A chauffeur service in Charleston, South Carolina, earns its keep on the days with several stops: a morning of house museums south of Broad, lunch in Mount Pleasant, a round on Kiawah Island, dinner on King Street and a concert at the Gaillard Center. On Elly8.net, a chauffeur by the hour costs from US$95 in a Business Sedan to US$190 in a 12-seat Executive Sprinter, three-hour minimum, per vehicle, all-in, and full days, tours and a Kiawah Island package are fixed on the price list.
This guide is the local knowledge behind those bookings: how the city is laid out, when the bridges and I-26 slow down, the routes visitors book most, and which vehicle and which booking type fit each kind of day. Rides in Charleston are operated by licensed, commercially insured local chauffeur partners vetted through the Limousine Worldwide network; Elly8.net takes the booking, fixes the price and runs the 24/7 desk.
How do you book a chauffeur in Charleston, SC?
Choose the booking type first: hourly from US$95 an hour (three-hour minimum), a full day from US$700, a city highlights tour from US$380 or the 5-hour Kiawah Island package from US$440, per vehicle. Then pick the vehicle by passengers and bags, add every stop in the notes, and reserve online.
All prices include the chauffeur, the vehicle, taxes and standard gratuity. Tolls, parking and waiting beyond the included time are billed at cost. The full list is on the Charleston price list.
See Charleston prices and reserve
How Charleston is laid out, for a driver
The city's visitor map is compact, but it is divided by water. That shapes every booking.
- The Historic Peninsula. The old city between the Ashley and Cooper rivers: South of Broad and the Battery at the tip, King Street running north through the shops and restaurants, the French Quarter and City Market on the east side. Streets are narrow, many are one-way and parking is scarce.
- Mount Pleasant. Across the Ravenel Bridge to the east: Shem Creek's restaurants, resorts, wedding venues and the way to Sullivan's Island and Isle of Palms.
- West Ashley and the Ashley River. West of the peninsula, with the historic plantations and gardens along the river, many of them wedding venues.
- James Island, Folly Beach and the sea islands. South, toward the beaches and, further out, Kiawah and Seabrook.
- North Charleston and Daniel Island. The airport, office parks, hotels and much of the region's business travel.
A chauffeur who drives these routes every week knows which inns have a driveway, which corners allow a legal stop, and how long the bridge will take at 5 p.m.
When traffic slows
There is no single rush hour in Charleston, but there are predictable pinch points. I-26 between the peninsula and North Charleston slows at the morning and evening commuter peaks. The bridges to Mount Pleasant and the roads out to the islands fill on summer weekends and on wedding Saturdays. And on the peninsula itself, the last few blocks can take longer than the highway.
For a booking, that means two things. Give the desk the times that matter, such as a ceremony, a tee time or a curtain, and let it build the schedule backwards. And prefer an hourly booking over a string of one-way rides on a day with fixed times, so the car is already waiting rather than crossing a bridge to find you.
Popular routes and the booking that fits
| Trip | What it usually involves | Best booking | Price, per vehicle |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHS to the Historic Peninsula | About 11 mi (18 km), about 18 min on a clear road | One-way airport transfer | US$140 to US$365 |
| A day on the peninsula | House museums, lunch, shopping, dinner | Hourly or full day | US$95 an hour; full day from US$700 |
| First visit overview | The Battery, Rainbow Row, the Market, then Mount Pleasant views | Private city highlights tour | US$380 to US$760 |
| Kiawah Island golf or beach | South past the sea islands, gated resort access | 5-hour Kiawah Island package | US$440 to US$875 |
| Dinner and a show | King Street dinner, the Gaillard Center, the ride home | Evening out and event night | US$475 to US$950 |
| Client meetings | North Charleston, Daniel Island, downtown | Corporate roadshow day | US$855 to US$1,710 |
| Beach towns, Mount Pleasant, Summerville | Addresses off the price list | Web booker | Fixed price for the exact address |
Which vehicle fits which trip
Capacities are from our fleet page.
- Business Sedan, up to 3 passengers and 2 bags. A couple's day on the peninsula, a business traveller's meetings. US$95 an hour.
- First Class Sedan, up to 3 and 2 bags. A wedding couple, an anniversary dinner, an executive. US$155 an hour.
- Business SUV, up to 6 and 6 bags. Families, golf foursomes with clubs, beach days with chairs and coolers. US$120 an hour.
- First Class SUV, up to 6 and 6 bags. The same space with a premium cabin. US$145 an hour.
- Executive Sprinter, up to 12 and 12 bags. Wedding parties, bachelorette weekends, golf groups and cruise groups. US$190 an hour.
For larger celebrations, a Stretch SUV Limousine for up to 16 or a party bus is priced in the web booker. Our black car vs limousine guide explains the difference in feel and price.
A day on the peninsula with a driver
The peninsula is a walking city, and a chauffeur works best as a base rather than a taxi. A typical hourly day: pickup at an inn south of Broad, a drive past the Battery and Rainbow Row, a house museum, lunch on King Street, an afternoon in the French Quarter galleries and an evening across the bridge in Mount Pleasant. The car waits nearby and collects you at agreed corners.
For a first visit, the private city highlights tour covers the Battery, Rainbow Row, the Market, the churches and the old houses, then crosses to Mount Pleasant for the harbour views; see private city tours. Fort Sumter National Monument is reached only by boat, with the Fort Sumter Visitor Center as the main launch point for the ferries, so a chauffeur can drop you there and collect you after the return sailing.
If walking is part of the plan, the free CARTA DASH shuttle also loops the peninsula; our Charleston taxi or rideshare guide covers it alongside taxis and app rides.
