A car service by the hour, which the trade calls "as directed", is the most flexible booking we make. Instead of a fare from A to B, you reserve a vehicle and a chauffeur for a number of hours. The chauffeur takes you wherever you need to go in that time, waits outside each stop and is ready the moment you come out. You do not need to know the full plan when you book.
Hourly rates on the Elly8.net price lists start at US$85 an hour for a business sedan in cities such as Barcelona, Prague and Berlin, and are US$110 in Canadian cities and US$105 in New York, Los Angeles and London. An Executive Sprinter for a group runs from US$170 to US$230 an hour. Every rate is per vehicle and all-in, with a 3-hour minimum on the price list.
How does an hourly chauffeur booking work?
You reserve a vehicle and chauffeur for at least three hours at a fixed hourly rate. The chauffeur collects you at the first address, drives to each stop you name, waits while you are inside and stays with you until the booked time ends. Extra time is billed at the same terms if the day runs long.
Tell us the first pickup and a rough outline when you book: three meetings in Midtown, then a dinner in Tribeca; or a morning of apartment viewings in Mayfair and Kensington. The outline helps the desk choose the right chauffeur and pre-plan parking, but nothing is fixed. If a meeting moves, you tell the chauffeur and the route changes.
The rate covers the chauffeur, the vehicle, taxes and standard gratuity. Tolls and parking along the way are billed at cost, and so is time beyond the hours you booked. The chauffeur will tell you when the booking is close to its end so you can decide whether to extend.
Hourly chauffeur rates by city
These are the published as-directed rates on the city pages, per vehicle per hour, 3-hour minimum. Each city also lists its First Class Sedan and SUV rates.
| City | Business Sedan per hour | Business SUV per hour | Executive Sprinter per hour | 3-hour minimum in a sedan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York City | US$105 | US$135 | US$210 | US$315 |
| Los Angeles | US$105 | US$135 | US$210 | US$315 |
| Chicago | US$100 | US$125 | US$200 | US$300 |
| Miami | US$100 | US$125 | US$200 | US$300 |
| Las Vegas | US$95 | US$120 | US$190 | US$285 |
| Toronto | US$110 | US$140 | US$220 | US$330 |
| London | US$105 | US$135 | US$210 | US$315 |
| Paris | US$90 | US$115 | US$180 | US$270 |
| Barcelona | US$85 | US$110 | US$170 | US$255 |
The higher tiers follow the same pattern. In New York a First Class Sedan, an S-Class or 7 Series, is US$170 an hour and a First Class SUV is US$160; in Paris the same two are US$145 and US$135. For a group of eight with luggage, one Sprinter at US$210 an hour in New York usually costs less than two SUVs and keeps everyone together.
When an hourly car service is the right booking
Point-to-point fares are cheaper for a single journey. Hourly booking becomes the better value as soon as the day has more than two or three stops, or when waiting would otherwise mean hailing a fresh car every time.
- A day of meetings. The car waits outside each office, your bag stays in the trunk and you do not stand on the sidewalk in the rain reloading an app between appointments. For a full day of back-to-back investor or client meetings, the roadshow chauffeur package is often better value.
- Shopping. Rodeo Drive, Bond Street, Avenue Montaigne and Fifth Avenue all reward a car that waits, takes the bags and moves you between stores without a fresh pickup each time.
- Property viewings and relocation days. House-hunting across several neighbourhoods is hard to schedule to the minute, and an as-directed booking absorbs the overruns.
- Evenings out. Dinner, a show, a late drink: the chauffeur is outside when you are ready, which matters more at midnight than at noon. The evening out package is designed for this.
- Family days and appointments. Hospital visits, school tours or a day with elderly relatives, where the timing is uncertain and the car needs to be there when you come out.
- Sightseeing at your own pace. A private city highlights tour is priced as a package, but many visitors prefer a few unstructured hours and a chauffeur who knows where to stop for the view.
