Private Chauffeur in London: Your Personal Driver, by the Hour, Day or Week

Excel Chauffeurs provides a private chauffeur in London for individuals, families and households who want one driver and one car at their disposal rather than a series of separate journeys. A private chauffeur costs from £72 per hour including VAT in a Mercedes E-Class with a four-hour minimum, £528 for a full eight-hour day, or a weekly or monthly retainer for longer arrangements; the same chauffeur stays with you for the day or the length of your visit. Book on our booking page, call 0204 515 4441 or WhatsApp +44 7383 009 099, 24 hours a day, or describe a longer arrangement through our contact page.

What a personal chauffeur does for you

A personal chauffeur is booked “as directed”: the chauffeur and car follow your day, waiting between stops, carrying bags and changing the route as plans change. Typical days we run:

• Family days. The school run, then a medical appointment on Harley Street, then a relative collected from St Pancras, then an evening out — one chauffeur who knows the children, the addresses and the parking.
• Households. Families in Mayfair, Knightsbridge, Belgravia, Kensington, Hampstead and St John’s Wood who want a chauffeur on set days each week without employing one directly; see long-term chauffeur hire.
• Executives on secondment. Managers posted to London for three, six or twelve months who want a daily chauffeur for the office, meetings and airports, billed to the company through a business account.
• Visitors. Guests staying a week in a London hotel who want the same chauffeur each morning for sightseeing, shopping, day trips and the return to Heathrow, including American visitors used to a personal driver at home.
• Medical appointments and older relatives. Door-to-door journeys to hospitals and clinics, with the chauffeur waiting and helping on the return, at a pace set by the passenger.
• Shopping and evenings. Bond Street, Sloane Street and Harrods with the chauffeur holding the bags and returning to the door, then dinner and the theatre with the car waiting outside.

“Private driver” or “personal driver”: why a licensed chauffeur is the correct way to do this in the UK

Many people search for a private driver in London, or a personal driver, expecting to find an individual working informally. In the UK, when you pay for a car and driver together, that is private hire: the operator, the driver and the vehicle must each be licensed — in London by Transport for London — and the vehicle must be insured for hire and reward. An unlicensed driver has none of that, and an ordinary motor policy does not cover carrying passengers for payment.

Excel Chauffeurs is a licensed private hire operator with TfL, Castle Point and Hertsmere, and a member of the National Limousine Association (NLA). Every chauffeur holds a private hire licence with an enhanced DBS check, has a minimum of three years’ chauffeur experience, is suited and speaks English. Some are defensive-driving trained. Chauffeurs sign a non-disclosure agreement on request, and a female chauffeur is available on request at no surcharge.

Private chauffeur London prices: by the hour, day or week

All prices include 20% VAT. Hourly hire has a four-hour minimum with 20 miles included and 10 miles for each extra hour. A full day is eight hours with 60 miles included. Out-of-town hire is £96 per hour with an eight-hour minimum and 150 miles included, £768 for the day. The £18 Congestion Charge, parking and tolls are added at cost into the quote before you confirm; nothing is billed afterwards. Full details are on our prices page.

Class	Car	Passengers	Per hour	4 hours	8-hour day
Executive	Mercedes E-Class	4 (3 in the rear)	£72	£288	£528
First Class	Mercedes S-Class / BMW 7 Series	4 (3 in the rear)	£90	£360	£672
First Exclusive	Mercedes S500 / S580	3	£102	£408	£768
Premium MPV	Mercedes V-Class	7	£90	£360	£672
Luxury SUV	Range Rover LWB	3	£132	£528	£960
Jet Class	Senzati Jet Class	4	£150	£600	£1,104

For a chauffeur on set days every week, or every day for a month or more, ask for a weekly or monthly retainer through our long-term chauffeur hire page; a company paying for a seconded executive can hold a business account with ex-VAT rates and monthly invoicing (see also our business chauffeur service). A single journey without waiting costs less as a one-way transfer from £120, or the fixed Heathrow price from £144.

What is included with your chauffeur

• The same chauffeur. For a day, a visit or a retainer, one named chauffeur briefed on your addresses, preferences and family.
• The car. Under five years old, valeted daily, with bottled water, Wi-Fi, phone chargers, mints and an umbrella. Booster seats are free; baby and child seats are £25 per seat.
• Waiting time. Included in hourly and daily hire, so the chauffeur waits at the school gate, the clinic or the restaurant without a separate charge.
• Flexibility. Change the plan by phone or WhatsApp at any time, 24/7.
• Punctuality. Our On-Time Guarantee gives a partial refund on a published sliding scale if the chauffeur is late. Jonny Griffith, after the Goodwood Festival of Speed, described the service on Google as “perfectly on-time under tricky conditions”.

Private chauffeur London: questions we are asked

How much does a private chauffeur cost in London?

From £72 per hour including VAT in a Mercedes E-Class, with a four-hour minimum (£288), or £528 for an eight-hour day. A Mercedes S-Class or BMW 7 Series is £90 per hour and £672 a day; a Range Rover is £132 per hour and £960 a day. Weekly and monthly retainers are quoted individually.

Will I have the same chauffeur each time?

Yes, where you ask for it. For a multi-day visit or a retainer we assign one chauffeur, with a briefed substitute for holidays and sickness. For occasional bookings you can request a chauffeur you have had before, and we assign them when available.

Can the chauffeur do the school run and collect the children?

Yes. Every chauffeur is enhanced DBS-checked and licensed, and the same chauffeur can be assigned to a household’s regular runs. Booster seats are free and baby or child seats are £25 per seat; tell us the children’s ages when you book.

Is a private chauffeur the same as hiring a private driver?

In practice yes, in law no. A chauffeur from a licensed operator is licensed, DBS-checked and insured for hire and reward; an informal private driver in London usually is not, which leaves you uninsured if anything goes wrong.

Can I book a chauffeur for a week or a month?

Yes. Weekly and monthly arrangements, with the same chauffeur and car, are handled through our long-term chauffeur hire page; tell us the days, the hours and the likely mileage and we will quote a retainer.

Is the chauffeur discreet?

Yes. Chauffeurs sign an NDA on request, do not discuss who they drive and do not photograph or post. Cars are unmarked, and discretion is a condition of working with us.

How do I pay?

By Visa, Mastercard or American Express, with the full amount taken to secure the booking. Companies can open a business account for ex-VAT rates and weekly or monthly invoicing, subject to approval.

Related chauffeur services

For a single occasion rather than a day at your disposal, see our wedding chauffeur service and events chauffeur; for where we work most, see Mayfair, Knightsbridge and the areas we cover. All published rates are on the prices page.