Executive sedan · 800 × 600
Exterior, interior, detail, in use
Exterior, interior, detail, in use
Executive sedan
Mercedes E-Class, BMW 5 Series, Cadillac XT5 or similar
- 3 passengers
- 2 large, 1 cabin
- Every city, booked instantly
Limousine service
Most limousinesare not stretched.
In the United States the word now means almost any pre-booked luxury car. If you want an actual stretch, we can arrange that too, in the markets that still have them.
- Executive sedans and SUVs, booked instantly
- Stretch vehicles and party buses, quoted
- Weddings and occasions, planned properly
Nine times out of ten, you want a sedan.
Most people searching for a limousine want an executive car with a professional chauffeur, arriving on time, for a fixed price. That is available instantly in every city we cover.
And sometimes you really do want a stretch.
Weddings, milestone birthdays, a group who want to travel together and be seen doing it. Stretch vehicles and party buses are arranged through certified partner operators and quoted rather than instant-booked.
We will tell you which you need.
A stretch limousine is a poor airport car and a difficult city car. Tell us the occasion and dispatch will say plainly which vehicle actually suits it, including when that is the cheaper one.
What is a limousine service?
A limousine service is a pre-booked private car with a professional chauffeur, hired either for a specific journey or by the hour. In the United States the term is used loosely for any luxury vehicle booked in advance, most often an executive sedan or SUV rather than a stretched vehicle.
Strictly, a limousine is a car with a partition between the driver and the passenger compartment, and a stretch limousine is a lengthened body with additional seating. In practice, almost everybody now uses the word to mean the service rather than the shape of the car. Both meanings are covered here, and the two are booked and priced very differently.
Do you actually want a stretch?
It is worth deciding before you book, because a stretch limousine is a wonderful thing on the right night and a genuine nuisance on the wrong one.
| The occasion | Usually book | Because |
|---|---|---|
| Wedding, six to ten in one vehicle | Stretch limousine | The party travels together and the arrival is part of the day |
| Milestone birthday or celebration | Stretch or party bus | The vehicle is the event, not the transport |
| School prom or formal | Stretch or minibus | Group of the same age arriving together, booked by an adult |
| Airport transfer | Sedan or SUV | Stretch vehicles are often barred from terminal kerbs and have poor luggage volume |
| Business or client collection | First class sedan | A stretch reads as a night out rather than a meeting |
| City centre, tight streets | Sedan or SUV | Long vehicles cannot access many venues or park near them |
| Eight or more with luggage | Van or minibus | Stretch seating is lounge seating, and the boot is small |
| Funeral or memorial | First class sedan or limousine | Arranged with the funeral director; discretion over spectacle |
The word comes from the Limousin region of France. The usual explanation is that early cars where the driver sat outside under a covering resembled the hooded cloak worn by Limousin shepherds. The defining feature was never length; it was that the driver's compartment was separate from the passenger's.
What people mean by limousine.
Six vehicle types travel under the same word. Capacity below is realistic seating, not the number printed on a licence plate.
| Vehicle | Passengers | Luggage | Priced | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive sedanMercedes E-Class, BMW 5 Series | 3 | 2 large | Per journey or per hour | Every city, booked instantly |
| First class sedanMercedes S-Class, BMW 7 Series | 3 | 2 large | Per journey or per hour | Most cities, booked instantly |
| SUVEscalade, Suburban, GLS | 5 | 5 large | Per journey or per hour | Every city, booked instantly |
| Stretch limousineLengthened sedan or SUV body | 6 to 14 | Very limited | Per hour, minimum applies | Selected markets, quoted |
| Executive minibusSprinter and similar | Up to 16 | Good | Per journey or per hour | Most cities, quoted above 7 |
| Party busConverted coach, lounge seating | 14 to 30 | Minimal | Per hour, minimum applies | Selected markets, quoted |
Stretch limousines and party buses are supplied through certified partner operators rather than from the standard RYDES fleet. They are quoted rather than instant-booked, and availability genuinely varies: in some cities they are plentiful, in others the trade has largely moved to executive vans.
