Government and diplomatic transportation asks for three things that ordinary car services do not always deliver: absolute discretion, schedules that change at short notice for reasons nobody explains, and a provider who works cleanly alongside protocol officers and security details rather than around them. Delegations at the United Nations, ministers visiting Washington or Ottawa, mission staff in Geneva and Brussels, and officials at international meetings need cars that arrive, wait and leave exactly as instructed.
Elly8.net books chauffeured sedans, SUVs and Executive Sprinters for government and diplomatic clients in 141 cities, at fixed, all-in prices per vehicle. Reagan National to downtown Washington is US$125 in a business sedan and Dulles US$255; Ottawa airport to Parliament Hill is US$105; Geneva airport to the lakefront is US$125. Elly8.net is a transportation provider, not a security company: we provide cars and chauffeurs, and work with your own security and protocol arrangements.
What does diplomatic and delegation transportation include?
Delegation transportation includes licensed, commercially insured chauffeurs briefed on discretion, first-class and business-class sedans, SUVs and Sprinters, NDAs on request, flight-tracked arrivals, cars held on standby by the hour, one desk for schedule changes and invoicing to the mission or ministry. It does not include armed protection, escorts or security services.
The distinction matters. Some delegations travel with their own protective detail or are assigned one by the host government. In those cases, the chauffeur drives where the detail directs, and the detail decides positioning, routes and timings. Where a principal needs protection that has not been arranged, that is for the host government or a licensed security provider, not for a car service. We say this plainly so that nobody plans around a capability we do not offer.
Discretion, confidentiality and NDAs
Official travel is confidential by default. Chauffeurs on government and diplomatic bookings are briefed not to discuss passengers, schedules, destinations or anything heard in the vehicle, with anyone, during or after the assignment. NDAs are available on request and are arranged before the first pickup.
Practical discretion matters as much as the paperwork:
- Arrivals boards can show a mission name, a code word or a protocol officer's name rather than a principal's.
- Schedules are shared only with the chauffeur and the desk staff handling the booking.
- Vehicles are unmarked, in dark colours, four model years old or newer; Rolls-Royce, Maybach and Bentley are seven model years or newer.
- Changes come from named contacts only. The desk confirms who in the delegation may change a booking, and does not act on instructions from anyone else.
Vehicles for delegations
| Vehicle | Passengers and bags | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| First Class Sedan, S-Class or 7 Series | up to 3, 2 bags | Ministers, ambassadors, heads of delegation |
| First Class SUV, Escalade or Navigator; V-Class VIP or Range Rover in Europe | up to 6, 6 bags | Principal with an aide, or winter roads |
| Business Sedan, E-Class or similar | up to 3, 2 bags | Delegation staff and advisers |
| Business SUV, Suburban or Yukon XL; V-Class in Europe | up to 6, 6 bags | Staff groups with luggage |
| Executive Sprinter | up to 12, 12 bags | Delegation movements between hotel and venue |
Larger delegations combine vehicles: a First Class Sedan or SUV for the head of delegation, Business SUVs for advisers, and Sprinters for staff, press officers and luggage. The fleet page shows each vehicle, and group transportation covers bigger movements.
Working with the protocol office
The best delegation days start with one clear contact on each side. The mission or ministry names a protocol or logistics officer; the desk names the people handling the booking. Through that channel the desk receives the programme, the names and mobile numbers of the aides who travel with the principal, the flights, and any instructions from the security detail.
Once vehicles and chauffeurs are assigned, the desk can share each chauffeur's name and vehicle details with the protocol officer or the security detail, for accreditation, venue access lists or perimeter checks. Chauffeurs follow venue staff, police and the delegation's own security instructions at every stop, and report any change in the plan to the protocol contact first.
Arrivals, departures and the airport side of official travel
Official arrivals rarely look like ordinary ones. A minister may land on a scheduled flight and be met airside by the host government's protocol staff; a head of delegation may arrive on a charter or government aircraft at a business-aviation terminal; advisers may come in on three different flights the day before. The ground transport has to fit each version.
For scheduled flights, the chauffeur is flight-tracked and waits where the protocol office directs: in the public arrivals hall with a discreet board, or at a vehicle point arranged by the airport and the host government for official arrivals. Complimentary waiting starts after the tracked landing, which matters when protocol formalities take longer than a normal passport check. For charter and government aircraft, the chauffeur meets the flight at the FBO, with vehicle access to the aircraft where the operator and the airport allow it.
Departures are planned backwards from the wheels-up time and any farewell programme at the airport. Luggage for a delegation often travels separately; an Executive Sprinter or a Business SUV dedicated to bags and staff keeps the principal's car free. Tell the desk who travels with which vehicle, and the chauffeurs work to that manifest.
Prices in capital and summit cities
Published fares from the city price lists, per vehicle, all-in: chauffeur, vehicle, taxes, standard gratuity and airport meet and greet. Tolls and parking are billed at cost.
| City | Airport fare, Business Sedan | Airport fare, First Class Sedan | Hourly, First Class Sedan | Full day, First Class Sedan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington, DC (Reagan National to downtown) | US$125 | US$220 | US$160 | US$1,180 |
| Washington, DC (Dulles to downtown) | US$255 | US$450 | US$160 | US$1,180 |
| New York (JFK to Midtown) | US$210 | US$370 | US$170 | US$1,255 |
| Ottawa (YOW to Parliament Hill) | US$105 | US$185 | US$180 | US$1,325 |
| Geneva (GVA to the lakefront) | US$125 | US$220 | US$160 | US$1,180 |
| Brussels (BRU to the Grand-Place) | US$115 | US$205 | US$140 | US$1,035 |
| Vienna (VIE to the Innere Stadt) | US$125 | US$220 | US$140 | US$1,035 |
Hourly bookings have a 3-hour minimum. For a delegation that needs a car held on standby across several days, the desk books consecutive full days or hourly blocks with the same chauffeur and vehicle where possible.
