A private driver in Philadelphia is a chauffeur and car that stay with you for a block of time and go where you direct, rather than a single ride from A to B. With Elly8.net it is priced by the hour with a 3-hour minimum, from US$95 an hour in a Business Sedan to US$190 an hour in a 12-seat Executive Sprinter, or as a full day from US$700, all-in with the chauffeur, taxes and standard gratuity.
It suits the days a taxi cannot: a string of meetings between Center City, University City and the suburbs, a family visit with a stop at every grandparent, a museum day with tired children, or a trip out to Valley Forge, Longwood Gardens or Princeton that has no sensible public transport. This guide covers the rates, the vehicles, sample days with real drive times and the booking details that save money.
How much does a private driver cost in Philadelphia?
An Elly8.net private driver in Philadelphia costs 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 3-hour minimum. A full day runs from US$700 to US$1,400, all-in.
Those prices include the chauffeur, the vehicle, taxes and standard gratuity. Tolls and parking are billed at cost. Inside the booked hours, waiting is part of the service: the car stays with you while you are in a meeting, at lunch or in a museum.
| Package | Business Sedan | Business SUV | First Class Sedan | First Class SUV | Executive Sprinter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| By the hour, as directed (3-hour minimum) | US$95/h | US$120/h | US$155/h | US$145/h | US$190/h |
| Private city highlights tour | US$380 | US$480 | US$620 | US$580 | US$760 |
| Evening out and event night | US$475 | US$600 | US$775 | US$725 | US$950 |
| Full-day chauffeur | US$700 | US$885 | US$1,145 | US$1,070 | US$1,400 |
| Brandywine Valley and Longwood Gardens (8 hours) | US$700 | US$885 | US$1,145 | US$1,070 | US$1,400 |
| Corporate roadshow day | US$855 | US$1,080 | US$1,395 | US$1,305 | US$1,710 |
See Philadelphia prices and reserve
Which vehicle to book
The vehicle should match the people, the bags and the tone of the day, not the other way round. Capacities are from our fleet page.
Business Sedan, up to 3 passengers. An E-Class, CT6, Continental or similar. The working choice for one or two people moving between meetings, and the best value per hour.
First Class Sedan, up to 3. An S-Class, 7 Series or similar. For a client, a board member or a guest you are hosting, where the car is part of the impression.
Business SUV, up to 6. A Suburban or Yukon XL. For families, golf bags, strollers or anyone with luggage. It is also the practical car for a winter day when the weather turns.
First Class SUV, up to 6. An Escalade or Navigator. A more refined SUV for VIP guests, slightly less per hour than the First Class Sedan in Philadelphia.
Executive Sprinter, up to 12. For teams, wedding parties, visiting delegations and extended families. One Sprinter at US$190 an hour usually beats two or three cars for a group that wants to stay together.
Five sample days, with real drive times
These distances and clear-road times are routed from Center City. They show how the hours add up, which is the key to booking the right block.
| From Center City to | Distance | Clear-road drive |
|---|---|---|
| King of Prussia | 19 mi (31 km) | about 29 min |
| Bryn Mawr (Main Line) | 12 mi (19 km) | about 26 min |
| Valley Forge National Historical Park | 24 mi (39 km) | about 37 min |
| Wilmington, Delaware | 29 mi (47 km) | about 48 min |
| Longwood Gardens | 33 mi (53 km) | about 59 min |
| New Hope, Bucks County | 41 mi (65 km) | about 61 min |
| Princeton, New Jersey | 44 mi (71 km) | about 64 min |
| Lancaster | 80 mi (129 km) | about 1 h 43 min |
1. The suburban meeting day
A sales lead or consultant often has a Center City breakfast, two meetings along the Main Line or in King of Prussia, and a late afternoon back downtown. That is about 6 hours with waiting, or US$570 in a Business Sedan at the hourly rate, and the car doubles as a quiet office between stops. If the day runs to 8 hours or more, the full-day rate of US$700 is the better buy. For multi-city investor days, the corporate roadshow day packages one car and chauffeur from first meeting to last. See corporate car service and roadshow chauffeur.
2. Valley Forge and King of Prussia
Valley Forge National Historical Park is about 37 minutes from Center City and is a large park with no practical transit between its sites, so a car that drives you from one stop to the next turns a hard visit into an easy one. Many visitors pair it with the King of Prussia mall next door. Five hours covers both comfortably: US$600 in a Business SUV.
3. Longwood Gardens and the Brandywine Valley
Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square is about an hour from Center City. The signature 8-hour package, from US$700 in a Business Sedan to US$1,400 in an Executive Sprinter, covers the drive, a long visit and a lunch or museum stop in the valley. Garden tickets are bought separately from Longwood, which uses timed entry at busy times.
4. A museum and history day in the city
Old City, the Parkway and the waterfront are close together on the map and tiring on foot with children. A private driver carries you between Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell (National Park Service), the Barnes Foundation and the Philadelphia Art Museum with its famous steps, with the car waiting at each. The private city highlights tour, from US$380, is the fixed-price version; book hourly if you want to set the pace yourself. See private city tours.
