Limousine and executive car

A stretch limousine or an executive car

A stretch limousine is celebratory transport: it is there to make an impression, not to get you from A to B. At a wedding, a birthday or an evening out it fits; at a business meeting, rarely.

An executive saloon is the opposite - it works without being noticed. Comfort, quiet and punctuality, without drawing attention. Most of the requests we get are for exactly this format.

Who is behind the wheel

An executive car is driven by a chauffeur who knows the format: dressed formally, opens the door for you, loads the luggage and does not talk unless you start the conversation. That is a skill in its own right, and not every driver has it.

Our chauffeurs speak basic English, and some speak Russian too. If you need history told or interpreting done in the car, that is a guide's job, and we will add a guide separately.

Vehicle classes

The saloon is business class, for one to three passengers with two large suitcases. That is the standard for an airport transfer and a business day, and it is what we offer most often.

A top-class saloon is a separate category - more rear legroom, more quiet. There are only a limited number in the city, so it needs booking early.

A minivan takes up to seven passengers and is often better than a saloon: a family or small group travels together, and the seats face each other, which makes conversation in the car easier.

A stretch limousine: where it can go and where it cannot

A stretch limousine cannot get into the narrow streets of Old Tbilisi - the turns there are too tight. So if your hotel or restaurant is in the old quarter, the car stops on the nearest wide street.

On mountain roads it is no use at all: the low ground clearance and the length are not safe on hairpin bends. For an event outside the city we choose a different format.

Parking is a separate question too. Not every car park can take a long car, so we check the route in advance - where it stops, where it waits and where it turns round.

Weddings

At a Georgian wedding a convoy of cars is a tradition: the cars travel together, often sounding their horns, and it is part of the wedding just as much as the supra. We put that convoy together in one style, with decorated cars.

The day's schedule is tight: the church ceremony, a photo session at city viewpoints, then the venue. The drivers know the schedule in advance, and every leg is timed, traffic included.

Decorating the car - flowers, ribbons - is our part, and we choose the style with the couple. The flowers are fixed so that they do not damage the paintwork and nothing falls off on the way.

By the hour and by the day

Hiring by the hour is better when you do not know the plan exactly: meetings that may run over, or an evening whose end is unknown. The car and driver are at your disposal for that time.

The minimum is a few hours, because the car is freed from other bookings for that period. Waiting is included - the driver waits by the car and does not leave.

A day hire usually covers eight to ten hours. If the day is longer, we work that out in advance, because it affects the driver's working hours.

The driver's working hours

We do not keep one driver at the wheel for sixteen hours. That is a safety rule, not a matter of comfort: a tired driver at night on a mountain road is the biggest risk there is.

If the day is very long - from a morning flight to a late-night dinner - we plan a second driver to take the evening shift. You will barely notice, and the car stays the same.

On a trip of several days, the same driver throughout is best - they get used to your rhythm. But their rest is counted every day as well, and we build that into the route.

A wine day

A wine day in Kakheti is one of the most common reasons for hiring an executive car: you taste, and the driver does not drink. There are no exceptions to that - our rule is stricter than the law.

The wine you buy stays in the boot, but in summer it gets very hot in there. So on a wine day we put a cool bag in the car, so the bottles reach the hotel undamaged.

If you are taking wine home, we will also give you advice on packing it in a suitcase. A bottle breaks on a plane most often precisely because of poor packing.

A business day

On a business day the car becomes an office: between meetings you read a document, take a call or simply rest. The driver knows the addresses and times in advance and asks you nothing.

If a meeting runs over, the driver waits - that is the point of an hourly hire. If the next address changes, just say so; they will work out the new route themselves.

Conversations held in the car stay in the car. The driver does not listen, does not repeat and does not write anything down - that is part of the profession, and it is how we choose them.

An executive car in the mountains

In winter a saloon is no good for Kazbegi or Gudauri: low ground clearance, ice and snow make it a risk. At those times we offer a premium SUV with winter tyres.

The SUV gives the same comfort - leather seats, quiet, climate control - but with four-wheel drive. The driver has mountain-road experience, and that matters as much as the car.

In summer a saloon can manage the main mountain roads. But if the route includes an unpaved stretch - up to Gergeti Trinity Church, for example - an SUV is still needed there.

Luggage and the size of the car

A business saloon's boot takes two large suitcases. If there are three of you and each has a large case, a saloon is already too tight, and a minivan is better.

When travelling with a lot of luggage - on a long stay or a relocation, for example - we offer a separate car for the bags. You ride in the executive car, and the luggage goes straight to the hotel.

A stretch limousine, surprisingly, has little room for luggage. It is a celebration car, and we do not recommend it for an airport transfer with suitcases.