The United Nations General Assembly in New York
The UN General Assembly meets in regular session from September to December each year, and the opening weeks of each session, when heads of state and government come to New York, are the most demanding weeks of the year for ground transport in Manhattan. Streets around UN Headquarters on the East Side and around the hotels where delegations stay are often restricted at short notice, and the same few blocks fill with official vehicles.
For those weeks, book as early as possible. Delegations usually need cars held on standby by the hour or the full day, since movements depend on the programme of the day. JFK to Midtown is US$210 in a business sedan and US$370 in a First Class Sedan; a full-day First Class Sedan in New York is US$1,255; an Executive Sprinter for staff is US$1,550 for a full day. Teterboro to Midtown, for official flights arriving at the business-aviation terminal, is US$170. See New York.
Washington, Ottawa and the capitals
Washington, DC. Embassies, Capitol Hill, the State Department, and the headquarters of the World Bank Group and the IMF bring a constant flow of official visitors, with meeting weeks that fill the downtown hotels. Reagan National is minutes from downtown; Dulles, where most long-haul flights land, is a much longer drive. See Washington, DC.
Ottawa. Parliament Hill, the embassies and high commissions, and federal departments make Ottawa's official traffic steady year-round. The airport to Parliament Hill is US$105 in a business sedan. See Ottawa, and for travel between capitals, Montreal and Toronto.
Geneva. Home to the United Nations Office at Geneva and many international organisations, with conference weeks that bring delegations from every country. The airport is close to the international district. See Geneva.
Brussels. The seat of the main European Union institutions and of NATO headquarters, with summit days that close large parts of the European quarter. See Brussels.
Vienna, London, Paris and Rome. Vienna hosts UN offices and international agencies; London, Paris and Rome host official visits and ministerial meetings throughout the year. See Vienna, London, Paris and Rome.
Summit meetings, such as G7 and G20 leaders' meetings and ministerial gatherings, move between host cities each year. When one is held in or near a city we serve, contact the desk as soon as the delegation's programme is known.
Booking delegation transportation in three steps
- Send the programme, or enter each pickup with the flight numbers, and name the protocol contact and the aides who may change bookings.
- Choose the vehicles for each member of the delegation: First Class Sedan or SUV for principals, Business SUVs and Executive Sprinters for staff, by the hour, the full day or point to point.
- Reserve on the city price lists or through the web booker. Confirmation arrives by email to the protocol contact, and chauffeur and vehicle details follow before the first pickup.
Missions and ministries can be invoiced through a corporate account, and travel management companies serving government clients through a travel agent account. Cancellation terms are the same for every booking: free more than 72 hours before pickup; 10% within 72 hours; 50% within 48 hours; 100% within 24 hours or for a no-show. Refunds go back to the original card. Programmes change at short notice; tell the desk the moment they do, and we will move bookings rather than cancel them where we can.
Who drives
In Toronto and the GTA, bookings run on the Elly8 fleet with Elly8 chauffeurs. In every other city, rides 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. For first-class standards and briefed chauffeurs on non-official travel, see executive car service; for official arrivals by private aircraft, private jet and FBO car service.
Frequently asked questions
Is Elly8.net a security or protection company?
No. Elly8.net is a transportation provider. We book licensed, commercially insured chauffeurs and vehicles, and work alongside a delegation's own security detail or one provided by the host government. We do not provide armed protection, escorts, protective drivers or security planning, and we do not claim to.
Can chauffeurs sign NDAs?
Yes. NDAs are available on request and are arranged before the first pickup. Every chauffeur on a government or diplomatic booking is briefed not to discuss passengers, schedules, destinations or anything heard in the vehicle, during or after the assignment.
Can chauffeur and vehicle details be sent in advance for accreditation?
Yes. Once vehicles and chauffeurs are assigned, the desk sends each chauffeur's name and vehicle details to the named protocol or security contact, for venue access lists, accreditation or perimeter checks. Tell the desk the deadline you are working to.
How much does delegation transportation cost?
It depends on the vehicles and the hours. In Washington, a First Class Sedan is US$160 an hour or US$1,180 for a full day, and Reagan National to downtown is US$125 in a business sedan. In New York, a full-day First Class Sedan is US$1,255. Prices are per vehicle and all-in; tolls and parking are billed at cost.
Can cars be held on standby when the programme is uncertain?
Yes. Book by the hour, with a 3-hour minimum, or by the full day. The chauffeur and vehicle stay with the delegation for the booked time and move when instructed. For multi-day visits, the desk keeps the same chauffeur and vehicle where possible.
How far ahead should cars be booked for the UN General Assembly?
As early as the delegation's travel is confirmed. The opening weeks of each General Assembly session are among the busiest weeks of the year for chauffeured cars in New York, and SUVs and Sprinters go first. Cancellation is free more than 72 hours before pickup.
Who can change a booking?
Only the contacts the mission or ministry names when booking, usually the protocol officer and designated aides. The desk confirms that list at the start and will not act on instructions from anyone else.
What is the cancellation policy?
Free more than 72 hours before pickup; 10% within 72 hours; 50% within 48 hours; 100% within 24 hours or for a no-show. Refunds go back to the original card.
