HOURLY & AS-DIRECTED
Hourly Chauffeur Service in New York City
A chauffeur and vehicle reserved for a block of time, staying with you between stops instead of leaving after a drop-off.
What hourly service actually means
Most car service bookings are point to point: the chauffeur collects you, drives you to one destination and the booking ends. Hourly service works differently. You reserve the vehicle and the chauffeur for a block of hours, and during that block they stay with you — waiting outside while you are in a meeting, a showroom, a restaurant or a theatre, then continuing to the next stop when you are ready.
That makes it the right choice when the day has more than one stop, when the timing is uncertain, or when you simply do not want to rebook a car at every point in the evening. It is also called "as-directed" service, because the itinerary is directed by you as the hours run rather than fixed at the time of booking.
Hourly minimums by vehicle
Hourly bookings are subject to a minimum number of hours, which depends on the vehicle:
Sedan — 3 hour minimum
Up to 3 passengers with luggage. The usual choice for business days and evenings out for one or two people.
SUV — 3 hour minimum
More room for passengers and luggage than a sedan, with the same 3 hour minimum.
Sprinter — 5 hour minimum
For larger groups travelling together. Sprinter bookings carry a 5 hour minimum.
Time beyond the hours you book is billed as additional time. If the day is likely to run long, it is usually better to book the longer block up front than to extend on the day.
Request a quote
No payment required to get a price
What hourly service is commonly used for
Multi-stop business days
Several meetings across Manhattan or across New Jersey, with the car waiting between them.
Client visits and site tours
Moving a group between offices, sites or properties on one schedule.
Theatre, concerts and dinner
An evening with a set start time and an unpredictable finish, where you want the same car for the return.
Shopping and appointments
Stops where bags, timing or weather make waiting for a new car impractical.
Weddings and family events
Transport between ceremony, photographs and reception on one continuous booking.
Photo and production days
A vehicle held on location for a crew or talent for a set number of hours.
What is included, and what is billed separately
Included in the hourly rate
- The vehicle and the chauffeur for the hours you book
- Waiting time between your stops, inside the booked hours
- Bottled water in the vehicle
- Assistance with luggage, including help loading a folding wheelchair or mobility aid
- Flight tracking, when the booking begins at an airport
Billed in addition
- Tolls
- Parking charges
- Any time used beyond the hours booked
We do not publish hourly rates, because the rate depends on the vehicle and the date. Send the date, the start time, the pickup address and roughly how many hours you expect to need, and you will get a quote in writing before anything is confirmed. Full terms are on the Rates & Policies page.
Cancellations and gratuity
Full refund on cancellations made 6 or more hours before pickup for sedans and SUVs, or 48 or more hours for Sprinters. Later cancellations and no-shows are charged in full. Gratuity is not included in the hourly rate and is optional.
Where hourly bookings run
Hourly bookings run in New York City and across New Jersey, and they can cross between the two inside a single booking — a pickup in New Jersey, a set of stops in Manhattan and a return the same evening is one hourly booking, not three separate transfers.
If your day starts or ends at an airport, the booking can begin or end there. For a straightforward airport transfer with no stops in between, point-to-point service is usually the better value than an hourly block.
Hourly chauffeur service — questions
What is the minimum booking for hourly service?
Three hours for a sedan or an SUV, and five hours for a Sprinter.
Do I need to know all of my stops when I book?
No. Give us the date, the start time, the first pickup address and roughly how long you expect to need the vehicle. The stops themselves can be directed on the day.
Can I add time once the booking has started?
Usually, yes — tell your chauffeur as early as you can so dispatch can check that the vehicle is not committed to another booking afterwards. Time beyond the hours you booked is billed as additional time.
Does the hourly rate include tolls and parking?
No. Tolls and parking charges are billed in addition to the hourly rate.
Will the chauffeur wait while I am in a meeting?
Yes. Waiting between your stops is what the hourly block pays for, so there is no separate waiting charge inside the hours you have booked.
Can one hourly booking cover both New Jersey and New York City?
Yes. A booking can start in New Jersey, run through Manhattan and return the same day as a single hourly reservation.
How do I pay?
All major credit and debit cards, including Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover.
Can you accommodate a folding wheelchair or mobility aid?
Yes. Folding wheelchairs and mobility aids fit in the luggage space of our standard vehicles, and your chauffeur will help load and unload them.
Reserve a chauffeur by the hour
Tell us the date, the start time and roughly how many hours you need.