FAQ

General & Booking Questions

1. Can I order a car to take me to a restaurant and a separate order to take me back so I am not paying for the driver in-between? – YES 
2. Can I be notified when my car arrives? – Yes, your chauffeur can either call you or SMS you on arrival, or wait with a name-board in the car or ring a door bell. Please specify your requirements upon booking.
3. How do I book? – Telephone: + 44 1277 280674 or Book online securely.
4. How far in advance do I need to book? – We have taken bookings an hour before the journey but we do suggest that you make your booking as soon as you have made your travel plans in case we have a busy period.
5. Can I set up an account/pay by invoice? – Yes, we are able to set up a business account for you. You may be invoiced per trip or per month, please contact the office for more details.
6. Do young children count as passengers? – Yes
7. When do I pay for my booking? – We will require 25% deposit to secure your booking and the remainder is taken 7 days before your journey. If your journey is at short notice we will take all payments before travel.
8. I’m bringing a baby, do you provide baby/child seats? – Yes, we have baby and child seats available, please request them on booking. You will have to fit these yourselves according to the law. And of course, no extra charge.
9. How do I know my booking is confirmed? – Once we receive payment, we will send you an invoice to confirm receipt of deposit and amount left to be paid, and this will confirm all booking details. 
10. Do you take credit cards? – Yes, we take all major credit cards. With Amex and Visa there is a 3% charge. There is no charge for debit cards.
11. Are fares listed per person or per car load? – All fares are per carload. We will happily do shared rides (multiple stops) for rates that save each party money, but the cost will be a bit more than the regular fare. No extra charge for an extra stop in close proximity.
12. Do you do long distance trips and tours? – Yes! Please call or email for quotations, and remember our fares are calculated per carload and not per passenger.
13. Do you do last minute / short notice transfers or tours? – Yes! Please contact us for any short notice requests.
14. Can the chauffeur stay with me for a whole day or a longer period of time? – Yes, you can hire the chauffeur for as long as you require but we do charge a minimum of 3 hours for our vehicles if they are as directed

Pricing and Tariff FAQ

1. Will my vehicle be clean? – All vehicles are washed daily and are regularly valeted.
2. Will my vehicle be safe? – Safety is always our top priority. All of are vehicles have 6 monthly MOT’s. They are also serviced regularly as specified by the manufacturers requirements for that particular car. It is also the chauffeurs responsibility to check the oil, coolants and tyre pressures on a daily basis.
3. Will the vehicle have umbrellas available? – Yes
4. Do you offer a discount if I book regularly, or have numerous cars that I require? – Yes, we do provide discounts. Please speak to our team about this.
5. Do your prices include VAT? – VAT is extra at 20%
6. Are there extra charges for bank holidays or Christmas? – We only charge extra on Christmas day and new years day.
7. Does the price include a drivers tip / gratuity? – No, tipping is totally at your discretion.
8. Is there a cancellation charge in case I need to cancel the booking? – Please see our cancellation terms and conditions.
9. Do you charge for alterations to the booking? – We only charge extra if you are taking a longer journey or extending your period of hire
10. Do you charge waiting time? – Yes, waiting time is charged on an hourly rate depending on the type of vehicle. We divide the hourly rate into 15 minute segments