Packages built on the hourly rate
Each city page lists packages that bundle hours for the most common days. They are fixed, all-in and reserved the same way as an airport transfer.
| Package | New York City | Las Vegas | Paris | Toronto |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private city highlights tour | US$420 to US$840 | US$380 to US$760 | US$360 to US$720 | US$440 to US$880 |
| Evening out and event night | US$525 to US$1,050 | US$475 to US$950 | US$450 to US$900 | US$550 to US$1,100 |
| Full-day chauffeur | US$775 to US$1,550 | US$700 to US$1,400 | US$665 to US$1,325 | US$810 to US$1,620 |
| Signature day trip | The Hamptons, 10 hours, US$970 to US$1,935 | Hoover Dam and Lake Mead, 6 hours, US$525 to US$1,050 | Champagne houses in Reims and Epernay, 10 hours, US$830 to US$1,660 | Niagara Falls, 10 hours, US$1,015 to US$2,025 |
The low figure in each range is a business sedan and the high figure an Executive Sprinter. Day trips are the easiest way to see what an hourly booking does well: Malibu and the Pacific Coast Highway from Los Angeles in 8 hours from US$775, Lake Geneva in Wisconsin from Chicago in 10 hours from US$920, or Windsor Castle and the Cotswolds from London in 10 hours from US$970. For guided routes, see private city tours and wine country tours.
Hourly chauffeur vs rideshare, taxis and a rental car
For a single short hop, a taxi or rideshare costs less and we say so. The arithmetic changes when the day has many stops.
| Option | How you pay | What happens between stops | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elly8.net hourly chauffeur | Fixed hourly rate, 3-hour minimum, all-in | The same car and chauffeur wait outside | Busy days with 3 or more stops, evenings, groups |
| Rideshare, ride by ride | A new fare each time; dynamic pricing at peak | Request a new car, wait for a match | One or two short trips at quiet hours |
| Taxi, ride by ride | Metered each time, plus tip | Hail or queue again | Short trips in dense centres |
| Rental car | Daily rate plus fuel, insurance and parking | You drive and park at every stop | Rural trips where you want to drive yourself |
Rideshare pricing rises with demand, which tends to be exactly when a day of meetings ends or a show lets out. Taxis are metered and stop when you get out, so every leg starts from zero. A rental car looks cheap until you add hotel valet, parking at every address and the time it takes to find a space; in central London, Paris or Manhattan, parking alone can make it the most expensive choice. The comparisons in chauffeur vs Uber and Lyft and chauffeur vs renting a car set out the numbers.
Planning the day with the chauffeur
A good as-directed day starts with a short brief. When the chauffeur arrives, run through the stops you know about and the times that are fixed. Chauffeurs who drive a city every day know which avenues lock up at 4 pm, where they can wait legally near a building, and when it is faster to walk the last block.
Waiting is where most cities differ. In Manhattan and central London, the chauffeur often circles or holds a few blocks away and comes back when you message. Outside a mall in Los Angeles or a hotel in Las Vegas, there is usually a waiting area. Either way, the car is yours for the booked hours, and your bags, shopping and coats stay safely inside.
How the hours stretch in different cities
The same three hours buy very different days depending on the city, and the desk plans accordingly.
In Los Angeles, distance is the issue. Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Hollywood and downtown are spread across a basin where a 10-mile hop can take most of an hour, and the city's own visitor bureau, Discover Los Angeles, plans itineraries by neighbourhood for that reason. Three meetings in three districts usually need four hours rather than three, and the full-day package at US$775 in a sedan is often the calmer option.
In Chicago, the Loop, River North and the Magnificent Mile sit close together, so a three-hour block covers a surprising amount. Choose Chicago lists the neighbourhoods most visitors combine; a chauffeur can add the lakefront drive or a run up to the North Shore without changing the plan.
In Las Vegas, the Strip looks short on a map and is slow in a car, especially on event weekends when hotel driveways back up. Visit Las Vegas publishes the show and events calendar that drives that traffic. An hourly booking keeps the car at the resort entrance you choose instead of in the rideshare queue.
In Toronto, the Elly8 fleet works the downtown core, Yorkville and the waterfront daily. Destination Toronto is the city's official guide; for a day that adds Niagara-on-the-Lake or Niagara Falls, the 10-hour day trip from US$1,015 is priced as a package.
