those guides cover their own drop-offs.
For a Westchester group that needs more than one stop worked into the same day, the New Rochelle group transportation services page covers multi-stop planning, and a New Rochelle corporate transportation package is worth a look for office outings that want the same easy ride.
Fill out the online form or call 914-604-3610 any time, and Newrochelleminibuscompany.com can compare vehicles and pricing for your Empire City Casino trip in about a minute — no account required, no obligation to book.
