One trusted driver, for the whole household.

What a private chauffeur actually does.

The job is more than driving. A good private chauffeur keeps the diary in their head, knows that Tuesday means the early tennis lesson and the late board dinner, has the car warm in January and cool in August, and quietly carries the umbrella, the charger and the spare jacket. They learn which children need a booster seat and which friend’s house has the awkward driveway. They know when to talk and, more often, when not to.

For a household that means one person the children recognise and the house manager can brief. For an executive it means a second pair of eyes on logistics: the chauffeur notices the road closure before the meeting, not after it, and adjusts the plan without being asked.

Three ways to hire.

By the hour: book a private chauffeur and car for a few hours or a full day at the published rates below. It is the easiest way to see whether a particular chauffeur suits you.

By the month: reserve a block of 40, 80, 120 or 220 hours on a monthly chauffeur service. The same chauffeur is assigned for the month and the hours are used however the household needs them.

By the year: a yearly chauffeur contract holds the block and the rate for twelve months and builds a small, stable team around you. Families with children in school often prefer this because the routine never changes.

What it costs.

In our vehicles, a private chauffeur is $155 an hour in a Business Sedan, $185 in an SUV Business, $235 in an SUV First and $285 in a First-Class Sedan. In your vehicle, the chauffeur alone is $95 an hour within the city, with a four-hour minimum per day. Every price is in US dollars and includes taxes and a 20% gratuity, so there is nothing to calculate at the end of a long evening.

With our vehicles, each day includes 93 miles; extra miles are $3, $4 or $8 depending on the class. Tolls, parking and Wi-Fi are added at actual cost. Days out of town are billed at the hourly rate plus 50%, plus the chauffeur’s hotel and a flat $100 travel allowance.

Every figure includes taxes and a 20% gratuity. 93 miles a day are included with company vehicles. Out of town adds 50% to the hourly rate, plus the chauffeur’s hotel and a flat $100 travel allowance, with your car or ours. Tolls, parking and onboard Wi-Fi are passed on at actual cost. Overtime is simply billed at the same hourly rate.

How we choose your chauffeur.

We match chauffeurs to households the way a good agency places staff: by temperament as well as competence. Before we propose anyone we ask about the people who will travel, the kind of driving involved, the hours, languages that would help, pets, and anything you would rather we knew in advance. You can meet the chauffeur before the first day and, if the fit is not right, we will propose someone else.

Every BlackRyde chauffeur is licensed for the vehicle class they drive, background-checked and trained in defensive driving and client service, in line with the standards of the Limousine Association International and the Limousine Worldwide Directory. Chauffeurs who work with children are briefed on child-seat fitting and on your rules for who may collect them.

Privacy in a household.

A private chauffeur hears a great deal: phone calls, family conversations, plans that are not yet public. Discretion is part of the role, and we put it in writing when you want it there. We will sign your non-disclosure agreement or provide ours, chauffeurs do not photograph clients, homes or guests, and your addresses and schedule are kept to the people who need them. The discretion section below sets out how that works in practice.

If your household has security staff, the chauffeur works to their instructions. If you need a driver trained in protective driving or an armored vehicle, see our armored car service.

A day with a private chauffeur.

Seven o’clock: the car is at the front door with the heating on and today’s schedule confirmed by text the night before. The children go to school first, with their bags in the boot and the booster seats already fitted. The chauffeur then collects the principal for a breakfast meeting, waits nearby, and drives on to the office. Mid-morning is quiet; the chauffeur uses it to refuel, collect dry cleaning or pick up a parcel the house manager has asked for. In the afternoon there is a medical appointment, the school collection and a tennis lesson. In the evening, dinner across town and a late drive home.

None of that requires a new booking. On a monthly arrangement it is simply time drawn from the block, and the chauffeur keeps a log of hours and miles that appears on your statement at the end of the month.

Private chauffeur or chauffeur service?

A chauffeur service sends whoever is available; a private chauffeur is the same person, every time. The first suits occasional journeys. The second suits households and executives who travel most days, who value being known, and who want one point of contact for everything to do with the car. If you are not sure which you need, start with a few days of short-term hire with the same chauffeur and decide after.

Families with children.

Driving children is its own discipline. Before the first run we agree who may hand a child over and who may collect them, what the chauffeur should do if a school is closed or a pickup is late, and which numbers to call in what order. Seats are fitted to the child’s age and weight and checked each time. Chauffeurs do not change the plan at a child’s request without confirming with a parent or the house manager. Over time the children get to know the chauffeur, which is exactly the point.

Where we provide private chauffeurs.

We place private chauffeurs in the cities where we run our own vehicles and, through vetted operators, across the major US metros and international cities on our cities page. Households that split the year between, say, New York and Palm Beach, or Toronto and Los Angeles, can keep the same booking arrangements in both. Airport collections at the airports we cover are handled by the same team.

Before travelling with children or staff, the TSA has helpful guidance on traveling with family, and the IIHS publishes child-seat and rear-seat safety ratings by vehicle model. Call (877) 403-1177 to talk through what your household needs.