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What Does a Chauffeur Cost in Ireland?

By Shane Dowling, managing director
Updated 2 November 2026 · 8 min read

Say you land at Shannon with your partner and two suitcases and need to be in Killarney by mid-afternoon. One Irish operator publishes €270 for that run, another starts at €405, and the taxi desk says it depends on the meter. They are pricing different cars and different inclusions.

This guide explains how chauffeur pricing works in Ireland and what the market charges, using prices Irish operators publish on their own websites, with the NTA's maximum taxi fare as a yardstick. Every figure was checked in November 2026.

Short answer: Going by Irish operators' own published prices (checked November 2026), a private chauffeur costs about €90 to €145 from Dublin Airport to the city centre, €110 to €160 from Shannon Airport to Adare and €270 to €405 from Shannon to Killarney, depending on the car. By the hour, a Mercedes V-Class is advertised at €90 to €120 an hour with a two-hour minimum. Passenger transport is exempt from VAT, so nothing should be added on top for VAT.

The five ways chauffeurs price a job

  • Per transfer. A fixed price from A to B for the whole vehicle, not per person. Most airport runs are sold this way.
  • Hourly. For meetings, dinners or anything with stops. The four operators we found publishing hourly rates all set a two-hour minimum.
  • Half day. Usually up to four hours.
  • Full day. A set number of hours, often with a mileage allowance (Premier Chauffeur Drive's V-Class day covers 160km, then €1.50 per km).
  • Multi-day tour. Day rate times days, plus the driver's accommodation each night and sometimes meals. Premier Chauffeur Drive lists €100 a night for chauffeur accommodation. Some operators build it into the day rate, so ask.

What the market charges: published transfer prices

Other operators' prices, from their own websites in November 2026. "From" is a starting price for the smallest car. These are not our prices.

JourneyOperator (own website)Published price
Shannon Airport to Adare (about 43km)Easy Transfer€110 car (up to 3), €160 minibus (up to 7)
Shannon Airport to AdareIrish TransferFrom €130, executive saloon, up to 2
Shannon Airport to Killarney (about 130km)Easy Transfer€270 car (up to 3), €330 minibus (up to 7)
Shannon Airport to KillarneyIrish TransferFrom €405, executive saloon, up to 2
Dublin Airport to city centre (about 15km)Lark ChauffeursE-Class €90 to €97, V-Class €120
Dublin Airport to city centreFalcon Premium ChauffeurBusiness Class €90, V-Class €130
Dublin Airport to city centrePremier Chauffeur DriveV-Class €130
Dublin Airport to city centreDublin ChauffeursE-Class €125, V-Class €145 (tunnel and tolls extra)

Hourly, half-day and day rates

Operator (own website)VehiclePublished rate
Lark ChauffeursE-Class / V-Class€70 / €90 an hour, 2-hour minimum
Elite Chauffeurs, Compton ChauffeursE-Class / V-Class€70 / €90 an hour, 2-hour minimum
Falcon Premium ChauffeurE-Class / V-Class€70 / €120 an hour, 2-hour minimum
Premier Chauffeur DriveV-Class (Dublin)€260 half day, €520 day, €100 a night driver accommodation
Irish TransferExecutive saloonHalf day (up to 4 hours) from €450, full day from €750

What drives the price

The vehicle

A people carrier costs more than a saloon: Lark Chauffeurs charges €470 in an E-Class and €560 in a V-Class for the same Dublin to Adare Manor run.

Distance and the empty return leg

You pay for the whole time the car and driver are tied up, including the empty drive home. That is why Shannon to Killarney costs well over double Shannon to Adare.

Time of day

Dublin Chauffeurs adds 25% between 22:30 and 05:30 and Premier Chauffeur Drive adds 20% between midnight and 6am, while Easy Transfer and Irish Transfer say they charge no night surcharge.

Waiting

Irish Transfer includes 30 minutes of waiting and Falcon 60 minutes from landing on airport pickups. Beyond that, ask how waiting is charged.

Tolls and parking

Irish Transfer and Premier Chauffeur Drive include tolls and parking; Dublin Chauffeurs charges tunnel and tolls on top. The sums are small (the Limerick Tunnel is €2.30 for a car in 2026), but they test whether a quote is truly all-in.

Seasons and big events

Summer weekends and big sporting weeks fill diaries first. The 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor runs from 13 to 19 September 2027, with matches on 17 to 19 September. None of the operators above publishes event-week pricing, so get a fixed quote in writing early. See our Ryder Cup transport guide.

VAT: should a chauffeur quote include it?

