A pre-booked RDU car service follows a simple sequence: the desk tracks your flight, your chauffeur waits inside baggage claim at your terminal with a name board, and you walk together to the airport's prearranged pickup zone, Zone 1 at Terminal 1 or Zone 8 at Terminal 2. From there it is about 14 miles (23 km) to downtown Raleigh, and on Elly8.net the fare is fixed before you fly: from US$160 in a business sedan to US$420 in an Executive Sprinter.
This guide walks through each step in order, so you know what will happen and what to tell us before you travel. It covers the two terminals, the meeting point, the vehicles and how much luggage each one takes, how the fixed price compares with a metered ride, and the drop-off, whether that is a downtown hotel, Research Triangle Park, Durham or Chapel Hill.
What happens when you book an RDU car service?
You book with your flight number, and the chauffeur tracks the landing. After you land, the chauffeur meets you inside baggage claim with a name board, helps with bags and walks you to the limo zone for your terminal. The price is fixed in advance, from US$160 to downtown Raleigh, with complimentary waiting after a tracked landing.
Rides in Raleigh 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. One desk handles the booking, any change and the follow-up, so there is a single place to call if a connection is missed or a meeting moves.
See Raleigh prices and reserve
Before you fly: what to give the desk
Five details make an RDU pickup smooth:
- Your flight number. It is how the chauffeur knows your real landing time. A flight number also tells us your airline, which tells us your terminal.
- The number of passengers and bags. Golf bags, strollers and large cases change which vehicle you need.
- Child seats. Seats are provided on request; give the children's ages or weights.
- The final address. A downtown hotel, a building on a corporate campus in the Park, a Duke or UNC address, or a home in Cary. Campus and office park addresses benefit from a building name or entrance.
- A mobile number that works on arrival. The chauffeur's details come by email before pickup, and a working phone helps if the carousel is slow.
Step one: which terminal are you landing at?
RDU has two terminals, and the airlines are split between them. According to the airport's airlines page, the split at the time of writing is:
| Terminal | Airlines listed by RDU | Prearranged pickup zone |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal 1 | Alaska Airlines, Avelo Airlines, Breeze Airways, Southwest Airlines, Sun Country Airlines | Zone 1, outside baggage claim |
| Terminal 2 | Aer Lingus, Aeromexico, Air Canada, Air France, American Airlines, BermudAir, Copa Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier, Icelandair, JetBlue, Lufthansa, United Airlines, Volaris | Zone 8, outside baggage claim |
Airlines do move between terminals, so the desk confirms yours from the flight number rather than relying on a list. If you are connecting from an international flight elsewhere and arriving on a domestic leg, it is the airline of the final flight that decides the terminal.
Step two: landing and flight tracking
Once you are booked, nothing more is needed from you on the day of travel. The chauffeur and the desk watch the flight. If it lands early, the chauffeur is already there; if it is delayed, the pickup moves with the actual landing time. Complimentary waiting starts after a tracked landing, which gives time to get off the aircraft and collect bags without watching the clock.
If a flight is cancelled and you are rebooked, message the desk with the new flight number. We move the pickup where possible. A cancelled flight that leaves you elsewhere overnight is a change, not a no-show, as long as you let us know.
Step three: meeting your chauffeur inside baggage claim
Your chauffeur waits inside baggage claim at your terminal, holding a name board with the name on the booking. They help with bags at the carousel. Our airport meet and greet page explains the routine in more detail.
If you come through the doors and do not see your name straight away, stay inside baggage claim rather than walking out to the curb. The chauffeur's name and number arrive by email before pickup, and the 24/7 desk can reach the chauffeur in seconds. Most missed meetings happen when a traveller heads outside to look for a car while the chauffeur is still waiting at the carousel.
This is the part of the trip that differs most from a taxi or an app ride. Nobody is standing at the curb trying to identify a car by its plate, and nobody has to request anything after a long flight.
Step four: the walk to the limo zone
From baggage claim, the chauffeur walks you out to the prearranged pickup area. The airport's transportation services page puts private transportation at the limo zones outside baggage claim: Zone 1 at Terminal 1 and Zone 8 at Terminal 2. Ride apps use the same zones, according to RDU's taxi and ride app page, while walk-up taxis wait in separate taxi zones at both terminals.
The GoTriangle buses stop elsewhere on the same curb, between Zones 2 and 3 at Terminal 1 and between Zones 6 and 7 at Terminal 2. That is useful to know if part of your group is taking the bus. Our guide to the Raleigh airport shuttle and bus options explains the GoTriangle RDU Shuttle and Route 100 in detail.
Step five: the drive
Downtown Raleigh is about 14 miles (23 km) from RDU, roughly 26 minutes on a clear road via I-40. At the weekday evening peak, the desk plans 40 minutes or more. Because the price is fixed, traffic changes the time, never the fare.
Most Raleigh drop-offs fall into a few areas: the downtown hotels near Fayetteville Street and the Raleigh Convention Center, Glenwood South, North Hills and Midtown, Cary and Morrisville between the airport and the city, and the corporate campuses of Research Triangle Park. Durham, Duke and Chapel Hill are just as common. Downtown Raleigh is on the fixed price list; every other address is priced instantly in the web booker.
