How To Hire A Limo

Maybe you’ve traveled by limousine for a hen-do, or with a group of friends for a prom night, but when it comes to booking your own embrace the experience and get excited for another fun journey and stylish arrive. If you’ve never hired a limo before, here are some important things to know before you pick up the phone or type ‘find me a limo!’ into Google.

What information should I have?

When contacting a limo hire company, make sure you’re prepared with the basic information about your event. You’ll need to be able to provide the date and time of the event in question, and how long you want to hire the limousine for.

But why do I need this?

At this point you probably only want a quote, but it wouldn’t make much sense to ask for a quote without knowing if the limo you want is available on the day and time that you want it!

Next, you need to know the size of the party that will be travelling in the car. It may be that you require a limo that will seat just a small group, or maybe you’ve got so many people you need 2 cars! The limo company will be able to advise you on how many people they can legally carry in each limo and you’ll be able to avoid the ‘sorry we’re only allowed 8 people, you’ll have to get a taxi’ moment…

Name the occasion

When contacting hire companies, make sure you explain what the occasion is, as some companies charge different hourly rates based on the type of event (why do they do this? Well keep on reading!). Many hire companies will provide package deals for events with predictable start and end times, whereby you’re able to hire the car for a fixed duration. This often works out cheaper, and makes the whole process incredibly easy. However, for events which have a flexible end time will obviously incur more costs. Weddings can unfortunately fall into this precinct because ceremonies can often over-run for any number of factors.

Shop around
Like anything in life, it’s always nice to get the best deal available; so do ‘shop around’ for quotes when deciding which company to go with. Don’t be afraid to tell companies about other, cheaper quotes you may have had, as many will be eager to try and beat their competitors’ prices; or even throw in some extras like free soft drinks or bubbly.

Be wary, though, if the price seems too good to be true.. Some companies charge additional, add-on prices for fuel or services fees which are not included in the advertised price, so make sure you’re aware of this when comparing quotes. Additionally make smart choices on the TYPE of limo company you go with. If you’d like to know more about the differences between brokers and actual car owners check out our wedding car guide here. where the two are directly compared.

Are there different types of limos?

Aside from the size of your party, the choice of limo is completely down to you and which type of car best suits you and your groups’ style. Whether you’re after a classic, elegant look in a stretched town car for your bridal party, or a stretched Hummer for the ultimate stag-do experience, the look, feel and features of your ride should be all about you and your party. If you need ideas or inspiration, have a look at some of the ASL fleet on our limo hire page.

Planning ahead

Attention to detail is really important. Once you’ve decided on a hire company, make sure you let them know well in advance exactly what it is you’re after. From the drinks in your car, the route the driver takes to the venue right down to the music being played on your journey, the right company will want to ensure you get exactly what you want for your agreed price.
Remember – once you find a car and service that suits you with a company you trust, make sure you move quickly with your booking. Limousines are extremely popular, so to avoid missing out on hiring one for your event, get planning at least a month in advance (and as for weddings, along with the rest of the preparation, we’d recommend a few months to avoid disappointment!).

Organise the pick-up and drop-off points with the driver well in advance, and take their mobile number so you can give them a quick call on the day to make sure there are no problems.

Then, it’s time to sit back, relax and enjoy that glass of bubbly in style!