An evening in town

In the evening a car with a driver is worth it most when you are visiting several places: dinner in one, a wine bar in another, a view of the city at night in a third. The driver waits for you at each.

On New Year's Eve and major holidays, cars and drivers are booked up early and the city is jammed. For an evening like that we suggest booking several weeks ahead.

At the end of the night the driver takes you to the hotel door, and you do not have to hunt for a taxi late at night. That is the small thing that is valued most at the end of an evening.

Quiet and confidentiality

For well-known people or sensitive meetings, choosing the car is often choosing quiet. Tinted windows, an unremarkable colour and a driver who remembers nothing.

If needed, the driver signs a confidentiality agreement. It is a rare request but a normal one, and we always meet it.

If discretion is the priority, a stretch limousine is exactly the choice you do not need - it draws attention. An ordinary business saloon is far better here.

Insurance and the condition of the car

Every car is insured, and passenger insurance applies as well. We confirm this in writing when you book, because it is a question corporate clients often ask.

We do not send an old car under a "premium" label. The car is clean, there is water and a charger inside, and the climate control is on before the passenger gets in.

If a car breaks down on the way - rare, but it happens - a replacement comes. In the city that usually takes less than an hour.

When it is not worth it

For a short trip across town a ride-hailing app is perfectly adequate and far cheaper. An executive car cannot justify itself there, and we will tell you so directly.

For a tour, where history and context are what matter, an ordinary minivan with a guide gives you far more than a limousine without one. The class of the car cannot change the substance of the trip.

And a stretch limousine is not worth it wherever the route passes through an old quarter or into the mountains - it simply cannot get there. In that case we will suggest another format.

Batumi and Kutaisi

Executive cars are available in Batumi, but in summer demand is high, especially at weekends and in the wedding season. Booking early is essential there.

In Kutaisi there are fewer top-class cars. If needed, we send a car from Tbilisi - that takes extra time and shows as a separate line in the price.

If the trip runs between cities, the most logical thing is one car and one driver for the whole route. That is more convenient and often cheaper too.

Booking and lead times

For a saloon or a minivan 24 hours is usually enough. For a top-class saloon or a premium SUV, a few days, because there are few of them in the city.

A stretch limousine or a wedding convoy is booked weeks ahead. In the wedding season - autumn and summer Saturdays - even months ahead is not excessive.

A guarantee of the model is a separate question. We always confirm the class; the specific model, when we can. If the model matters to you, tell us in advance.

Delays and cancellations

If you are running late, the driver waits - on an hourly hire that time simply counts. On a transfer a certain amount of waiting is included, and we tell you how much when you book.

If we are late, that is our responsibility, and we do not hide it. The driver is normally on site fifteen minutes early, precisely so that traffic does not wreck the plan.

Cancellation up to 24 hours ahead is free. For a wedding or a large event the terms are different and written into the contract, because the cars are booked for the whole day.

What we need from you

The date, the time, the number of passengers and the luggage. For an airport transfer, the flight number; for a business day, a rough list of addresses.

For a wedding, the day's schedule: the church, the photo locations, the venue and the number of guests who need a car. We plan the convoy from that schedule.

And if you have any special requirement - a particular model, a child seat, a confidentiality agreement - tell us when you book, not on the day of travel.

Families and older passengers

A child seat is as compulsory in an executive car as in any other. We choose it by age and weight, and the driver fits it in advance so no time is lost on the spot.

For an older passenger the height of the car matters. Getting into a low saloon can be difficult, and climbing into a tall SUV even more so. The most comfortable option is often a minivan with a sliding door.

If a passenger uses a wheelchair, a folding chair fits in the boot, but we check that in advance. The driver helps with getting in and out, without hurrying.

From the airport in an executive car

On an airport transfer the driver usually waits for you by the car or at the exit. If you want someone to meet you inside the terminal and help with the luggage, that is the meet-and-greet service, and we add it separately.

The two together are the most common combination: a representative in the terminal, the driver by the car, and you do not wait for a single minute. Parking fees are included.

We track the actual flight time, so on a delay the driver arrives at the new time. That rule applies to every transfer we run, whatever the class of car.

Photo sessions and stops on the way

For a wedding or family photo session the car is often part of the shot. The photographer wants the car in a particular spot at a particular angle - and in the city that is not possible everywhere.

The driver knows where a short stop by a viewpoint is allowed and where it is not, and where it will not hold up traffic. We agree the photo locations with the photographer in advance.

The best light is early in the morning and just before sunset, and both times coincide with rush hour. So we plan the photo session into the schedule with a margin, so the next stage does not run late.