Which vehicle, and how much luggage it takes
The right vehicle depends more on bags than on people. These capacities are from our fleet page, and the fares are the fixed, all-in prices from RDU to downtown Raleigh, per vehicle.
| Vehicle | Passengers | Bags | RDU to downtown Raleigh | Round trip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Sedan | up to 3 | 2 | US$160 | US$305 |
| Business SUV | up to 6 | 6 | US$210 | US$400 |
| First Class SUV | up to 6 | 6 | US$260 | US$495 |
| First Class Sedan | up to 3 | 2 | US$280 | US$535 |
| Executive Sprinter | up to 12 | 12 | US$420 | US$800 |
Two travellers with two large cases fit a sedan. A family of four with a stroller and four cases needs an SUV. A team of eight with roller bags and equipment cases needs the Sprinter. If you are unsure, tell the desk the bag count and we will suggest the size. Each price includes the chauffeur, vehicle, taxes, standard gratuity and meet and greet; tolls, parking and waiting beyond the included time are billed at cost.
Flat rate vs metered: what the fixed price means
A taxi from the RDU taxi zone is metered: the fare builds with distance and time, so a slow afternoon on I-40 costs more than a clear road. Ride apps set the price when you request, and it rises when demand is high, such as a busy evening of arrivals or a night with a big event downtown. Neither publishes a price you can rely on before you land.
The Elly8.net fare is fixed when you book, so the number on the confirmation is the number you pay for that route and vehicle. For a single traveller with a carry-on at an off-peak hour, a taxi or app ride may well cost less, and our Raleigh taxi guide says so plainly. A fixed fare wins on budgets that cannot move, on late arrivals and for groups who would otherwise need two cars. Our chauffeur vs taxi page sets out the general comparison.
Departures: the same fare in reverse
The fixed fares work in both directions. A business sedan from a downtown Raleigh hotel to RDU departures is the same US$160, and the Sprinter the same US$420. Give the desk your airline so the chauffeur drops you at the right terminal, and allow time for security. For an early morning departure, a confirmed car at 4:45 am removes the guesswork.
Beyond the single transfer
Many RDU arrivals are the start of a day rather than a ride. A candidate visit, an investor day or a client tour that runs from the airport to two buildings in the Park, lunch in Durham and back to RDU is usually better booked as an hourly chauffeur, from US$95 an hour in a business sedan with a 3-hour minimum, or as a corporate roadshow day from US$855. See corporate car service and corporate accounts for monthly invoicing and saved traveller profiles.
Private and charter flights use general aviation facilities rather than the main terminals. Send the tail number and the FBO, and our private jet and FBO transfers page explains how the meeting point works. For trips on to other cities, the same desk books Charlotte, Richmond and Washington, DC.
How to book your RDU car
- Enter RDU and your destination, with your flight number and the date.
- Choose the vehicle by passengers and bags, and add child seats or notes.
- Press Reserve now on the fixed price, or use the web booker for any address not on the list. Confirmation arrives by email.
Cancellation: 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. Every route and package is on the Raleigh car service page, and the general airport transfers page covers all our airports.
Frequently asked questions
Where does my RDU chauffeur meet me?
Inside baggage claim at your terminal, with a name board. The chauffeur helps with bags and walks you out to the prearranged pickup zone: Zone 1 at Terminal 1 or Zone 8 at Terminal 2. Your flight number tells the desk which terminal you are landing at, and we confirm it before the day.
How much is a car service from RDU to downtown Raleigh?
From US$160 in a business sedan, US$210 in a business SUV, US$260 in a First Class SUV, US$280 in a First Class sedan and US$420 in an Executive Sprinter, one way per vehicle, fixed and all-in. Round trips run from US$305 to US$800. The same fares apply from downtown to the airport.
What if my flight is delayed?
The flight is tracked, so the pickup follows the actual landing time and you do not need to call. Complimentary waiting starts after a tracked landing. If the flight is cancelled and you are rebooked, send the new flight number to the 24/7 desk and the pickup is moved where possible.
Which vehicle fits four people and luggage?
A business SUV, from US$210 to downtown Raleigh, seats up to six with room for six bags. A sedan seats three with two bags, so four adults with suitcases will not fit comfortably. For six or more with luggage, or a group with equipment, book the Executive Sprinter at US$420.
Can you take me straight to Research Triangle Park, Durham or Chapel Hill?
Yes. Downtown Raleigh is on the fixed price list, and every other Triangle address is priced instantly in the web booker under the same terms. If you have several stops in the Park and elsewhere, an hourly booking from US$95 an hour, 3-hour minimum, keeps the car waiting between meetings.
Do you meet private jets at RDU?
Yes. Private and charter flights use general aviation facilities rather than Terminal 1 or Terminal 2. Send the tail number, the FBO and the expected arrival time when you book, and the chauffeur meets you at the agreed point. The same fixed-price and cancellation terms apply.
