A Chicago private driver on Elly8.net is a chauffeur and car booked by the hour, as directed: you set the stops, the chauffeur drives, waits nearby and adjusts when plans change. Hourly hire starts at US$100 an hour in a Business Sedan with a 3-hour minimum, and a full 8-hour day is US$740, all-in. For groups, an Executive Sprinter is US$200 an hour.
Rides in Chicago 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. This guide is about the as-directed day: what it is good for, how to shape it, which package beats the plain hourly rate, and the practical details of parking, waiting and changes in a busy city.
How much does a private driver cost in Chicago?
On Elly8.net, a Chicago private driver costs US$100 an hour in a Business Sedan, US$125 in a Business SUV, US$150 in a First Class SUV, US$160 in a First Class Sedan and US$200 in an Executive Sprinter, with a 3-hour minimum. An 8-hour full day runs from US$740 to US$1,475, about 8% below the hourly rate.
Every price is per vehicle and all-in: the chauffeur, the car, taxes and standard gratuity are included. Tolls and parking are billed at cost, and so is time beyond the hours you booked. At checkout you can choose from 3 to 12 hours, and the car waits between stops for the whole booking. The Chicago fares panel lists every hourly rate and package, and the hourly chauffeur page explains how as-directed service works in every Elly8.net city.
See Chicago prices and reserve
Hourly, half day or full day: which package fits
The Chicago list has five ways to book a driver for more than one ride. They all keep one chauffeur with you; the difference is the length and the discount.
| Option | Length | Business Sedan | Business SUV | Executive Sprinter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| By the hour, as directed | 3 to 12 h | US$100/h | US$125/h | US$200/h |
| Private city highlights tour | 4 h | US$400 | US$500 | US$800 |
| Evening out & event night | 5 h | US$500 | US$625 | US$1,000 |
| Full-day chauffeur | 8 h | US$740 | US$920 | US$1,475 |
| Day trip: Lake Geneva, Wisconsin | 10 h | US$920 | US$1,150 | US$1,840 |
The tour and evening packages are priced at the hourly rate for their length, so choose them for the shape of the day. The full day is where the saving appears: eight hours by the hour in a Business Sedan would be US$800, and the full-day package is US$740. For business travellers, the 10-hour Corporate roadshow day is 10% below the hourly rate; our post on Chicago executive car service covers meeting days.
The rule of thumb from the desk: under five hours, book hourly or the tour; six to eight hours, book the full day; a whole day out of the city, book the Lake Geneva package.
What people book a private driver for
A shopping and museum day. Michigan Avenue in the morning, lunch, then the museums. The chauffeur waits while you shop, so bags go in the trunk instead of on your arm. The Magnificent Mile lists the stores along the avenue, and the Art Institute of Chicago and Millennium Park are a short drive south.
Architecture and the river. Chicago is an architecture city, and the river cruise is the classic way to see it. The Chicago Architecture Center runs tours from its riverside base; the chauffeur drops you at the dock, collects you after the cruise and takes you on to the Loop towers or a view from Skydeck Chicago at Willis Tower.
Family visits in the suburbs. Grandparents in the North Shore, cousins in the western suburbs, a christening in one town and lunch in another. An SUV with child seats requested at booking and a chauffeur who waits outside turns a day of driving into a day of visiting.
House hunting or relocation days. Viewing homes across several neighbourhoods and suburbs, with a relocation agent or on your own. Hourly hire means no parking, no navigation and a car waiting at every address.
Campus visits. Families touring universities often see two in a day, such as the University of Chicago in Hyde Park and Northwestern University in Evanston on the North Shore. A driver by the hour handles the cross-town drive, waits through the information sessions and keeps everyone's bags and coats in the car between visits.
A celebration night. Dinner in the West Loop, a show in the Theatre District or a game, and the ride home. The Evening out & event night package keeps the car for five hours; see event transportation for how we stage pickups at busy venues.
A day out of the city. The signature package is Lake Geneva, Wisconsin: ten hours door to door, with time for the lake path, a boat tour, lunch on the water or a round of golf. Visit Lake Geneva has the planning information.
Three sample days with a Chicago driver
These are outlines, not fixed tours. Use them as a starting point and change the stops to suit you.
Four hours: the classic first visit (Private city highlights tour, from US$400). Pickup at a Gold Coast or Magnificent Mile hotel at 10 am. A slow drive along DuSable Lake Shore Drive to the Museum Campus for the skyline view from the lakefront, then into the Loop for the architecture along LaSalle Street and Wacker Drive, a stop at Millennium Park, and lunch in River North before the drop-off back at the hotel around 2 pm.
Eight hours: a family day (Full-day chauffeur in a Business SUV, US$920). Morning at a museum on the Museum Campus, lunch in the South Loop, an afternoon visit to relatives in the western suburbs, then dinner in Fulton Market on the way back. The SUV keeps child seats fitted all day and the trunk holds coats, a stroller and the day's shopping.
