As-directed chauffeur hire means you book a car and driver for a block of time, not one journey. You choose the stops as the day unfolds, and the car waits between them. With Tripyana the minimum is four hours, from £230 in a Mercedes E-Class, then £45 for each extra hour.
This guide explains how as-directed hire works in London and what it costs with each car. It also shows when it beats separate transfers. Every price below comes from our live booking form.
How is as-directed hire different from a transfer?
A transfer is one journey from A to B at a fixed fare, such as Heathrow to a hotel. The chauffeur drops you off and the booking ends.
An as-directed booking buys the car and chauffeur for a set number of hours. Inside those hours you can stop as often as you like, change the order and add places on the way.
Neither is better in itself. One trip with luggage suits a transfer. A day of meetings, shops or sights suits time-based hire, because the waiting is already paid for.
Why is there a four-hour minimum?
We do not sell single hours. The shortest as-directed booking is four hours, and the time can then grow hour by hour.
Four hours fits a real London half-day. Think of a morning of meetings, an afternoon of shopping in Knightsbridge, or dinner and a West End show. Extra time is charged by the full hour, never by the half-hour.
A full day is eight hours, priced as its own package. It costs less than four hours plus four extra hours. A long day is better booked as a full day from the start.
How much does as-directed chauffeur hire cost in London?
Prices are per car, not per passenger. They cover the chauffeur, fuel, waiting, parking and London road charges. These are our fixed rates for a booking that starts at a London hotel.
| Car | Passengers | 4 hours (£) | Each extra hour (£) | Full day, 8 hours (£) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercedes E-Class | Up to 3 | 230 | 45 | 370 |
| Mercedes V-Class | Up to 7 | 290 | 60 | 460 |
| Mercedes S-Class | Up to 3 | 410 | 70 | 620 |
| Range Rover | Up to 4 | 490 | 80 | 730 |
The road charges in that list include the Congestion Charge and ULEZ. Our guide to paying the Congestion Charge in a chauffeur car explains each one.
A day that leaves Greater London, such as Windsor or Oxford, is priced at a different rate. The booking form shows that total before you pay.
Which car should you choose for an as-directed day?
Choose by passengers and luggage first, then by the impression the day needs. Our fleet pages list the working limits for each car.
- Mercedes E-Class: up to 3 passengers with 2 large cases. The lower-cost choice for one traveller or a couple.
- Mercedes V-Class: up to 7 passengers with 7 cases. Families and groups stay in one car with one chauffeur.
- Mercedes S-Class: up to 3 passengers with 2 large cases. A quieter rear cabin with massage seats, suited to a senior guest.
- Range Rover: up to 4 passengers. An SUV with heated and ventilated leather seats for events and guests.
Shopping days need more boot space than people expect. Planning several stores? Count the bags you expect to bring back, not only the cases you start with.
What can you do with an as-directed booking?
Anything that needs several stops and some waiting. These are the bookings we see most often:
- Business days: meetings in the City and Canary Wharf, with the car waiting between each one.
- Shopping: Bond Street and Knightsbridge, with bags kept safely in the car between shops.
- Sightseeing: Westminster, the Tower and Kensington at your own pace, stopping for photographs.
- Evenings out: dinner and a West End show, with the car ready when the curtain falls.
- Appointments: a clinic or school visit with a fixed wait in between.
Want the route planned for you? Our private London tour by car uses the same car and chauffeur with a ready itinerary.
How many hours should you book?
Start from the first pickup and add the time at each stop, then the drive back. Book the block that covers it with a little room to spare.
- Four hours: a morning of two or three meetings, or one shopping street and lunch.
- Six hours: a long afternoon with several stops across town, such as Westminster, Kensington and Knightsbridge.
- A full day of eight hours: sightseeing from breakfast to early evening, or meetings ending with an airport run.
If the day runs long, the chauffeur stays and the extra time is added hour by hour. Planning the full day up front costs less than adding hours on the day.
Where does the chauffeur wait between stops?
Close by, though not always at the door. The Highway Code bans waiting on double yellow lines at any time. It also bans stopping on red routes unless signs allow it.
So in central London the chauffeur drops you at the entrance, then parks or circles nearby. A short message before you leave lets the chauffeur bring the car round. Parking while the car waits is part of the fare.
Luggage, shopping and papers stay in the car the whole time. You only carry what you need for the next stop.
How do you book an as-directed chauffeur?
Three steps, all online, with the price fixed before you pay.
Choose the car and the hours
Pick the car by passengers and cases, then the number of hours. Anything from four hours to a full day is available, with more hours added after that.
Give the first pickup and a rough plan
Enter the first address and the furthest place you expect to visit. The plan can change on the day, because the hours are what you buy.
Pay the fixed total
The online booking form shows the total before you pay. Bookings stay open until one hour before pickup. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before pickup.
Is as-directed hire worth it, or are separate transfers cheaper?
Count the stops and the waiting. One or two journeys in a day usually cost less as transfers. Four or more stops, or long waits outside venues, favour time-based hire. Waiting costs nothing extra inside the booked hours.
Timing matters too. A transfer car leaves after each drop. Every return trip then needs a new booking and a new wait for pickup. An as-directed car is already outside.
For a stay of several days, weekly chauffeur hire in London keeps the same car and driver every day. One written total covers the whole week.
What is not included in an as-directed booking?
Tickets and meals are paid separately. Entry to palaces and museums is booked with each venue. Where a venue charges admission for the driver, that ticket is also paid by the guest.
Time past the booked hours is added by the full hour at the rate for your car. Driving outside Greater London is quoted at its own rate rather than added to a London booking.
Tripyana Ltd is a UK-licensed company, licence PHOP950, company no. 16308293. A personal driver in London can be booked for four hours, a full day or a full week.
Frequently asked questions about as-directed chauffeur hire
What does “as directed” mean in a chauffeur booking?
It means the chauffeur follows your directions for the booked time instead of driving one fixed route. You set the stops and their order as you go, and the car waits between them. At Tripyana the shortest as-directed booking is four hours, and extra time is added by the full hour.
Can I book a chauffeur in London for just one or two hours?
Not with Tripyana. The shortest time-based booking is four hours. For a single journey, such as a hotel to an airport, a fixed-price transfer is the better fit. For several stops in one day, four hours or a full day covers all the waiting inside the price.
How much is a chauffeur for a full day in London?
A full day of eight hours costs £370 in an E-Class and £460 in a V-Class. Those are the rates inside Greater London. The price covers the chauffeur, fuel, parking, waiting and London road charges. Hours beyond the eighth are added at the extra-hour rate for the car you booked.
Does the chauffeur wait while I shop or attend a meeting?
Yes. Waiting is included inside the booked hours, whether a stop takes ten minutes or two hours. Where the street does not allow waiting, the chauffeur parks nearby and brings the car back when you are ready. Bags and papers can stay safely in the car between stops.
Can an as-directed booking include a trip outside London?
Yes, but it is priced differently. A day that reaches Windsor, Oxford or the Cotswolds is quoted at an out-of-London rate. The booking form shows that total before you pay. For a planned route, our private day trips from London come with the itinerary already arranged.