No. Revenue lists passenger transport as exempt from VAT (Schedule 1, paragraph 14(3), VAT Consolidation Act 2010). Its limousine hire entry says hire of a vehicle with a driver for a single charge "is normally regarded as Exempt passenger transport", and vehicle hire with driver is listed as exempt for passenger transport, including limousines and taxis. If a quote adds VAT, ask why. For a business, there is no VAT to reclaim either.

The taxi comparison: NTA maximum fares

Taxi fares are capped nationally by the National Transport Authority (NTA). The current maximum has applied since 1 December 2024 (checked November 2026), and drivers may not charge more than the meter.

ElementStandard (8am to 8pm, Mon to Sat)Premium (8pm to 8am, Sundays, public holidays)
Initial charge (first 500m or 85 seconds)€4.40€5.40
Tariff A, up to 15km or 43 minutes€1.32 per km or €0.47 per minute€1.81 per km or €0.64 per minute
Tariff B, after that€1.72 per km or €0.61 per minute€2.20 per km or €0.78 per minute
Booking fee if you pre-book€3€3

A higher Special rate applies from midnight to 4am on weekend nights and over Christmas and New Year.

Worked through on distance alone (slow traffic adds time charges), our rough calculations are:

  • Shannon Airport to Limerick city (about 26km): about €43 by day, €56 at night
  • Shannon Airport to Adare (about 43km): about €72 by day, €93 at night
  • Shannon Airport to Killarney (about 130km): about €220 to €230 by day, €285 to €290 at night
  • Dublin Airport to the city centre (about 15km): from about €24 by day, before traffic

On long runs, note that a taxi driver may reasonably refuse a journey of more than 30km.

When a taxi is the better choice

For one person with a carry-on, a taxi is usually cheaper: roughly €43 on the daytime meter from Shannon to Limerick city against published chauffeur prices of €75 and up. Shannon Airport has a taxi desk in arrivals, and Bus Éireann runs frequent direct coaches to Limerick and Ennis. A chauffeur earns its price with groups, golf clubs and heavy luggage, very early or late flights, long runs and days with several stops.

How to compare quotes

  • All-in. Tolls, parking, waiting, night surcharges and child seats (Falcon charges €30 for one), for the whole vehicle.
  • The right vehicle. Say exactly how many people and bags, golf clubs included.
  • Licensed. Cars and people carriers need an NTA small public service vehicle (SPSV) licence; a limousine licence covers pre-booked work at an agreed fare. Vehicles for nine or more paying passengers need a road transport operator licence from the Department of Transport. Check SPSV licences on the NTA public register or TFI Driver Check app, or read how to check an operator is licensed.
  • Insured. SPSVs need specific SPSV insurance. Ask for proof the vehicle is insured to carry paying passengers.
  • In writing. The NTA says a pre-agreed fare should be recorded in writing, and a limousine driver may not charge more than the agreed fare.

Questions people ask

How much does a chauffeur cost per hour in Ireland?

Published rates (checked November 2026) are €70 an hour for a Mercedes E-Class and €90 to €120 for a V-Class, with a two-hour minimum.

Is a chauffeur cheaper than a taxi?

Not for one or two people on a short trip: Shannon to Limerick city is roughly €43 on the daytime meter against €75 and up from chauffeur operators. For a group with luggage, one larger vehicle can cost about the same as two taxis.

Do chauffeur services in Ireland charge VAT?

No. Revenue treats passenger transport, including hire of a vehicle with a driver for a single charge, as exempt from VAT.

Do I pay for the driver's hotel on a multi-day tour?

Usually, either inside the day rate or per night (Premier Chauffeur Drive lists €100 a night). Ask for it in the quote.

Should I tip a chauffeur in Ireland?

It is not required. Compton Chauffeurs suggests €10 to €20 for an airport transfer and €20 to €50 for a full day; Specialized Travel suggests at least €100 to €150 a day on private tours.

Will chauffeur prices be higher during the 2027 Ryder Cup?

No operator we checked publishes Ryder Cup pricing. The event runs from 13 to 19 September 2027, so book early and get a fixed quote in writing.

Dowling Executive Travel is a licensed chauffeur company based in Limerick, working nationwide, 24/7, with a Mercedes S-Class, a V-Class (up to 6 passengers, or 4 golfers with clubs) and a 16-seat Sprinter. You get a fixed quote agreed in advance, flight tracking and meet and greet, and drivers can stay with a group on multi-day tours. Send your flight details or dates through the quote form, email info@det.ie or call 085 164 0618.

Related: Airport transfers · Minibus hire costs · Shannon Airport to Killarney · Dublin Airport to Adare and Limerick · Ryder Cup 2027 transport

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