PHANTOM PRICES
Priced by the hour
All prices exclude VAT. Rolls-Royce cars are on request, and the hours and total are confirmed in writing before you book. See every car on our chauffeur prices guide.
INCLUDED
Every Phantom booking
- A chauffeur dressed for the evening. Dark suit, early arrival, and the door held at every stop.
- The car stays yours. Waiting near the venue is part of the hourly rate.
- Timings planned in advance. Drop points, curtain times and pickup times agreed before the day.
- Still water and chargers. The cabin prepared and at the right temperature before you step in.
- Discretion as standard. Your plans, guests and destinations are never shared.
THE PHANTOM GUIDE
Why people book the Phantom
What clients notice first in a Phantom is the room in the back: you sit upright in a deep seat with your legs stretched out, and the cabin is quiet enough to talk without raising your voice. The boot takes two large suitcases with space left for smaller bags, so the same car can meet you off a flight and take you out that evening. For complete privacy, some Phantom Extended cars carry the Privacy Suite, a glass partition between the front and rear seats that can be turned opaque; only a few cars have it, so ask and we will confirm in writing. Hotels with their own forecourt, such as The Dorchester on Park Lane and The Savoy on Savoy Court, let the car pull in off the street, so you step out in a calm drop off rather than at a busy kerb.
Clients choose the Phantom when the arrival is part of the occasion: a premiere, a charity gala, a milestone birthday, a wedding in town or a guest who deserves to be collected in style. If you are still choosing between models, our Rolls-Royce hire in London guide explains the range; this page is about the Phantom alone.
What it is like in the back
Passengers sit low and deep, behind rear doors hinged at the back, so you turn and step out facing the pavement rather than climbing out sideways. The standard car is around 5.76 metres long, and the Phantom Extended adds roughly 22 centimetres, all of it given to rear legroom. Depending on the car, you may find the Starlight Headliner, with fibre optic stars set into the roof lining, and the Gallery, a glass panel across the dashboard that can hold a piece of art.
Specifications vary from one Phantom to another, so tell the concierge if a particular feature matters to you and we will confirm in writing what your car has. You travel in a Rolls-Royce Phantom or similar.
Passengers and luggage
The Phantom carries up to four passengers, though most bookings use it for two or three in the rear. The boot suits evening bags, a change of shoes or a couple of cases for a short stay. If you are collecting a family with a lot of luggage, let the bags travel separately in a Mercedes V-Class so the Phantom stays uncluttered.
London arrivals that suit a Phantom
Opera, ballet and concerts
The Royal Opera House faces Bow Street in Covent Garden, and the Royal Albert Hall stands on Kensington Gore opposite Kensington Gardens. Both draw a crowd of cars and taxis at curtain down, which is when having your own chauffeur pays for itself: the car is brought round when you message, rather than you searching for a cab in the rain. From Mayfair, Covent Garden is usually around 10 to 20 minutes and the Royal Albert Hall around 10 to 25 minutes, depending on traffic.
Galas, livery dinners and hotel ballrooms
For black tie dinners we drop at the ballroom entrances of the Park Lane hotels, at Guildhall in the City for banquets and livery events, and at The Savoy, where cars on Savoy Court famously keep to the right. In Mayfair itself, the walk from Claridge's to dinner may be short, but a Phantom at the door is often the point. Our chauffeur in Mayfair guide covers the neighbourhood street by street.
City weddings
A Phantom suits a town wedding particularly well. The coach doors let a bride step out in a full dress without stooping, the long side profile frames photographs outside a church or register office, and the chauffeur knows when to move the car out of shot. Ribbons are available on request. For a country house venue with gravel drives and long distances, the raised Rolls-Royce Cullinan can be the better fit; our wedding car hire page explains how wedding days are planned.
A Phantom evening, hour by hour
Most Phantom bookings are evenings of four to five hours. A typical opera night might run like this: the chauffeur arrives at your home or hotel at 6pm and waits at the door; you are dropped in Covent Garden with time for a drink before the 7pm curtain; the car waits nearby through the performance; at around 10pm it is brought round, and you go on to dinner in Mayfair before being taken home. Four hours in all, from £700 plus VAT, with no meter running and no surprises at the end.
If the night runs on, simply tell the chauffeur. Extra time is charged at the same hourly rate, and extra stops cost nothing more than the time they take. For longer days with several engagements, our hourly chauffeur hire page explains how a full day is structured.
Phantom, Ghost or S-Class?
Choose the Phantom when you want the most formal arrival there is. The Rolls-Royce Ghost, which can be arranged where available, is shorter and more understated, a good choice for a business dinner where you would rather not make an entrance. For everyday executive travel, the Mercedes S-Class gives a quiet, comfortable ride at £90 an hour. You can compare every car on our fleet page.
| Rolls-Royce Phantom | Rolls-Royce Ghost | Mercedes S-Class | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mood | Formal, ceremonial | Discreet, understated | Polished, businesslike |
| Best for | Galas, opera, city weddings | Business dinners, quieter evenings | Meetings, airports, roadshows |
| Passengers | Up to 4 | Up to 4 | Up to 4 |
| Price, excluding VAT | From £175/hr | From £175/hr | £90/hr |
All cars have a three-hour minimum for hourly bookings. Prices exclude VAT.
HOW IT WORKS
Booking a Phantom
1
Send the details
The date, the venue, curtain or dinner times, and how many of you are travelling.
2
We check the Phantom
The concierge checks a Phantom for your date and confirms it on WhatsApp.
3
One written price
Hours, route and total set out clearly, excluding VAT, before you commit.
4
The door is held
Your chauffeur arrives early and stays with you until the last drop of the night.
PHANTOM QUESTIONS
Rolls-Royce Phantom hire: your questions
How much does it cost to hire a Rolls-Royce Phantom with a chauffeur in London?
Phantom hire starts from £175 an hour, excluding VAT, with a three-hour minimum. A three-hour booking starts from £525 plus VAT and a four-hour evening from £700 plus VAT. The chauffeur, fuel and waiting between stops are included, and the total is confirmed in writing before you book.
How many people can travel in a Phantom?
Up to four passengers, plus the chauffeur. Most clients use the rear seats for two or three and keep the front passenger seat free. For a larger party, a Mercedes V-Class can follow with up to six more guests.
Can I ask for a Phantom Extended or a Starlight Headliner?
You can ask, and we will tell you what is available for your date. Specifications differ from car to car, so we confirm the model and its features in writing when you book. You travel in a Rolls-Royce Phantom or similar.
Is the Phantom a good wedding car?
It is the classic choice. The rear-hinged doors make it easy to get in and out in a full dress, and the long body photographs beautifully outside a church or register office. Ribbons are available on request, and we plan waiting time during the ceremony and photographs and set timings for each part of the day.
Can the Phantom wait for me during an opera, a gala or a dinner?
Yes. Waiting is part of the hourly rate. The chauffeur parks nearby and brings the car back to the door when you send a message, so there is no queueing for a taxi when the evening ends.
Can I drive the Phantom myself?
No. Every Phantom we provide is driven by one of our own chauffeurs, who also looks after the car, the route and the timings.
How far ahead should I book a Phantom?
As early as you can for wedding season, summer Saturdays and December. Rolls-Royce cars are on request, so for anything at shorter notice message the concierge on WhatsApp and we will tell you straight away what is possible.