How a limousine booking works.
Two routes through, depending on whether you want a car or an occasion.
Sedans, SUVs and minibuses
Instant. Priced and confirmed in the same minute, exactly like any other RYDES booking.
- Choose per journey, or by the hour from a two-hour minimum
- Pick the class and see the final price before confirming
- Chauffeur name, photo and vehicle arrive three hours ahead
- Change or cancel free up to 1 hour before, or 24 hours on hourly
- Available in all 1,200 cities we cover
Stretch limousines and party buses
Quoted. A partner operator is matched to the date and the city, and the price comes back in writing.
- Tell us the date, the city, the group size and the occasion
- We confirm what is genuinely available in that market
- A written quote with the vehicle, the hours and the terms
- Hourly minimums apply and vary by operator and by night
- Book well ahead: wedding and prom season sells out months out
If you are not sure which you need, describe the occasion rather than the vehicle. Dispatch would rather put you in the right car than the expensive one, and will say so when a sedan does the job better.
The wedding car.
Almost every wedding books its cars around a schedule that will not survive the photographs. We plan them the other way round: vehicles held for blocks of time rather than booked as transfers, so when the timeline slips by forty minutes nothing has to be rebooked.
Typically that is a stretch or a first class sedan for the couple and the immediate party, with a minibus or a pair of vans looping guests between hotel, ceremony and reception. Larger weddings are run as a full programme with a coordinator, which is a different service and priced accordingly.
Wedding · 900 × 675
Limousine waiting outside a venue
Limousine waiting outside a venue
What limousines get booked for.
Six occasions cover most of it, and each has one thing worth knowing before you book.
Weddings
Book by the hour rather than as transfers, because the schedule will move. Cars for the party, a shuttle loop for guests. Popular dates go months in advance, particularly Saturdays in summer.
Milestone birthdays and celebrations
Hourly, usually four to six hours, often across several venues. The vehicle is part of the evening, so this is the case where a stretch or a party bus genuinely earns its price.
School proms and formals
Booked by a parent or the school rather than by the students, with the adult's contact details on the reservation. Operators apply a strict no-alcohol policy on school bookings and chauffeurs will enforce it.
Corporate and client collection
Almost always a first class sedan rather than anything longer. A stretch arriving to collect a client reads as a night out, which is rarely the intention.
Nights out and dining
Hourly with the car waiting between venues, which is the entire point. It also removes the question of who is driving home, and does it more reliably than a plan to book something later.
Funerals and memorials
Usually arranged alongside the funeral director, with first class sedans or traditional limousines. Discretion, punctuality and a chauffeur who understands the day, rather than any kind of display.
Airport arrivals and departures
A sedan or SUV, not a stretch. Many airports restrict long vehicles at terminal kerbs and stretch boot space is genuinely poor. Book it as an airport transfer and get flight tracking with it.
Sightseeing and wine tours
Hourly, with the route yours to change and a chauffeur who lives there. An SUV or van is usually better than a stretch on rural roads and at small properties.
The fleet, honestly labelled.
Four of these are on the RYDES network and bookable in seconds. Two come from certified partner operators and are quoted.
First class sedan · 800 × 600
Exterior, interior, detail, in use
Exterior, interior, detail, in use
First class sedan
Mercedes S-Class, BMW 7 Series, Audi A8 or similar
- 3 passengers
- 2 large, 1 cabin
- Corporate, funerals, arrivals
SUV · 800 × 600
Exterior, interior, detail, in use
Exterior, interior, detail, in use
SUV
Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Suburban, Mercedes GLS or similar
- 5 passengers
- 5 large
- The practical alternative to a stretch
Executive minibus · 800 × 600
Exterior, interior, detail, in use
Exterior, interior, detail, in use
Executive minibus
Mercedes Sprinter or executive minibus
- Up to 16 passengers
- Good luggage volume
- Guest shuttles and larger parties
Stretch limousine · 800 × 600
Exterior, interior, detail, in use
Exterior, interior, detail, in use
Stretch limousine
Lengthened sedan or SUV body, partner supplied
- 6 to 14 passengers
- Very limited
- Selected markets, quoted
Party bus · 800 × 600
Exterior, interior, detail, in use
Exterior, interior, detail, in use
Party bus
Converted coach with lounge seating, partner supplied
- 14 to 30 passengers
- Minimal
- Selected markets, quoted
| 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. |
Sedan at night · 900 × 675
Executive car waiting on a city street
Executive car waiting on a city street
What happened to the stretch limousine.