5. A college visit to Princeton or a Bucks County day
Families touring colleges often combine Penn and Drexel in University City with Princeton, about 64 minutes from Center City on a clear road. A campus tour, lunch and the drive back fit in 6 to 7 hours: US$720 to US$840 in a Business SUV at the hourly rate, or US$885 for the full day if a second campus is added. New Hope in Bucks County, about an hour north along the Delaware River, makes a relaxed leisure version of the same day, with time for the river towns and lunch. Because the car waits at each stop, nobody has to work out parking at a campus visitor centre or a busy riverside main street.
Booking tips that save money and time
Book the hours you need, plus a margin. The minimum is 3 hours. Add 30 to 60 minutes to whatever your plan says, because meetings overrun and lunches stretch. Extra time on the day can sometimes be added, but it is easier to book it in.
Compare hourly with the packages. At 8 hours, the full-day chauffeur is cheaper than the hourly rate in every class: 8 hours in a Business Sedan by the hour would be US$760, against US$700 for the full day. The evening out package is the simpler choice for dinner and a show or a game.
Point-to-point can be cheaper. If you only need to get somewhere and back, with a long gap between, two transfers may cost less than holding a car all day. The web booker prices any address as a fixed one-way fare.
Tell the desk about parking. In Center City and at the stadiums, the chauffeur may need a garage or lot while waiting; parking is billed at cost. A venue with its own drop-off loop saves that charge.
Use the car as a base. Coats, shopping, presentation materials and luggage stay in the vehicle. On a check-out day, an hourly booking that ends at PHL or 30th Street avoids a hotel bag hold.
Children and accessibility. Child seats are available on request; give ages and weights. Tell the desk about mobility needs so the right vehicle is sent.
Confidential trips. NDAs are available on request for executives, public figures and sensitive site visits.
Private driver, taxi or rideshare?
For a single short ride, a taxi or app is usually cheaper, and we say so. A private driver earns its price when the day has several stops, when waiting matters, when you are hosting someone, or when you want one fixed number for the whole day. Our chauffeur vs Uber and Lyft guide covers the difference in detail, and chauffeur vs renting a car is worth reading if you were planning to drive yourself and park downtown.
Need a full breakdown of what drives the price of a Philadelphia limousine or black car, including the fees to ask about elsewhere? See Philadelphia limo rental prices. Arriving by air first? The Philadelphia airport transfer guide explains the PHL meeting point, and a day in New York is covered in Philly to NYC by Uber, taxi or chauffeur.
Who the private driver service suits
- Business visitors with meetings across Center City, University City and the suburbs, billed to a corporate account with monthly invoicing.
- Hotel guests whose concierge books the day; hotels can open an account through the hotel partner programme.
- Travel agents building itineraries; see the travel agent sign-up.
- Families and visiting relatives who want one car for a day of visits.
- Event days, from a game at Lincoln Financial Field to a gala; see event transportation.
Rides in Philadelphia 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 vehicles are 4 model years or newer. Elly8.net is a member of LimousineWorldwide.Directory, LimousineAssociation.International, HotelsWorldwide.Directory and VacationsWorldwide.Directory.
How booking works
- Choose the hourly or full-day package on the Philadelphia page, or enter the first pickup in the web booker and add your stops.
- Pick the vehicle and the number of hours, and add child seats or notes for the chauffeur.
- Press Reserve now and pay. Confirmation comes by email, and the 24/7 desk handles changes to the plan.
Cancellation is free more than 72 hours before pickup; at 72 hours or less the charge is 10%, at 48 hours or less 50%, and at 24 hours or less or a no-show 100%, refunded to the original card. Travelling on along the corridor? We also cover Baltimore, Washington, DC and Atlantic City.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a private driver per hour in Philadelphia?
From US$95 an hour in a Business Sedan to US$190 an hour in an Executive Sprinter, with a 3-hour minimum. A Business SUV is US$120, a First Class SUV US$145 and a First Class Sedan US$155. Prices are all-in with taxes and standard gratuity; tolls and parking are billed at cost.
Is a full day cheaper than booking by the hour?
At 8 hours, yes. The full-day chauffeur is US$700 in a Business Sedan, against US$760 for 8 hours at the hourly rate, and the saving is similar in every class. For 3 to 6 hours, the hourly rate is the better fit.
Does the driver wait during meetings?
Yes. Within the booked hours, the car and chauffeur stay with you, waiting outside meetings, restaurants and museums and moving when you are ready. If a long wait needs a garage or lot, the parking is billed at cost.
Can a private driver take us to Valley Forge or Longwood Gardens?
Yes. Valley Forge is about 37 minutes from Center City and Longwood Gardens about an hour. Book by the hour, or choose the 8-hour Brandywine Valley and Longwood Gardens package, from US$700. Entry tickets are bought separately from each site.
Can we book a private driver for a group?
Yes. The Executive Sprinter seats up to 12 with luggage at US$190 an hour, and a full day is US$1,400. For larger groups, two vehicles can be booked on one reservation with the same desk managing both.
How far ahead should you book a private driver?
A few days ahead is usually enough on weekdays. Book earlier for convention weeks, graduation weekends and big game days, when Philadelphia's cars and hotels fill. Cancellation is free more than 72 hours before pickup.