Kiawah Island and the sea islands
Kiawah is the signature day trip from Charleston, for golf, beaches and nature trails. Much of the island lies behind resort and community gates, so tell the desk your resort, rental or tee time when you book; the Town of Kiawah Island has visitor information. The 5-hour package is US$440 in a Business Sedan, US$555 in a Business SUV, US$670 in a First Class SUV, US$715 in a First Class Sedan and US$875 in an Executive Sprinter, with the chauffeur waiting while you play or walk the beach. Golfers with clubs should book an SUV or the Sprinter.
Families, child seats and beach days
Families get the most from a chauffeur on the days that mix the city and the coast. Child seats are available on request; give each child's age and weight in the notes, and the seat is fitted before pickup. A Business SUV holds six passengers and six bags, which in practice means the stroller, the beach chairs and the cooler as well as the people.
A beach day to Folly Beach, Sullivan's Island or Isle of Palms works well as an hourly booking with the chauffeur waiting, or as two one-way transfers priced in the booker if you plan to stay until sunset. The South Carolina Aquarium and the museums on the peninsula are close together, so a family day there is often best on foot, with the car for the beginning and end of the day.
Weddings, celebrations and nights out
Charleston's wedding venues are spread across the peninsula, the Ashley River, Mount Pleasant and the islands, which is why transport needs a plan. The usual pattern: an Executive Sprinter for the wedding party, a First Class Sedan for the couple and guest shuttles between hotel blocks and the reception. See wedding limousine and guest shuttles.
For nights out, the evening out and event night package runs from US$475 in a Business Sedan to US$950 in an Executive Sprinter, and costs the same as five hours on the hourly rate. The chauffeur follows local rules on alcohol in vehicles, and Elly8.net never plans a ride around drinking.
The weeks that book up first
- Charleston Wine + Food, March 3 to 7, 2027. Dinners, tastings and the culinary village, according to the festival. Evening bookings go early.
- Credit One Charleston Open, March 27 to April 4, 2027. Professional tennis on Daniel Island, per the tournament. Cars between hotels and the island are in demand all week.
- Spoleto Festival USA, usually from late May into June. Performances in theatres and churches across the peninsula; dates are announced on the festival's site.
- Concerts and shows at the Charleston Gaillard Center year round, where an evening booking keeps the car near the venue.
- Spring and autumn wedding Saturdays, which fill Sprinters months ahead.
For these, see event transportation and concert transportation, and book as soon as your tickets or venue are confirmed.
Business travel and roadshows
Business visits here centre on North Charleston near the airport, Daniel Island and professional services firms on the peninsula. The corporate roadshow day, from US$855 in a Business Sedan to US$1,710 in an Executive Sprinter, covers a day of meetings with the car waiting between stops. A corporate account adds monthly invoicing, saved traveller profiles and NDAs on request; see corporate car service.
Cruise days
Cruise passengers sail from the Port of Charleston, run by South Carolina Ports. A chauffeur from your hotel or from CHS to the terminal, sized for the luggage, removes the guesswork on a day with a boarding window. Give the desk the ship, the boarding time and the bag count. See cruise port transfers, and our Charleston airport transfer guide for the arrival itself.
How booking works
- Choose the trip. Airport transfer, hourly, full day, tour, Kiawah package, evening out or roadshow. Add every stop and time in the notes.
- Choose the vehicle by passengers and bags, and add child seats on request.
- Reserve. Press Reserve now on the fixed price, or use the web booker for addresses not on the list. Confirmation comes by email, then the chauffeur's details.
Cancellation is free more than 72 hours before pickup; 10% at 72 hours or less; 50% at 48 hours or less; 100% at 24 hours or less or for a no-show. Refunds go to the original card.
Elly8.net is a member of LimousineWorldwide.Directory, LimousineAssociation.International, HotelsWorldwide.Directory and VacationsWorldwide.Directory. Travelling on along the coast? See fixed prices in Savannah and Jacksonville, or book a city to city car service for the drive.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a chauffeur in Charleston by the hour?
US$95 an hour in a Business Sedan, US$120 in a Business SUV, US$145 in a First Class SUV, US$155 in a First Class Sedan and US$190 in an Executive Sprinter, with a three-hour minimum. Prices are per vehicle and all-in, including taxes and standard gratuity, with tolls, parking and extra waiting billed at cost.
Is a full day or hourly booking better?
For three or four hours, book hourly. For a long day, the full-day chauffeur, from US$700 in a Business Sedan to US$1,400 in an Executive Sprinter, usually works out simpler and is fixed on the price list. For an evening, the evening out package costs the same as five hours.
Can the chauffeur wait while we play golf on Kiawah?
Yes. The 5-hour Kiawah Island package includes the drive both ways and the chauffeur waiting, from US$440 in a Business Sedan to US$875 in an Executive Sprinter. Share your resort or tee time when you book, since much of the island is behind gates, and choose an SUV for clubs.
Which car should we book for six people?
A Business SUV or First Class SUV seats up to six with six bags, at US$120 or US$145 an hour. For seven to twelve, book the Executive Sprinter at US$190 an hour. For more than twelve, the desk can time two vehicles together or quote a larger vehicle in the web booker.
Do chauffeurs know the peninsula's streets?
Yes. Local chauffeur partners drive the peninsula's narrow, often one-way streets every week, know which inns and hotels have driveways, and stop at the nearest legal corner when a door stop is not allowed. On busy event nights they agree a pickup point with you in advance.
Can a company open an account for Charleston trips?
Yes. Corporate accounts include fixed prices, monthly invoicing, saved traveller profiles and the 24/7 desk, with NDAs on request. They suit visits to North Charleston and Daniel Island, conference teams and frequent CHS arrivals. Wedding planners, travel agents and hotels can open accounts as well.