Thirty years ago the stretch was the default premium vehicle. Today most of that work has moved to executive sedans, SUVs and Sprinter vans, for reasons that are practical rather than fashionable: cities got denser, venue access got tighter, airports restricted long vehicles at the kerb, and business travellers stopped wanting to arrive in something conspicuous.
The stretch has not disappeared, and it has not stopped being the right answer for a wedding party or a fortieth birthday. But it has become a specialist product rather than the standard one, and any company still selling it as the default is selling you the vehicle it owns rather than the one your evening needs.
How limousine hire is priced.
Two models, and the one you should choose depends on whether you are going somewhere or spending an evening.
| By the hour | Per journey | |
|---|---|---|
| Priced on | A rate per hour with a distance allowance | The route, fixed before you book |
| Minimum | 2 hours on sedans and SUVs; longer on stretch and party buses | None |
| Waiting between stops | Included | Not applicable, it is one journey |
| Changing the plan | Free, tell the chauffeur | Repriced and shown to you first |
| Best for | Weddings, celebrations, evenings, several venues | One transfer, airport runs, arrivals |
| Cancellation | Free up to 24 hours before | Free up to 1 hour before |
| Booked | Instantly on sedans, SUVs and minibuses | Instantly on all standard classes |
| Included in both | Vehicle, chauffeur, fuel, tolls, parking, taxes, gratuity | The same |
Stretch limousines and party buses carry their own hourly minimums, which are set by the partner operator and vary by city and by night. Saturday evenings in wedding season are the most restricted. Your quote states the minimum in writing before you commit to anything.
Limousine service questions.
If yours is not here, dispatch answers around the clock at +1 888 881 7933 or reserve@rydes.co.
What is a limousine service?
A limousine service is a pre-booked private car with a professional chauffeur, hired either for a specific journey or by the hour. In the United States the term is used loosely for any luxury vehicle booked in advance, most often an executive sedan or SUV rather than a stretched vehicle. Strictly, a limousine is a car with a partition between the driver and the passenger compartment.
Is a limousine service the same as a chauffeur service?
In practice, yes. Chauffeur service is the term the industry uses worldwide; limousine service is the term most of the United States still uses for the same thing. The vehicle, the chauffeur and the pricing model are identical. The only real difference is that limousine sometimes carries an expectation of a stretched vehicle, and chauffeur service never does.
Do you have actual stretch limousines?
Yes, through certified partner operators in selected markets, quoted rather than instant-booked. Availability genuinely varies by city: in some the stretch trade is still strong, in others it has largely moved to executive vans and minibuses. Tell us the city and the date and we will confirm honestly what exists there rather than take a booking we cannot fill.
How many people fit in a stretch limousine?
Between 6 and 14 depending on the vehicle, with 8 and 10 being the most common. Treat the number as lounge seating rather than travel seating: it is comfortable for an evening but it is not the same as a van with the equivalent seat count. Luggage capacity in a stretch is very limited, which is why they are poor airport cars.
What does a limousine cost?
It depends on the city, the vehicle and whether you book by the hour or per journey, but the price is always shown before you commit. Sedans and SUVs are priced instantly and include the vehicle, chauffeur, fuel, tolls, parking, taxes and gratuity. Stretch limousines and party buses are quoted in writing by a partner operator and carry hourly minimums that vary by city and by night.
Should I book by the hour or per journey?
