A private driver in Los Angeles costs from US$105 an hour in a Business Sedan, with a 3-hour minimum, or from US$170 for a one-way transfer from LAX to Beverly Hills. Both prices are fixed and all-in through Elly8.net: the chauffeur, vehicle, taxes, standard gratuity and airport meet and greet are included, and the number does not move when the 405 does.
What you should book depends less on budget than on the shape of your trip. One airport run is a transfer. A day of meetings spread from Century City to Burbank is an hourly booking. A party of eight heading to a game is a van. This guide walks through those choices with the routes Los Angeles visitors and locals actually drive, so the car you reserve is the car the day needs.
How much does a private driver cost in Los Angeles?
A Los Angeles private driver costs from US$105 an hour in a Business Sedan, US$135 in a Business SUV, US$160 in a First Class SUV, US$170 in a First Class Sedan and US$210 in an Executive Sprinter, with a 3-hour minimum. One-way LAX to Beverly Hills transfers start at US$170, fixed and all-in.
There are three ways to pay for a private driver in Los Angeles, and each suits a different day.
| Booking type | Business Sedan | First Class Sedan | Executive Sprinter | Use it when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAX to Beverly Hills transfer | US$170 | US$300 | US$445 | You need one ride with a fixed start and end |
| By the hour (3-hour minimum) | US$105 per hour | US$170 per hour | US$210 per hour | The car waits while you work, shop or dine |
| Evening out and event night (5 hours) | US$525 | US$850 | US$1,050 | Dinner, a show or a game, door to door |
| Full-day chauffeur (8 hours) | US$775 | US$1,255 | US$1,550 | A long day with many stops |
Business SUVs and First Class SUVs sit between those columns. The complete list, including Burbank, Van Nuys and John Wayne airport fares, is on the Los Angeles price panel.
See Los Angeles prices and reserve
Match the car to the trip
Each of the five classes on the Los Angeles list has a job it does best. The fleet page gives seats and bags; here is how they map to real LA trips.
Business Sedan (up to 3 passengers, 2 bags). A Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Cadillac CT6, Lincoln Continental or similar. The default for a solo business traveller from LAX to a Westside hotel, a dinner in Beverly Hills or a meeting in Century City. It is the black car service most people picture.
Business SUV (up to 6 passengers, 6 bags). A Chevrolet Suburban or GMC Yukon XL. The family car: room for car seats, a stroller and a week of luggage. Also the right choice for two people with golf bags or surfboard-sized cases.
First Class Sedan (up to 3 passengers, 2 bags). A Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7 Series or similar. The car for a red-carpet arrival, a client you want to impress or a principal who works in the back seat. Our executive car service page explains when the upgrade is worth it.
First Class SUV (up to 6 passengers, 6 bags). A Cadillac Escalade or Lincoln Navigator. Popular for studio talent, small teams and anyone who wants space with a higher standard of interior. In Los Angeles it is listed slightly below the First Class Sedan: US$275 from LAX to Beverly Hills against US$300.
Executive Sprinter (up to 12 passengers, 12 bags). The group vehicle for weddings, crews and game nights. Our Los Angeles Sprinter van guide covers when it beats two SUVs.
For something rarer, such as a Mercedes-Maybach, a Rolls-Royce or an electric sedan, use the web booker, which prices those vehicles by route.
Transfer or hourly: the rule of thumb
A private driver by the hour makes sense when the car would otherwise sit idle in a garage you are paying for, or when you need it to appear outside a building the moment a meeting ends. A transfer makes sense when you are going from one place to another and staying there.
Run the numbers before you choose. Two separate transfers, hotel to dinner and back, can cost more than three hours by the hour if the restaurant is across town, and the hourly car waits outside while you eat. One LAX arrival straight to a hotel is always cheaper as a transfer: US$170 in a Business Sedan, against a 3-hour minimum of US$315 by the hour.
The hourly chauffeur service runs from 3 to 12 hours, chosen at checkout. If your day is likely to stretch past 8 hours, look at the full-day package, which costs 8% less than the same hours at the hourly rate. Our post on a private driver for the day in Los Angeles has sample routes for full days.
The routes a Los Angeles private driver drives most
Los Angeles is a set of separate centres joined by freeways, and the same few routes come up again and again. These are the ones we book every week, with what to expect on each.
LAX to the Westside and Beverly Hills
The headline route: about 12 mi (20 km) and around 22 minutes on a clear road to Beverly Hills. It is rarely clear. The 405 and the surface routes north of the airport, Sepulveda and La Cienega, are slowest on weekday afternoons. The airport's roadwork adds to it: Los Angeles World Airports scheduled overnight lane closures on Sepulveda Boulevard near Century Boulevard in July 2026 to build a new pedestrian bridge into LAX, part of its wider modernization program, so allow extra time when leaving for a flight. The fixed fare covers the drive either way.
Burbank to Hollywood and the studios
Hollywood Burbank (BUR) is about 13 mi (21 km) from Beverly Hills, and much closer to the studios in Burbank, Universal City and Glendale. If your meetings are in the Valley or Hollywood, flying into Burbank can save an hour on the road. The fixed fare to Beverly Hills is US$175 in a Business Sedan; for a studio lot, give the desk the gate, not just the street address.