Ten hours: out of the city (Lake Geneva day trip, from US$920). An 8 am pickup, mid-morning arrival in Lake Geneva, a walk on the shore path or a boat tour, lunch by the water, an afternoon round of golf or a spa visit, and the drive home in time for dinner. The chauffeur stays with you all day, so nobody has to drive back.
Choose Chicago, the city's tourism board, publishes neighbourhood guides and an events calendar that are useful for filling in the details of any of these days.
Shaping the day: how to brief your driver
A private driver works best with a loose plan. Send the desk a short outline when you book:
- The start and end points, with exact addresses and the hotel entrance.
- The main stops in order, with any fixed times: a 2 pm river cruise, a 7 pm dinner reservation, a museum timed-entry slot.
- Who is travelling, including children who need seats and anyone who needs extra help getting in and out of the car.
- What you are carrying, such as shopping, luggage or sports equipment, so the vehicle is right.
- How fixed the plan is. If you might add a stop or stay later, say so; the desk can extend the booking.
On the day, you direct the chauffeur. Add a stop, skip one, stay longer at lunch: the car is yours for the hours booked. If the day runs past the booked hours, message the desk and the extra time is billed at cost.
Parking, waiting and the Chicago curb
In the Loop or on Michigan Avenue, a car usually cannot sit at the same curb for hours; busy streets, loading zones and traffic do not allow it. The chauffeur drops you at the door, waits nearby in a legal spot or a garage, and returns when you call or at the agreed time. Any garage or parking charges are passed through at cost.
That is why a mobile number matters. Share yours, keep the chauffeur's number from the confirmation, and send a message ten minutes before you are ready. In busy areas, such as River North on a Saturday night or the streets around a stadium after a game, the desk agrees a precise pickup point in advance. Our guide to Chicago limo transportation covers the neighbourhoods and event days in more detail.
Choosing the vehicle for a day with a driver
On a long day the cabin matters more than on an airport run.
- Business Sedan: one to three people, light shopping, the best value at US$100 an hour.
- First Class Sedan: an S-Class or similar for a special occasion or a VIP guest, US$160 an hour.
- Business SUV: families, child seats, shopping bags and winter coats, US$125 an hour.
- First Class SUV: an Escalade or similar for premium comfort with space, US$150 an hour.
- Executive Sprinter: groups of up to twelve, US$200 an hour; our guide to Chicago Sprinter van rental covers group days.
The fleet page lists passengers and bags for each class. Partner vehicles are four model years old or newer, seven for Rolls-Royce, Maybach and Bentley.
Private driver vs renting a car or using apps all day
You could rent a car or string together app rides. For some days that is the right call: one person, two stops, plenty of time. A private driver makes more sense when the day has many stops, when parking would cost time and money at each one, when children and car seats are involved, or when you simply want someone else to handle the city. Rideshare prices move with demand, and each ride is a new request at a new curb; a booked driver is one price and one car all day. Our chauffeur vs car rental and chauffeur vs Uber and Lyft pages compare the options in more depth.
Booking a Chicago private driver
- Enter the start address and choose By the hour, a package, or the web booker for a custom day.
- Choose the vehicle and the number of hours, from 3 to 12.
- Press Reserve now and pay securely. Confirmation arrives by email; add your plan in the notes or send it to the desk.
Cancellation: more than 72 hours before pickup is free; 72 hours or less is 10%; 48 hours or less is 50%; 24 hours or less or a no-show is 100%. Refunds go to the original card. Every Chicago rate is on the Chicago limo service page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum booking for a private driver in Chicago?
Three hours. In a Business Sedan at US$100 an hour, the minimum booking is US$300, all-in. You can choose up to 12 hours at checkout, and for a full 8-hour day the package price of US$740 is below the hourly total.
Does the driver wait while we shop or visit a museum?
Yes. The car is yours for the hours booked. In busy areas the chauffeur waits nearby in a legal spot or garage rather than at the curb, and returns when you call or at the agreed time. Parking and garage charges are billed at cost.
Can we change the plan during the day?
Yes. You direct the chauffeur, so you can add, skip or reorder stops within the hours booked. If the day runs longer, message the 24/7 desk to extend; time beyond the booked hours is billed at cost.
Is gratuity included in the hourly rate?
Yes. The hourly rates and packages include the chauffeur, vehicle, taxes and standard gratuity. Tolls, parking and time beyond the included hours are billed at cost. Anything extra you would like to give the chauffeur is entirely up to you.
Can a private driver take us to Lake Geneva or the suburbs?
Yes. The Lake Geneva day trip is a 10-hour package from US$920 in a Business Sedan, door to door from your hotel. For suburbs, book by the hour, or enter the addresses in the web booker for a fixed quote on a one-way or return trip.
Are child seats available for a full day?
Yes, on request. Tell the desk how many seats you need and the children's ages, and the chauffeur arrives with them fitted. For two adults and two young children, book a Business SUV so everyone has room for the whole day.
