Hero image placeholder — 2400 × 1600, open road at dusk, car small in frame

City to city rides

Some journeys arebetter driven

Door to door between cities, ports and resorts. No check-in, no security queue, no baggage carousel.

Your door to their door, one car
Luggage never leaves the vehicle
Often faster than a short-haul flight

45,000 routesPriced in advance

No distance limitCross-border included

No surge, everPrice locked at booking

4.8 / 5 ratingFrom 12,400 rides

One car, the whole way.

Your door to their door. Nothing is transferred, nothing is re-checked, and nobody asks you to move to a different vehicle halfway.

Measured door to door.

A two-hour flight is rarely a two-hour journey. Under about four hours of driving, the car usually wins once the airport is counted.

Nothing gets weighed.

No baggage allowance, no liquid rules, no carousel. Skis, golf clubs, cases and a dog all travel in the same boot you loaded them into.

What is a city to city ride?

A city to city ride is a private chauffeured car booked in advance to carry you the whole distance between two cities, at one price agreed before you travel. With RYDES that price contains the tolls, the road charges, the fuel, the taxes, the gratuity and any cross-border costs on the route.

There is no distance limit and no transfer point. The same chauffeur and the same vehicle take you from the address you leave to the address you arrive at, so your luggage is loaded once and unloaded once, and the price does not change with traffic, weather or how long the journey actually takes.

The flight is not the journey.

People compare a 70-minute flight with a three-hour drive and stop there. Counted properly, from the door you leave to the door you arrive at, the numbers move a long way.

A representative 280km intercity trip, counted from door to door. Times are typical rather than guaranteed and vary by city, hour and season.
Stage	RYDES car	Short-haul flight	High-speed train
Getting to the departure point	None, it comes to you	40 to 60 minutes	20 to 40 minutes
Check-in, security, boarding	None	75 to 120 minutes	10 minutes
The journey itself	About 3 hours	70 minutes	About 2 hours
Baggage at the other end	None, it is beside you	15 to 30 minutes	None
Onward to your final address	None, you are already there	30 to 60 minutes	20 to 40 minutes
Realistic door to door	About 3 hours	4 to 5 hours	3 to 3 hours 30
Hours you can actually work	Nearly all of it	Fragments	Most of the train leg
Luggage handled by you	Never	Checked, claimed, carried	Carried throughout

The rough rule: under about four hours of driving, the car is usually the faster door-to-door option and almost always the calmer one. Past that, we will tell you honestly that flying is probably the better call.

How an intercity ride is put together.

Long routes are dispatched differently from a twenty-minute transfer. Distance changes who drives, which vehicle goes, and what the chauffeur is briefed on.

Two addresses, one price.

Enter where you are leaving from and where you are going. The route, the tolls, the border crossings and the return leg for the vehicle are all priced into one number.

The route is planned, not guessed.

Departure time is set from real traffic patterns for that day and hour. On mountain and border routes, seasonal closures and required permits are checked before the booking is confirmed.

A chauffeur cleared for distance.

Long journeys go to chauffeurs with the driving hours available to complete them legally and comfortably, in a vehicle chosen for range rather than for city work.

You set the stops.

Comfort stops are yours to call and are not billed as waiting. Sightseeing detours and second addresses can be added at booking and priced in advance.

Borders, without the paperwork.

Where a route crosses a frontier, the vehicle permits, road tax and any vignettes are handled by the operator. You bring passports and nothing else.

Arrive at the address.

Not a station, not a terminal, not a rank. The hotel entrance, the office door, the house. Bags are unloaded and handed to you there.

Routes people book most.

Any two addresses we cover can be joined. These are simply the pairs that come up most often, and every one is priced before you confirm.

Popular RYDES intercity routes. Driving times are typical for a clear run and vary with traffic, season and border waits.
Route	Distance	Typical driving time	Why people drive it
New York to East Hampton	160 km	2 h 15	Weekend traffic makes the train unreliable
Los Angeles to San Diego	195 km	2 h 15	Shorter door to door than the shuttle flight
Miami to Palm Beach	110 km	1 h 15	No sensible flight exists
Boston to New York	350 km	4 h 00	Two city centres, no airports
San Francisco to Napa	80 km	1 h 15	Wine country, luggage and a driver
Toronto to Niagara Falls	130 km	1 h 30	Day trip without hiring a car
London to Bristol	195 km	2 h 30	Door to door beats Paddington plus taxis
Paris to Reims	145 km	1 h 45	Champagne houses, multiple stops
Frankfurt to Cologne	190 km	2 h 00	Faster than the airport shuttle
Munich to Salzburg	145 km	1 h 45	Crosses a border, no formalities
Zurich to Milan	280 km	3 h 15	Alpine crossing, tolls included
Geneva to Chamonix	90 km	1 h 15	Ski luggage, mountain road
Amsterdam to Brussels	210 km	2 h 15	Two capitals, one car
Milan to Lake Como	80 km	1 h 15	Lakeside hotels the train does not reach

The full route directory covers all 45,000 priced pairs, or simply enter any two addresses above.

