We all know the feeling. You arrive at the airport flustered from a long flight and unexpected delays, pick up your rental car and head off to your important meeting. Except you have no idea where to go and your GPS seems none the wiser either.

At times like these, we all wish we’d chosen a chauffeur service instead. Yet, is hiring a chauffeur always a better way to travel?

Despite recent setbacks, the US car hire industry is still set to reach a projected value of $214.04 billion within the next ten years. So they must be doing something right.

Let’s take an objective look at these two modes of transport, so next time you know.

Are Car Rentals Better?

At face value, hiring a rental car’s cheaper than a chauffeur-driven vehicle, if you don’t count the costs of fuel, insurance, and parking that is.

At times, a rental car may also be more convenient. For instance, if you’re on a family trip and you want the freedom to explore. However, on a business trip, a chauffeur-driven car offers more privacy and less stress.

Of course, the biggest benefit of rental cars is convenience. There are car hire agencies everywhere and you can pick up and drop off your rental car in almost any city across the nation.

One of the benefits of hiring a car is that you can drive it around as if it were your own, without time or distance limitations. Yet not all chauffeur services are a one-way affair.

According to BTS Limousine service, you can hire a limousine and chauffeur to transport you where and when you please for an entire evening, so that’s pretty much the same thing – only better.

Of course, chauffeur services offer a few more benefits too.

Benefits of a Chauffeur Service

It’s bad enough when you get lost while driving a rental car. Imagine how you’d feel if the vehicle broke down?

When you hire a chauffeur-driven vehicle you never have to worry about getting stranded on the side of the road alone in a strange city. Besides that, breakdowns are exceptionally rare with these well-maintained, low-mileage luxury vehicles.

A taxi or Uber may offer many of the same benefits that a chauffeur-driven car does, but there’s no comparison when it comes to luxury.

Limousines and other chauffeur-driven vehicles offer incomparable space and comfort. You can even catch up on paperwork or check your emails en-route if you’re in town on a work trip.

You don’t need to worry about the rules of the road or foreign road signs when you aren’t behind the wheel, especially in countries where people drive on the left-hand side of the road.

There’s a lot less paperwork involved when you hire a chauffeur service too. Once you’ve paid your fare, you don’t have to worry about extra costs for insurance or gas.