By the hour when the vehicle is part of the occasion, when there are several venues, or when the schedule is uncertain, because waiting between stops is included. Per journey when you are simply going from one place to another, because it is priced by the route and costs less than paying for idle time. Weddings and celebrations are almost always hourly.
How far in advance should I book?
Sedans, SUVs and minibuses need 3 hours for a transfer and 12 hours for an hourly booking. Stretch limousines and party buses need weeks rather than days, and Saturdays in wedding and prom season are often committed months ahead. If your date is fixed, book as soon as it is.
Can I get a limousine for an airport transfer?
Yes, and we would suggest a sedan or an SUV rather than a stretch. Many airports restrict long vehicles at terminal kerbs, and stretch luggage capacity is poor. Booked as an airport transfer you also get flight tracking and 60 minutes of free waiting from actual landing, which a stretch booking does not include.
Are limousines practical in city traffic?
Stretch vehicles are not, particularly. They cannot access many venue forecourts, cannot park close to most entrances, and struggle on narrow or restricted streets. For city work an executive sedan or an SUV is faster, cheaper and gets you closer to the door. Save the stretch for evenings where the arrival matters more than the route.
Can we drink alcohol in the limousine?
It depends entirely on local law and the operator. Open containers in a moving vehicle are illegal in many jurisdictions, and where it is permitted it applies only to passengers of legal drinking age on a private hire booking. Ask when you book and the operator will tell you what applies in that city. On school bookings the answer is always no.
Can we book a limousine for a school prom?
Yes, and the reservation is made by a parent, guardian or the school rather than by the students, with the adult's contact details on the booking. Operators apply a strict no-alcohol policy on school bookings and chauffeurs enforce it. Prom dates concentrate into a few weekends, so book as early as the date is known.
Is a party bus the same as a limousine?
No. A party bus is a converted coach with lounge seating along the sides, carrying 14 to 30 people, and it is a venue that moves rather than a car. A stretch limousine is a lengthened car body seating 6 to 14. Party buses are quoted through partner operators, carry hourly minimums, and are restricted at many venues on size grounds.
Do you have classic or vintage cars for weddings?
In some markets, through specialist partner operators, and always quoted rather than instant-booked. Vintage vehicles come with real constraints on distance, weather and reliability that a modern car does not, and any honest operator will tell you about them before you book rather than on the morning.
Is the chauffeur included in the price?
Always. Every RYDES vehicle is booked with a professional chauffeur; we do not offer self-drive. The price includes the chauffeur, the vehicle, fuel, tolls, parking, taxes and gratuity, whether you book by the hour or per journey.
Do I tip the limousine chauffeur?
No. Gratuity is inside the price you were quoted and your chauffeur is paid a professional rate for the booking. Nobody will expect a tip and nothing in the confirmation or the receipt will prompt you for one. This applies to partner-operated stretch bookings as well.
What if we run over our booked hours?
On sedans, SUVs and minibuses, extending is usually possible and billed in 30-minute increments at your booked rate, subject to the chauffeur's remaining legal hours and their next booking. On stretch and party bus bookings, overtime terms are set by the partner operator and stated in your written quote. In both cases, tell dispatch early rather than at the last venue.
FAQ portrait · 720 × 960
Door opened outside an evening venue
Door opened outside an evening venue
Related services.
The same chauffeurs and the same standard, priced for the shape of the occasion.
Hourly · 800 × 600
Chauffeur waiting kerbside
Chauffeur waiting kerbside
By the hour.
The right way to book any occasion. Two hours or twenty-four, waiting included, the route yours to change.
Hourly hireEvents · 800 × 600
Vehicles at a venue entrance
Vehicles at a venue entrance
Weddings and events.
More than three vehicles, or guests to shuttle as well as a couple to move. Run as one programme with a coordinator.
Event transportChauffeur · 800 × 600
Door held open
Door held open
Chauffeur service.
What the industry calls the same product, and what a chauffeur actually does that a driver does not.
Chauffeur serviceTell us the occasion.
We will tell you which vehicle actually suits it, including when that is the cheaper one.