Crossing a border is not your problem.

Zurich to Milan, Munich to Salzburg, Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, Seattle to Vancouver. On routes that leave one country and enter another, the operator holds the cross-border permits, pays the road tax and the vignettes, and sends a chauffeur licensed to drive commercially on both sides.

What you bring is a passport and whatever visa the destination requires. What you do not do is change cars at the frontier, re-check luggage, or find out at the barrier that the vehicle is not permitted through it.

Zurich to Milan Munich to Salzburg Singapore to Kuala Lumpur Seattle to Vancouver

Border crossing · 900 × 675
Alpine road or frontier approach

One price, whatever the road does.

Distance is where hidden charges hide. These are the ones already inside your quoted price.

Every toll on the route: Motorway tolls, bridge and tunnel charges, congestion zones and any vignette the route requires.
The vehicle's return leg: The car has to get home. That cost is inside your price rather than added as a one-way or repositioning fee.
Fuel and charging: Including any stop to recharge on an electric vehicle, which is planned into the route rather than taken out of your time.
Cross-border costs: Permits, road tax and commercial licensing on both sides of any frontier the route crosses.
Comfort stops: Stop when you want to. Reasonable breaks on a long route are not billed as waiting time.
Gratuity: Nobody will expect a tip at the end of six hours in the car, and nothing will ask you for one.
Free cancellation: Up to 1 hour before pickup at no charge, the same as any other RYDES booking.
Support the whole way: Live dispatch around the clock, reachable from anywhere on the route, in 24 languages.

Optional paid add-ons. Each is requested when you book, priced before you confirm, and appears on the same single invoice.
Add-on	Price	What you get
Meet and greet	{{FEE_MEET_GREET}}	At airports and cruise terminals, your chauffeur parks, walks in and waits holding a sign with your name, then takes the luggage from there. Without it you are collected kerbside at no charge.
Child or booster seat	{{FEE_CHILD_SEAT}} per seat	Fitted before the car leaves for you. Give the child's age and weight so the correct seat is used. Availability and price depend on local law and the operator.
Travelling with a pet	{{FEE_PET_CLEANING}} cleaning fee	Non-service animals travel in a suitable crate or carrier where the operator accepts them. The fee covers cleaning the vehicle afterwards. Service animals travel free, always.

Chosen for the third hour, not the first.

Any car is comfortable for twenty minutes. Over a long route, seat quality, cabin noise and rear legroom stop being details.

Business class · 800 × 600
Exterior, cabin, boot, detail

Business

Mercedes E-Class, BMW 5 Series, Cadillac XT5 or similar

3 passengers
2 large cases, 1 small
The default up to three hours

First class · 800 × 600
Exterior, cabin, boot, detail

First

Mercedes S-Class, BMW 7 Series, Audi A8 or similar

3 passengers
2 large cases, 1 small
Quietest cabin over long distance

Electric class · 800 × 600
Exterior, cabin, boot, detail

Electric

Tesla Model S, Mercedes EQE, BMW i5 or similar

3 passengers
2 large cases, 1 small
Charging stop planned past 300km

SUV class · 800 × 600
Exterior, cabin, boot, detail

SUV

Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Suburban, Mercedes GLS or similar

5 passengers
5 large cases
Mountain routes and winter equipment

Van class · 800 × 600
Exterior, cabin, boot, detail

Van

Mercedes V-Class, Mercedes Vito, Ford Transit or similar

7 passengers
7 large cases
Facing seats, work the route

Group class · 800 × 600
Exterior, cabin, boot, detail

Group

Mercedes Sprinter or executive minibus

Up to 16 passengers
Luggage by arrangement
Whole parties moving as one

Vehicle classes for intercity travel. Large means a standard checked case up to 75cm.
Class	Passengers	Large cases	Best distance	Why choose it
Business	3	2	Up to 3 hours	The default for most intercity runs
First	3	2	Any distance	Quietest cabin, best seats, worth it past 3 hours
Electric	3	2	Up to 3 hours	Longer routes include a planned charging stop
SUV	5	5	Any distance	Families, ski and golf equipment, mountain routes
Van	7	7	Any distance	Teams travelling together, meeting on the move
Group	Up to 16	By arrangement	Any distance	Conference and wedding parties moving as one

On electric vehicles past roughly 300km, a charging stop is planned into the route and into the quoted time before you book. You are told about it rather than discovering it at a service station.

