Excel Chauffeurs provides ground transport for film, television, commercial and media productions in London. We move principals, directors, producers, visiting executives and crew between hotels, studios, locations, production offices and airports — on a call sheet that changes daily, at hours that rarely match the office. Our cars are unmarked black Mercedes and Range Rovers, our chauffeurs are licensed and DBS-checked, and every booking runs through one production account with one 24/7 contact.
What we provide for productions
- Talent cars. A dedicated chauffeur and car for a principal for the length of the shoot: pick-up at the hotel or residence, set, unit base, fittings, press and the return — the same face every day, briefed on the call sheet the night before.
- Unit and production cars. Hourly or daily “as directed” hire for directors, producers, DoPs, HODs and visiting studio executives. Waiting time on set is included in hourly hire; the car stays with you until wrap.
- Crew shuttles. Mercedes V-Class (up to 7 passengers) and Senzati Jet Class MPVs for crew runs between hotel, unit base and location, including early calls and late wraps.
- Airport and international arrivals. Meet-and-greet at Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, London City and Farnborough, with 60 minutes of free waiting from landing, live flight tracking and private-jet / FBO transfers for talent flying privately.
- Press, premieres and festivals. Junket days in Soho and Mayfair hotels, Leicester Square premieres, the BFI London Film Festival, BAFTA and awards-season events — timed arrivals, red-carpet drop-offs coordinated with your publicist, and a car waiting at the end of the night.
- Production offices and post. Runs between Soho post-production houses, production offices, agencies and studios, booked by the hour or as one-way transfers.
Studios we serve daily
Journey times below are typical door-to-door estimates from Mayfair and from Heathrow outside the morning peak; we plan around your call time, not the average.
| Studio | Location | From central London | From Heathrow |
| Pinewood Studios | Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire | 45–70 min | 15–25 min |
| Shepperton Studios | Shepperton, Surrey | 45–70 min | 15–25 min |
| Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden | Watford, Hertfordshire | 45–70 min | 30–45 min |
| Elstree Studios & Sky Studios Elstree | Borehamwood, Hertfordshire | 35–60 min | 30–45 min |
| Longcross Studios | Chertsey, Surrey | 50–75 min | 15–25 min |
| Twickenham Film Studios | St Margarets, TW1 | 35–55 min | 20–30 min |
| Ealing Studios | Ealing, W5 | 25–45 min | 20–30 min |
| Garden Studios | Park Royal, NW10 | 25–45 min | 25–35 min |
| 3 Mills Studios | Bromley-by-Bow, E3 | 25–45 min | 60–80 min |
We also cover Shinfield Studios (Reading), Bray Studios (near Windsor) and location shoots across the South East. For shoots outside London, ask for a daily rate with the chauffeur’s accommodation included.
Why productions book Excel Chauffeurs
- Discretion is built in. Chauffeurs sign your NDA before the first pick-up, do not photograph or post, and do not discuss who they drive. Cars carry no branding.
- Call-sheet reliability. We confirm the next day’s movements each evening, track flights and traffic, and can hold a reserve chauffeur on longer engagements so a breakdown or sickness never reaches your schedule.
- One account, clean paperwork. Weekly or monthly invoicing, PO and cost-code references on every line, and a single point of contact for the production coordinator or transport captain. Card payment is accepted for productions without a UK entity.
- Licensed and insured. Excel Chauffeurs is a licensed private hire operator (TfL, Castle Point and Hertsmere); every chauffeur holds a private hire licence with an enhanced DBS check, and vehicles are insured for hire and reward.
- Real 24/7 dispatch. Early calls, night shoots and late wraps are normal for us — bookings and changes are handled around the clock by phone, WhatsApp or email.
Production rates
All prices include 20% VAT. Hourly hire has a 4-hour minimum and includes waiting time; longer shoot days are quoted as a day rate. Congestion Charge (£18) and any parking are added at cost into the quote before you confirm. Full details are on our prices page.
| Class | Car | Passengers | Per hour | 8-hour day | Heathrow ↔ central London |
| Executive | Mercedes E-Class | 4 | £72 | £528 | £144 |
| First Class | Mercedes S-Class / BMW 7 Series | 4 | £90 | £672 | £180 |
| First Exclusive | Mercedes S500 / S580 | 3 | £102 | £768 | £220 |
| Premium MPV | Mercedes V-Class | 7 | £90 | £672 | £180 |
| Luxury SUV | Range Rover LWB | 3 | £132 | £960 | £330 |
| Jet Class | Senzati Jet Class | 4 | £150 | £1,104 | £468 |
For a multi-week engagement with the same chauffeur, see long-term chauffeur hire. Female chauffeurs are available on request at no surcharge — see female chauffeur service.
How to book for a production
- Send the schedule. Email bookings@excelchauffeurs.com with dates, principals, hotels, studios and any airport arrivals. A call sheet or movement order is ideal; a rough plan is fine to start.
- Get one quote. We reply with a per-day breakdown by car class, a named coordinator and, if you need it, our NDA and insurance certificate for your production paperwork.
- Change freely. Times move; that is expected. Updates by WhatsApp or phone are actioned immediately, 24/7, and the invoice reflects what actually ran.
Production chauffeurs: questions we are asked
Will our talent have the same chauffeur every day?
Yes. For talent cars and multi-day unit hire we assign one chauffeur for the engagement, with a briefed substitute held in reserve. Consistency matters for security, for the client and for the schedule.
Do your chauffeurs sign NDAs?
Yes. Send your production’s NDA with the booking and every chauffeur assigned will sign it before the first pick-up. Discretion is a condition of working with us regardless.
Can the car wait on set all day?
Yes. Hourly and daily hire are “as directed”: the chauffeur stays with the vehicle at unit base or the nearest safe position and is ready when you are. Waiting time is included.
Can you handle a US production without a UK entity?
Yes. We invoice in GBP with VAT shown, accept US-issued credit cards and can provide the company, licence and insurance documents your accounts team may need. Many of our production and corporate clients are American — see our page for US visitors.
Do you provide security or close-protection drivers?
Some of our chauffeurs are defensive-driving trained, and we regularly work alongside a client’s own security team. We do not provide close-protection officers ourselves, but can coordinate with yours.
Do you cover shoots outside London?
Yes. Daily rates apply for location days in the South East; for shoots further afield we quote with the chauffeur’s overnight accommodation included.
More from Excel Chauffeurs: private chauffeur · wedding chauffeur · corporate accounts · areas we cover (Mayfair, Knightsbridge) · prices.