Van Nuys for private aviation
Van Nuys Airport is the main general aviation field for Los Angeles. A chauffeur meets you at your FBO, and the fixed fare to Beverly Hills runs from US$200 to US$520. See private jet and FBO transfers for what to send the desk.
Century City, Downtown and Santa Monica
Business days in Los Angeles often cross the city three times. Century City to Downtown runs along the 10 or Wilshire Boulevard; Downtown to Santa Monica runs the 10 the other way. At rush hour each leg can take far longer than its distance suggests. This is where an hourly booking pays off: the car follows your schedule rather than you hunting for a ride in a lobby.
Rodeo Drive, Melrose and the Sunset Strip
For shopping and nights out, the challenge is not distance but stopping. Rodeo Drive is valet country, and the Sunset Strip backs up on weekend nights. A private driver drops at the door and waits nearby, then comes back when you call.
Pasadena and the east side
Old Pasadena, the Rose Bowl and the hotels around Colorado Boulevard sit well east of the Westside, and the drive from Beverly Hills crosses Hollywood or Downtown. For a single trip, put the address into the web booker for a fixed quote. For a day split between Pasadena and the Westside, book by the hour: the car waits while you visit, and you are not hunting for a ride back across the city in the late afternoon.
Traffic peaks to plan around
The fare is fixed, but your time is not, so a little planning still helps.
- Weekday mornings: inbound routes to Downtown, Century City and Santa Monica slow from early morning until mid-morning.
- Weekday afternoons: the 405 northbound from LAX and the 10 westbound are slow from mid-afternoon into the evening. Book LAX departures earlier than the clear-road time suggests.
- Event nights: Crypto.com Arena and L.A. Live downtown, SoFi Stadium and Intuit Dome in Inglewood near LAX, Dodger Stadium in Chavez Ravine and the Hollywood Bowl in Cahuenga Pass all change local traffic. Check the venue calendars if your hotel or flight is nearby.
- Award season: January to March brings road closures around Hollywood Boulevard, the Beverly Hilton and L.A. Live. The 69th Grammy Awards on February 7, 2027 and Super Bowl LXI at SoFi on February 14, 2027 will put extra pressure on cars that month.
When a private driver is not the right choice
Be honest about the trip. A solo traveller with a carry-on, heading downtown in daylight, can take Metro rail for the US$1.75 regular fare, with daily and weekly caps. For a short hop across Santa Monica at a quiet hour, an app ride is quick and usually cheap.
A pre-booked driver wins when the price matters as much as the ride: no surge on a Friday night, no cancelled pickup after a late flight, one car for a family with car seats, a chauffeur inside arrivals rather than a walk to a pickup lot, and an invoice your company can process. Our comparisons of Uber Black vs a pre-booked chauffeur and chauffeur vs Uber and Lyft go into the detail.
What is included, and what is not
A fixed, all-in price means the published number covers the chauffeur, the vehicle, taxes, a standard gratuity and airport meet and greet. Three things are billed at cost, with no markup: tolls, parking, and waiting beyond the included time. Child seats are available on request; tell us each child's age and weight.
For a fuller breakdown of what can be added to a quote, and how to compare quotes from different companies, see our guide to a flat rate car service to LAX.
Rides in Los Angeles 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. Partner sedans, SUVs and vans are four model years old or newer.
How to book a private driver
- Route or address. Choose a route from the Los Angeles page, or enter any pickup and drop-off in the web booker. For an airport pickup, add the flight number so the chauffeur can track it.
- Vehicle and duration. Pick the class for your group and bags. For an hourly booking, choose the number of hours, from 3 to 12.
- Reserve. Press Reserve now and pay securely, or confirm in the web booker. The confirmation arrives by email, followed by the chauffeur's details.
Cancellation is free more than 72 hours before pickup. At 72 hours or less 10% applies, at 48 hours or less 50%, and at 24 hours or less or for a no-show 100%. Refunds go to the original card.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a private driver per hour in Los Angeles?
From US$105 an hour in a Business Sedan, US$135 in a Business SUV, US$160 in a First Class SUV, US$170 in a First Class Sedan and US$210 in an Executive Sprinter. There is a 3-hour minimum, and you can book up to 12 hours. The rate is fixed and includes gratuity and taxes.
Should a single airport ride be booked by the hour?
No. A one-way transfer is cheaper for a single ride. LAX to Beverly Hills is US$170 in a Business Sedan, while the 3-hour hourly minimum in the same car is US$315. Book hourly only when the driver needs to wait between stops or follow a schedule.
Which car is best for a family arriving at LAX?
A Business SUV, which seats up to 6 with 6 bags and costs US$225 from LAX to Beverly Hills. It has room for car seats, available on request, plus a stroller and checked bags. Families of seven or more, or with extra luggage, should look at the Executive Sprinter.
Does the price change in traffic or at night?
No. The price is fixed when you reserve and there is no surge or night pricing. Only tolls, parking and waiting beyond the included time are added, at cost. On an hourly booking, extra hours you ask for are charged at the same hourly rate.
Who are the drivers?
Rides in Los Angeles 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, so there is one point of contact if your plans change during the day.
Can a private driver pick up from Burbank or Van Nuys instead of LAX?
Yes. Burbank to Beverly Hills starts at US$175 and Van Nuys at US$200, both in a Business Sedan. Burbank suits studio meetings and the Valley; Van Nuys is the usual airport for private jets, and the chauffeur meets you at the FBO.