Scenic route · 900 × 675
Viewpoint stop on a coastal or mountain road

The route can be the point.

Rome to Florence through Orvieto and Siena. Nice to Monaco along the Moyenne Corniche. Milan to Lake Como the slow way round the water. On these, arriving quickly was never the objective.

Add the stops when you book and they are priced in advance rather than billed as waiting. Your chauffeur lives there, so ask where to stop for lunch and you will get an answer worth taking.

Rome to Florence Nice to Monaco Milan to Lake Como Or hire by the hour

Against the alternatives.

A private car does not win every intercity journey. It wins a specific set of them, and it is worth being clear about which.

How a private chauffeured car compares with a short-haul flight, a train and a rental car on an intercity route.
	RYDES car	Short-haul flight	Train	Rental car
Leaves from	Your address	An airport	A station	A rental desk
Arrives at	Your address	An airport	A station	Wherever you park
Luggage	Loaded once, no limit	Checked, weighed, claimed	Carried by you throughout	Loaded by you
Who drives	A professional chauffeur	Not applicable	Not applicable	You, after a long day
Working on the way	The whole journey, privately	In fragments, in public	Most of it, in public	None of it
Stops and detours	Yours to choose	None	Fixed	Yours, but you are driving
Price certainty	Fixed at booking	Fare plus bags plus two transfers	Fare plus two transfers	Rental, fuel, tolls, parking, one-way fee
Best suited to	Under about 4 hours of driving	Long distances	Well-connected city pairs	Multi-day trips with local driving

Worth mentioning when you book.

All of these are free to request and awkward to arrange once the car has set off. They go in the notes field.

Extra stops and detours

A second address, a viewpoint, lunch somewhere on the way. Added at booking they are priced into the fixed fare in advance; added on the day they are billed as waiting plus distance.

Child and booster seats

A paid add-on at {{FEE_CHILD_SEAT}} per seat, requested at booking and fitted before departure. On a long route this matters more, not less. Price and available seat types depend on local law and the operator.

Oversize luggage

Skis, snowboards, golf bags, bicycles, instruments. Say what and how many and the vehicle is matched to it rather than the other way round.

Pets and service animals

Service animals travel free, always. Other animals are accepted by many operators when requested in advance and carried in a suitable crate, with a {{FEE_PET_CLEANING}} cleaning fee shown before you confirm.

Overnight and multi-day

Routes that cannot legally be driven in one shift are quoted with a driver change or an overnight, both priced in advance and explained before you confirm.

Cross-border documents

Tell us the nationalities travelling. The operator will confirm what the destination requires and flag anything that needs arranging before your travel date.

Meeting on the move

Vans and larger vehicles can be configured with facing seats and a table so a team can work the route rather than lose it.

Airport at one end

Flying in and driving on is one booking, not two. Give us the flight number and the arrival half is tracked exactly like a normal airport transfer.

Roadshows and regional days.

Four cities in three days, a team of six, and a schedule where a missed connection costs a meeting rather than an hour. Intercity by car is the only format where the itinerary is yours rather than the airline's.

Multi-leg programmes are booked as one plan with one coordinator, one invoice and cost centres already attached. Your travel team sees every vehicle moving in real time.

For business Events and roadshows Hourly hire

Roadshow · 900 × 675
Colleagues working in a van cabin

City to city questions.

If yours is not here, dispatch answers around the clock at +1 888 881 7933 or support@rydes.co.

What is a city to city ride?

A city to city ride is a private chauffeured car booked in advance to carry you the whole distance between two cities at one price agreed before you travel. The same chauffeur and vehicle take you from the address you leave to the address you arrive at, with tolls, road charges, fuel, taxes, gratuity and any cross-border costs already inside the price.

Is there a distance limit?

