subject: Getting Your Limousine With Or Without A Chauffeur [print this page] If you want to look like royalty or a celebrity, rent your limousine with a chauffeur. The rule of thumb is that driving is for peasants or at least that's what aristocrats claim. This adage traces it roots in way before the age of automobiles when you don't see rich people handling their horse-driven carriages.
They have hired hands to do that. It extended well into the 30s when limousines like a Duesenberg, Rolls Royce and Bugatti have special enclosed compartments exclusive for the passengers while the driver seats are often open top or exposed. No aristocrat would want to be caught dead in the driver seat.
Large limousines from Mercedes such as the Pullman 600 carried the tradition well into the 60s and 70s so that a chauffeur is standard in any limousine. But today, with the modern automobile advances of power steering, power brakes and ergonomic seating conditions, driving a limousine like a Mercedes S-Class or a BMW 7-series model can be a real pleasure. Lucky is the guy who can land a job driving one as a chauffeur.
So which one will it be? Are you renting a limousine with a chauffeur or without? The question is easily answered if you know where you'd be using the rented limousine.
The added expense of a chauffeur may also be a factor as you would need to spare some gratuity tips for the chauffeur at the end of the trip even if the cost of the chauffeur is already part of the rental cost.
Arriving in style
You certainly will need a chauffeur if the rented limousine is for a wedding. And if you are renting an expensive European marque, say a Bentley, a Rolls or a Maybach, rental firms require a chauffeur to come along as they can't or wouldn't trust such expensive vehicles entirely to their clients, unless you've been a frequent client for years.
If you want to be seen getting out of your car right in front of a reception or a hotel's red carpet entrance, get a chauffeur. Doormen open the passenger doors for you, not the driver's door. On special gala nights, you will want to get out of car in style and parking should really be the last thing on your mind. You could give the car to a valet, though.
When Privacy takes Primacy
Celebrating a honeymoon, an anniversary or an engagement would almost always prompt you to rent a limousine without a chauffeur. You will want to get your mate seated upfront while driving the car and a chauffeur will just be in the way.
