Skip to content

Luxury on a Budget: How Much Does a Personal Driver Cost Really?

  • 12 min read

We are going to talk about how much does a personal driver cost usually in this article.

Have you ever imagined traveling in style, with a personal driver at your beck and call?

Picture yourself cruising through the bustling streets of Guangzhou in a luxurious sedan, while your knowledgeable and courteous driver navigates the city’s complex traffic patterns, ensuring you arrive at your destination relaxed and refreshed.

Imagine the freedom and convenience of having someone else handle the driving, allowing you to focus on your itinerary, savor the sights, and immerse yourself in the vibrant culture of China.

However, we all know that a private car driver will charge more than a regular taxi driver, but their service is generally superior.

So here, let's discuss the factors that affect the cost of a personal driver.

Factors Affecting The Personal Driver Cost:

  • Location: Location is the main factor affecting the price of personal car drivers, as location determines mileage. The farther the distance between your residence and your destination, the higher the cost.
  • Experience and Qualifications: The experience and qualifications of a private car driver can impact the price. An experienced driver can save you a lot of time and hassle compared to a novice who just started driving, so you can expect to pay a bit more for that expertise.
  • Vehicle Type: The type of vehicle you choose can significantly impact your travel costs. A commercial van with six seats will generally be more comfortable than a five-passenger minivan, but it will also cost more. Plus, electric vehicles are much cheaper to operate per mile compared to gas-powered vehicles of the same size.
  • Hours of Service: Both private car drivers and taxi drivers have limits on their daily working hours to ensure driver safety. Excessive hours can lead to fatigue. The law stipulates that the daily working hours are 8 hours, so many private car driver quotations are based on 8 hours of work per day.
  • Additional Services: There are several different types of extra fees: waiting time, for example, the driver will incur additional parking fees while waiting, and this part of the fee will be charged to the customer; airport pick-up, which is not originally within the scope of the private car driver’s business, requires additional fees. However, professional airport transfer services do not charge extra fees.

Based on these factors, a private car driver’s quote will often be based on the following types:

Personal Driver`s Quote Types

  • Hourly Rates: Hourly rates are often used for short-term car rentals or car rentals based on trips, which is similar to taxis. If a business trip is short or the distance is short and can be completed in a short time, the private car driver can charge by the hour.
  • Daily Rates: Most businesspeople prefer daily rentals because business trips are often long and involve multiple locations. The driver quotes the price by day.
  • Package Deals: Sometimes private drivers offer promotional packages to attract more orders. The average price will be better if you order for a longer time or more days.

No matter what pricing basis personal car drivers use or what promotional activities they carry out, the prices will generally be higher than those charged by taxi drivers or car rental platforms.

Now that we understand the factors that influence the quote for a personal driver, let’s see how much does a personal driver cost in Guangzhou.

We checked two of the most popular platforms in China Tencent Travel Service and DIDI Global that offer personal driver services, but not extensively.

Tencent Travel Service Platform is an integrated travel solution within WeChat that enables users to plan and book travel experiences, including accommodations and activities, through its Mini Programs, streamlining the process for millions of users seeking convenient access to travel services in China and beyond.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]

It is the service used on WeChat App which can be download on google play or apple store. They are no hourly rate service, daily rate only, and no mileage limited.

 Hourly RateDaily Rate
7 seater business vanNO$105–$138
Tencent Travel platform daily prirce

Didi Global is a major Chinese ride-hailing platform that connects passengers with drivers, offering services similar to Uber, but has faced significant regulatory challenges, including a recent $1.2 billion fine for data violations imposed by the Cyberspace Administration of China. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]

DiDi have their own App named Didi Rider which can be download on Google player or Apple Store. They service calculated by hour and mileage.

DIDI cost by different styles

 4 hours, 50KM4 hours, 100KM8 hours, 100KM8 hours, 200KM10 hours, 125KM10 hours, 250KM
5 seater economic car$38$46$50$65$64$83
5 seater comfortable car$56$60$71$95$85$105
7 seater business van$72$77$92$120$110$137
DIDI Price Options
Didi personal driver price
DIDI extra cost
Didi personal driver extra cost

There aren’t many choices on the 2 platforms. And we see the prices are affordable after the promotion, even though they’re higher than a taxi. The hourly cost is from $38 to $72, and the daily rental rate for a personal driver is from $83 to $137, which depends on the types of car.