No. Any two addresses in the RYDES network can be joined, and 45,000 route pairs are already priced. On journeys too long to be driven legally in one shift, the quote includes either a driver change or an overnight, and you are told which before you confirm rather than afterwards.

Is driving actually faster than flying?

Under roughly four hours of driving, usually yes, once the whole journey is counted. A short-haul flight adds getting to the airport, check-in and security, boarding, baggage reclaim and an onward transfer at the far end. Over about four hours of driving, flying is normally the better call and we will say so.

How is the price worked out?

From the route rather than a meter. Distance, expected driving time, tolls and road charges, cross-border costs and the vehicle's return leg are all calculated before you confirm, and the result is one fixed number. It does not change with traffic, weather or how long the journey actually takes on the day.

Can we stop on the way?

Yes. Comfort stops are yours to call and are not billed as waiting time. Planned stops such as a second address, lunch or a viewpoint should be added when you book so they are priced into the fixed fare in advance. Added on the day, they are billed as waiting plus the additional distance.

Do you cross international borders?

Yes, on routes where it is permitted. The operator holds the cross-border permits, pays the road tax and vignettes, and assigns a chauffeur licensed to drive commercially in both countries. You bring passports and any visa the destination requires. You do not change vehicles at the frontier.

What happens at the border itself?

You stay in the car. Your chauffeur handles the vehicle documentation and presents it at the crossing. Waiting time at a frontier is expected on some routes and is built into the quoted journey time rather than charged as extra waiting.

How far in advance should I book an intercity ride?

At least 24 hours for most routes, and longer for cross-border journeys, mountain routes in winter and anything needing a larger vehicle. Long-distance work needs a chauffeur with the driving hours available, so it cannot always be arranged at short notice the way a city transfer can.

Can the same booking start at an airport?

Yes, and it should. Give us the flight number and the arrival half is tracked exactly like an airport transfer, with 60 minutes of free waiting from actual landing. You are collected kerbside, or met inside the terminal if you add meet and greet, and then driven straight on to the other city as one booking rather than two.

Which vehicle should I choose for a long route?

Business is the sensible default up to about three hours. Past that, First is genuinely worth the difference because the cabin is quieter and the seats are better over distance. Choose SUV or Van for luggage volume rather than seat count, and remember that four passengers with four checked cases do not fit in a sedan.

What about electric vehicles on long routes?

Electric class is available on intercity routes. Past roughly 300km a charging stop is planned into the route and into the quoted journey time before you book, so it is disclosed in advance rather than discovered at a service station. For very long routes we will usually suggest a different class.

Can several of us work in the car?

Yes. Vans and larger vehicles can be configured with facing seats and a table where the operator has them, which turns a three-hour route into a working meeting. Ask when booking so the right vehicle is assigned rather than a standard one.

Is there a one-way or repositioning fee?

No. The vehicle's journey home is already inside the price you were quoted. There is no separate one-way charge, drop-off fee or repositioning surcharge added afterwards.

Can I book a return leg at the same time?

Yes, and it is created as two separate rides rather than one. That is deliberate: if your plans change at the far end, the return can be moved or cancelled on its own without disturbing anything about the outbound.

What if the journey takes longer than expected?

Nothing happens to the price. Traffic, weather, roadworks and border queues are the operator's problem, not yours. The only charges that can be added are ones you cause and approve, such as an extra stop requested on the day.

Can I cancel an intercity ride?

Free of charge up to 1 hour before pickup, the same as any other RYDES booking. Cancellations inside that window are charged in full, because a chauffeur and a vehicle have been committed to a full day rather than a short transfer.

FAQ portrait · 720 × 960
Passenger reading in the rear seat, long journey

Related services.

City to city is one of five ways to travel with RYDES.

Airport · 800 × 600
Chauffeur with a name sign in arrivals

Airport transfers.

Flight tracked from the departure gate, sixty minutes of free waiting, and kerbside collection at the terminal.

Airport transfers

Hourly · 800 × 600
Chauffeur waiting between stops

By the hour.

Arrive in the other city and keep the car. Two hours or twenty-four, with the route yours to change.

Hourly hire

Events · 800 × 600
Vehicles at a venue entrance

Events and roadshows.

Several cities, several vehicles, several days. One coordinator and one invoice at the end of it.

Event transport

Closing image placeholder — 2400 × 1200, empty road at night

Two addresses. One car.

See your intercity price in under a minute. No account needed to find out what the journey costs.

Book a city to city ride Talk to our business team