Hourly vs Point-to-Point
Car Service Chicago

Point-to-Point Car Service

A fixed fare from one location to one destination. The driver picks you up, takes you to your destination, and the trip ends. No waiting. No additional stops included.

Hourly Charter Service

You reserve the vehicle and chauffeur for a set number of hours. Go anywhere, as many stops as needed. The driver waits between stops. Minimum 3 hours.

Scenario 1: Full-Day Board Meeting Circuit

Willis Tower 9am → Law firm 30 S LaSalle 11am (wait 90 min) → Chicago Cut lunch 12:30pm → Merchandise Mart 2pm → O'Hare 5pm

Scenario 2: Solo Airport Transfer

O'Hare International Airport → Hotel in River North (40 min drive, no stops)

Scenario 3: Client Entertainment Evening

Waldorf pickup 6pm → Gibsons Steakhouse → United Center for Blackhawks 7pm → Bar stop → Hotel return 11pm

Scenario 4: Multi-Stop Investor Roadshow

10 stops across Chicago financial district over 9 hours — Citadel, CBOE, three law firms, two banks, lunch, afternoon debrief, O'Hare departure

What is the difference between hourly and point-to-point car service?

Point-to-point car service charges a fixed fare for a single trip from Address A to Address B — like O'Hare to the Waldorf Astoria Chicago. Hourly charter reserves the vehicle and chauffeur for a set number of hours, during which you can make unlimited stops. The vehicle and driver remain exclusively yours for the duration, with no additional charges per stop or destination change.

When is hourly car service the better value in Chicago?

Hourly is better value when you have three or more stops, when your schedule includes waiting time (meetings, events, dinners), when your schedule may change during the day, or when you're doing a roadshow. For a full day of board meetings across the Loop — say, Willis Tower at 9am, a law firm on South LaSalle at 11am, lunch at Chicago Cut, and Merchandise Mart at 2pm — hourly is considerably cheaper than four separate point-to-point trips.

When is point-to-point the better value?

Point-to-point is the better value for direct, single-leg trips with no anticipated waiting: an airport transfer from O'Hare to a hotel in River North, an evening pickup from a Gold Coast address to a Loop restaurant, or an office-to-Midway run. If you're going from one place to one other place with no stops, you'll pay less with point-to-point than reserving an hourly block.

What does an hourly minimum look like for Chicago executive car service?

Royal Carriage hourly service has a 3-hour minimum for sedans and SUVs. Full-day packages start at 8–10 hours. Hourly rates for executive sedans start at $85/hour; executive SUVs start at $105/hour. All hourly packages include unlimited stops within the Chicago metro area, fuel, tolls, and gratuity.

Can I switch from hourly to point-to-point during a trip?

If you've booked hourly, your vehicle is yours for the duration — you can add or remove stops without additional charges. You cannot switch billing models mid-trip, but if you book a point-to-point and realize you need additional stops at departure, call dispatch and we'll convert to hourly with the difference billed or credited as appropriate.

Is hourly or point-to-point better for a Chicago client entertainment evening?

Hourly is almost always better for client entertainment evenings. A typical evening — hotel pickup, dinner at Gibsons, transfer to United Center for a Blackhawks game, post-game bar stop, hotel return — involves 4–5 segments with waiting time at each. Booking this as four or five separate point-to-point trips would cost 40–60% more and require re-dispatch between each leg. A 5-hour hourly block covers the entire evening on schedule.