Hourly hire
Hourly hire, the car stays with you
With hourly hire, one car and one chauffeur stay with you for a set number of hours. Your bags stay in the boot, the chauffeur waits between stops, and you never have to find a ride between appointments.
Some days in London do not fit into single journeys. A visitor lands at Heathrow, has three meetings across the West End and the City, and flies out of London City in the evening. A family spends the day shopping in Knightsbridge and Bond Street with bags to carry. A wedding party needs a car for the ceremony, the photographs and the reception. For days like these, booking a car by the hour is simpler than a string of separate transfers.
This page explains how hourly hire works, how the chauffeur handles parking and waiting, and how to plan the day.
How does it work?
You book the car for a number of hours from a start time and place. During those hours, the car and chauffeur are yours: they take you from stop to stop, wait while you are inside, and carry your luggage and shopping in the boot. At the end, they take you to your final destination, which can be an airport.
Planning the day
Send us a rough outline: the first pickup, the main stops with approximate times, and where the day ends. It does not need to be precise; plans change during the day and that is expected. The outline lets us choose the right car, estimate the hours and warn you if something is unrealistic, for example two meetings forty minutes apart at opposite ends of London at 17:30.
Parking and waiting
Central London has very little space for a car to wait at the kerb. Between stops, the chauffeur parks legally nearby, often in a car park or a bay, and returns when you message them. Give the chauffeur ten minutes’ notice before you are ready, and the car will be outside when you walk out. Parking costs during the hire are agreed at booking.
Airport days
One of the most useful forms of hourly hire is a day that begins or ends at an airport. The chauffeur meets you in the arrivals hall, takes you to your first meeting, waits, drives you on through the day and takes you back to the airport in time for your flight. Your luggage stays in the car all day. This works particularly well for business travellers on a day visit and for passengers with a long layover who want to see London.
Long layovers
A layover of eight hours or more at Heathrow can be enough for a few hours in central London, provided your passport allows you to enter the UK and you have checked your onward connection. A chauffeur can take you to see the sights, have lunch and return you to the airport with a comfortable margin. Check the UK entry requirements for your nationality before you plan this.
Shopping days
For a day in Knightsbridge, Mayfair, Bond Street and Chelsea, the car becomes a place to put the bags. The chauffeur waits nearby and collects you from each shop. Many visitors combine this with an arrival or a departure.
Weddings and events
For a wedding, a car and chauffeur by the hour can take the couple or family from the house to the ceremony, wait during the photographs, and go on to the reception. For corporate events, a car can stay at the venue for a speaker or guest of honour. Tell us the timings and the venues, and we will check access and parking at each.
Which car?
For one or two people, the E-Class or S-Class. For a family or a group of colleagues, the V-Class. The car stays the same throughout the hire, so choose for the busiest part of the day, when the most people or bags are aboard.
Extending the hire
If the day runs long, tell the chauffeur. Where the chauffeur and car are available, the hire can be extended by the hour. If they have a later booking, we will tell you as early as possible and arrange another car for the rest of your day.
Minimum hours
Hourly hire usually has a minimum number of hours, set when you book. For shorter needs, such as one stop on the way to the airport, a single transfer with a stop is often better value. Tell us what you need, and we will suggest the right booking.
Days out beyond London
Hourly hire is not only for London. Many visitors spend a day at Windsor Castle, Oxford, Cambridge, the Cotswolds or the South Downs. A car and chauffeur for the day take you there, wait while you visit and bring you back, or on to an airport. The driving time counts as part of the hire, so allow for it when you choose the number of hours.
What the chauffeur needs to know
The most helpful things are the first pickup, the final destination and any fixed times, such as a restaurant booking or a flight. Beyond that, the chauffeur can adapt as the day goes. A mobile number that works in the UK is essential, because that is how you will call the car to the door.