In London and Paris, central streets are dense and stopping is tightly controlled, so chauffeurs hold nearby and return on a message. Plan a little slack between stops, and let the chauffeur suggest the order: the same five addresses can take an hour less in the right sequence.
Fixed events inside an hourly day
If you are planning around a fixed event, such as a gala, a concert or a match, book the evening out package or see event transportation, which covers arrival windows and pickup points at busy venues.
Booking an hourly chauffeur in three steps
- Enter the first pickup address and the start time, and choose "by the hour". Add the outline of the day in the notes.
- Choose the vehicle by passengers and bags, and the number of hours, minimum three.
- Press Reserve now on the city's price list, or use the web booker for any address. Confirmation arrives by email, and the chauffeur's details follow before pickup.
The cancellation policy is the same as 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.
Hourly accounts for assistants, travel agents and hotels
Executive assistants book more as-directed hours than anyone else, usually for a principal whose day changes by the hour. A corporate account keeps those bookings on one monthly invoice with the cost centre attached. Travel agents can add a chauffeured day to an itinerary through a travel agent account, and concierge teams can book guests through a hotel account.
In Toronto and the GTA, hourly bookings run on the Elly8 fleet and chauffeurs. In every other city they are operated by licensed, commercially insured local chauffeur partners vetted through the Limousine Worldwide network, with Elly8.net taking the booking, fixing the price and running the 24/7 desk.
Cities where hourly chauffeurs are booked most
- New York car service by the hour, for Midtown meetings and Fifth Avenue shopping.
- Los Angeles hourly chauffeur, where distances between Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and downtown make waiting cars essential.
- Chicago as-directed car service, from the Loop to the Gold Coast.
- Miami chauffeur by the hour, for Miami Beach, the Design District and Brickell.
- Las Vegas hourly car service, for the Strip, Summerlin and Henderson.
- Washington, DC and Boston for meeting days.
- Toronto hourly limo service and Montreal.
- London chauffeur by the hour, Paris and Milan for fashion weeks and shopping.
For a long one-way journey rather than a day in one place, see city to city car service.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a car service by the hour?
Published as-directed rates start at US$85 an hour in a business sedan in cities such as Barcelona and Prague and are US$110 in Canadian cities, with New York, Los Angeles and London at US$105. Executive Sprinters run from US$170 to US$230 an hour. Rates are per vehicle and all-in, with a 3-hour minimum; tolls and parking are billed at cost.
Is there a minimum booking?
Yes. Hourly bookings on the price list have a 3-hour minimum, so a business sedan in New York starts at US$315. For shorter needs, a point-to-point fare or an airport transfer is usually the better booking, and the web booker prices any address in the cities we serve.
Can the stops change during the booking?
Yes. That is the point of an as-directed booking. Tell the chauffeur the next address whenever you are ready. An outline in the booking notes helps the desk plan parking and timing, but the route follows you. If the changes take the day past the hours you booked, the extra time is billed at the same terms.
What if the day runs longer than booked?
Tell the chauffeur. If the chauffeur's schedule allows, the booking simply extends and the extra time is billed at cost on the same terms. For days that often run long, such as roadshows or weddings, it is cheaper to book a full-day chauffeur package from the start.
Does the chauffeur wait at every stop?
Yes. The car and chauffeur are yours for the booked hours. In dense centres such as Manhattan or Mayfair the chauffeur may hold nearby rather than at the door and return when you message. Your bags and shopping stay in the vehicle throughout.
Are child seats and larger vehicles available?
Yes. Child seats are available on request. For families or groups, a Business SUV takes up to six passengers and six bags, and an Executive Sprinter up to twelve with twelve bags. Choose the vehicle by luggage as much as by headcount.
What is the cancellation policy for hourly bookings?
The same as every Elly8.net booking: free more than 72 hours before pickup, 10% within 72 hours, 50% within 48 hours, and 100% within 24 hours or for a no-show. Refunds go back to the original card.