Therefore, if you don’t have high requirements for a private car or if your business trip is simple and short, you can consider these two car rental platforms on China local market.

viator and synotrip

Besides the 2 platforms in China, most foreigners may prefer international car rental companies. Now let’s see what the situation is with the big companies in Guangzhou. We checked two companies: Viator and Synotrip.

Viator is a leading online platform owned by TripAdvisor that allows travelers to browse and book over 345,000 tours and activities worldwide, providing a convenient way to discover unique experiences while ensuring quality through pre-vetted local operators. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]

Viator hourly price
Viator daily price
Viator daily price

The hourly price for a personal driver is around $27-$34. The daily cost for a personal driver in Guangzhou is from $127-$320, depending on the grade and type of the car.

Synotrip is an online platform that connects travelers with local tour guides and travel services, offering personalized experiences in various destinations, particularly in China. It allows users to browse, book, and review tours while facilitating direct communication with local guides for tailored itineraries.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]

Synotrip hourly price
Synotrip daily price
Personal driver on synotrip low daily price
The high daily prirce on synotrip

So we can see that the hourly price on Synotrip is from $8 to $50. The cost of daily rental for a personal driver on Synotrip is from $80 to $185. We don’t see very high prices for daily rental personal drivers, perhaps there aren’t any high-end luxury cars available for customers.

On these two international platforms, you can find private car drivers with hourly wages as low as $8/hour and daily wages as low as $80/day. You can also find full-time drivers with daily wages as high as $320/day.

However, car rental platforms, whether local in China or international, have a few drawbacks.

Drawbacks of the Car Rental Platforms

  • You never know what to expect in terms of condition. Even if you know the brand, you can’t be sure about the car’s condition or comfort level.

  • Another thing to keep in mind is that most of these private car drivers on local platforms don’t speak English. They might be able to speak some simple daily sentences, but they may have difficulty communicating and translating between Chinese and English.

  • You also can’t contact the personal driver directly on the platforms, whether local or international. All your inquiries are sent to the platform’s backend, which automatically or manually distributes them to the platform’s drivers. You can’t contact the driver before the transaction is completed, and you can’t know the condition of the driver’s car.

Given these circumstances, it’s probably not the best idea to hire a private car driver from a car rental platform for your business trip. There are simply too many unknowns.

Now we have a better choice is to choose a professional business private car driver, especially one who specializes in serving foreigners.

If you’re heading to Guangzhou for business, the best option is Guangzhou Private Driver. They’ve been helping foreigners with business trips in Guangzhou for many years. They’re not just a private driver for you—they’re more like a partner in China.

Benefits of Hiring Guangzhou Private Driver as a Personal Driver:

  • Convenience: It is very convenient to get the service. You just need a inquiry or chat on WhatsApp, then a perfect solution for your trip. Because you are chatting with the driver directly, not the middle man or a robot like the platform.
  • Productivity: You only need to provide the itinerary, and the driver will arrange everything else. You can then focus on your business work, which greatly improves your efficiency.
  • Luxury: The high-end luxury cars can give you the feeling of a business class, so that you will not be tired during your business trip. In addition, in the 7-seater business car, you can work without worries or lie down and rest for a while.
  • Safety: The drivers have many years of driving experience and are familiar with Guangzhou and surrounding cities. They can take you to your destination safely. The private cars they provided are the latest smart business cars with the most advanced smart driving systems, which provide an extra layer of safety for our travel.

Some Cases from Guangzhou Private Driver

Conclusion

Hiring a personal driver can be more expensive than a taxi because most drivers charge by the day.

Then how much does a personal driver cost exactly?

In Guangzhou City, usually the cost between $100 and $200 per day of hiring a personal driver on rental car platforms.

However, these drivers may not speak English or be able to translate. While some private drivers with good English can be found on international platforms, contacting them directly before booking might not be possible.

Fortunately, there’s another option for a comfortable business trip in Guangzhou or surrounding cities: Guangzhou Private Driver.

Guangzhou Private Driver is a professional personal chauffeur service for foreigners, although their cost is typically higher than what you’d find on platforms. However, they offer more than just chauffeur services.

If you want a comfortable and stress-free business trip in Guangzhou, you can contact Privatedriver.top.

With just a click or a chat on WhatsApp, you can get the quontation on how much does a personal driver cost and ensure a perfect solution for your business trip in Guangzhou.

 

Book Your Personal Chauffeur

Do you need a Personal Chauffeur for your business travel in China?

If you want a comfortable business trip in Guangzhou, please feel free to contact me!

My 7-seater luxury business van is always ready to serve you directly from your location whether it be Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dongguan, Foshan, Zhongshan or Zhuhai city!

7 seat business car