Central London
From Heathrow to the centre
The central addresses people ask for most, off-peak and in the weekday rush.
| Destination | Distance | Off-peak | Rush hour | Main roads |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westminster | 17 mi | 36 min | 52 min | M4, A4 |
| Mayfair | 16 mi | 35 min | 51 min | M4, A4 |
| City of London | 19 mi | 46 min | 67 min | M4, A4 |
| Canary Wharf | 23 mi | 61 min | 79 min | M4, A4 |
| Kensington and Chelsea | 14 mi | 28 min | 41 min | M4 |
| Paddington | 16 mi | 34 min | 49 min | M4, A40 |
| St Pancras International | 18 mi | 43 min | 62 min | M4, A40 |
| Victoria | 17 mi | 37 min | 54 min | M4, A4 |
| Shoreditch | 20 mi | 50 min | 73 min | M4, A4 |
| South Kensington | 15 mi | 29 min | 42 min | M4, A4 |
Which car?
Choose by luggage first
| Party | People | Large cases | Our suggestion |
|---|---|---|---|
| One traveller | 1 | 1 | Mercedes E-Class |
| A couple | 2 | 2 | Mercedes E-Class |
| Three, light luggage | 3 | 2 | Mercedes E-Class |
| Three, holiday luggage | 3 | 4 | Mercedes V-Class |
| A family of four | 4 | 4 | Mercedes V-Class |
| Six travellers | 6 | 6 | Mercedes V-Class |
| A group of eight | 8 | 8 | 2 × V-Class |
| A party of twelve | 12 | 12 | 2 × V-Class |
In every fare
What the price includes
- 01
Flight tracking
The chauffeur follows your flight number, so an early landing or a delay moves the pickup with it.
- 02
Meet and greet
Your chauffeur waits in arrivals with a board showing your name, and takes the bags from there.
- 03
A fixed price
Agreed when you book. Traffic, a longer route on the day or a late landing do not change it.
- 04
Parking and drop-off
Airport drop-off and short-stay parking charges are part of the price, not added afterwards.
- 05
A route from live traffic
The chauffeur checks the roads before setting off and picks the line that is moving.
How to book
Three steps to the kerb
- 01
Plan the journey
Choose the airport and the address. The planner gives the distance and the drive time at the hour you travel.
- 02
Book ahead
Reserve with your flight number, terminal and a contact number. The price is fixed at that point.
- 03
Meet your chauffeur
Your chauffeur follows the flight and waits in arrivals with your name on a board.
What else we do
Other services
Airport transfers
Arrivals and departures at every London airport: flight tracked, met inside the terminal, fixed fare.
Read moreCruise transfers
Southampton, Dover, Portsmouth, Harwich and Tilbury, in a car sized for cruise luggage.
Read morePrivate aviation
Biggin Hill, Farnborough, Northolt and the jet centres at Luton, Stansted and City.
Read moreBusiness travel
Visiting clients, board members and staff, arranged and invoiced cleanly.
Read moreWeddings
The couple, the family and the guests, timed to the ceremony and the reception.
Read moreEvents
Wimbledon, Ascot, Twickenham, Wembley, the O2 and ExCeL, with a pickup planned for the end.
Read moreProms
A smart arrival at the school prom and a safe ride home, arranged with parents.
Read moreShopping
Knightsbridge, Bond Street, Westfield and Bicester Village, with the bags kept in the car.
Read moreSchool transfers
Boarding pupils between school and the airport at the start and end of every term.
Read moreJourney planner
Distance and time for any journey
Heathrow Westminster
- Distance
- 17miles
- Off-peak
- 36min
- Weekday rush
- 52min
Usual line: M4, A4. Chauffeurs choose on the day from live traffic.
Good to know
Questions, answered
What is hourly hire?
A car and chauffeur stay with you for a set number of hours, waiting between stops.
Can the day start or end at an airport?
Yes. It is one of the most common ways to use hourly hire.
Where does the chauffeur wait?
Parked legally nearby. Message them ten minutes before you are ready.
Can my luggage stay in the car?
Yes, for the whole hire.
Can I extend the hire on the day?
Where the car and chauffeur are available, yes.
Is there a minimum?
Usually, yes. It is set when you book.
Can I see London during a long layover?
If your passport allows you to enter the UK and your connection allows it, yes.
Can you provide a car for a wedding?
Yes. Send us the timings and venues.
Can we go to Windsor or Oxford for the day?
Yes. The driving time counts as part of the hire, so allow for it when choosing the hours.
Ready when you are
Your chauffeur, already waiting
A named chauffeur, a fixed price and a quiet car, at every London airport.