Chauffeur and Driver FAQ

1. Will the chauffeur drive in excess of any speed limits? – Absolutely not! None of our chauffeurs will ever speed.
2. Will the chauffeur drive gently and considerately? – The chauffeur will always drive at safe and sensible speeds in accordance with road conditions, traffic and the legal speed limits.
3. Will my chauffeur respect my privacy and confidentiality? – Absolutely. All of our chauffeurs have signed confidentiality agreements (non disclosure agreements) with Diamond Luxury Travel. What is said in the car, stays in the car.
4. Will my chauffeur chat to passenger(s)? – Our chauffeurs will be polite and discreet at all times. If the passenger would like to talk or ask questions then the chauffeur will then happily respond.
5. Will my chauffeur use a mobile phone whilst driving? – Absolutely not! This is against the law.
6. Will my chauffeur open doors for the passengers? – Absolutely. Not only is this more courteous, it is safer for the passengers too.
7. Will my chauffeur carry my luggage? – Yes, your chauffeur will always offer to help carry your bags and luggage.
8. Will my chauffeur be smart and wear a suit and tie? – Absolutely! They always wear dark suits, shirt and tie.
9. Do your chauffeurs/drivers speak any other languages apart from English? – Yes, some of our chauffeurs speak other languages, please ask upon booking about this. We can also provide interpreters for business journeys or tours at an extra cost. All of our chauffeurs speak English.
10. Will my chauffeur be licensed? – All chauffeurs will have a valid driving license. Except for a few wedding chauffeurs all of our chauffeurs are licensed by the PCO (Public Carriage Office) and have had a CRB check

Vehicle FAQ

1. Can I charge my phone in the vehicle? – Car-chargers for Blackberries, iPhones and some other mobile phones are available in car.
2. Will bottled water be available in the vehicle? – Absolutely. Provided free of charge to our clients
3. How old are your vehicles? – Apart from our vintage vehicles, our cars are usually less than 3 years old.
4. I hate to smell smoke in a car, is the car non smoking? – Yes! We will however cheerfully stop for smoke breaks as requested.
5. Can I eat and drink in the vehicle? – Water is provided in all of our vehicles but unfortunately we do not permit eating.
6. Do your cars have on-board entertainment? – All cars have radio and CD, please ask the driver if you wish to have music on in the vehicle. Some of our vehicles have DVD and Wifi. If this is one of your requirements please specify when booking the vehicle.

Airport FAQ

1. How will we meet the chauffeur at the airport? – After your clear customs look for your chauffeur who will be holding a sign or name-board. The chauffeur will also send you an SMS just before your flight lands if you have provided a mobile contact number. If for some reason you can’t find us, please call +44 1277 280673 or the chauffeurs mobile number will be on your booking confirmation. Please do not leave the terminal and go outside before you find us.
2. If my flight arrives early, will my chauffeur be there? – Yes, we monitor all flights so we will do our best to arrive early.
3. What can I do if my flight it seriously delayed and I do not have new flight details? – Just email or call us and keep in touch until we have the new details.
4. How long does it take to get from Heathrow Airport or Gatwick Airport into Central London? – Heathrow to Central London takes 60 minutes and Gatwick to Central London 80 minutes, depending on the time of day and traffic conditions.
5. What happens if my flight details change? – Please call or email us and we will update your booking with the new details.
6. Do fares include parking and tolls? – Parking and tolls are not included, they will be added to your final invoice but are kept to a minimum.
7. How long before my flight should I arrive at the terminal? – Normally you should aim to arrive 2-3 hours before your flight unless you are on a domestic flight. But always check this with your airline.
8. What happens if my flight is delayed? – We will monitor your flight and arrive half an hour after the plane has landed to save on any waiting time. If for any reason you are then delayed further, hold ups at Customs etc, waiting time is charged at an hourly rate, depending on which type of vehicle) we divide the hour into 15 minute segments.
9. Can you guarantee that the car will be on time? – Your chauffeur will normally arrive 15 minutes before your designated pick up time. Should the driver be delayed due to traffic conditions or breakdown, we will call you and report the situation.
10. How will we meet the chauffeur at the airport? – After you clear customs look for your chauffeur who will be holding a sign or name-board. The chauffeur will also send you an SMS just before your flight lands if you have provided a mobile contact number. If for some reason you can’t find us, please call44 1277 280673 or the chauffeurs mobile number will be on your booking confirmation. Please do not leave the terminal and go outside before you find us.

Wedding FAQ

1. Can you provide a car for the Bride and Groom after the wedding reception to their wedding night accommodation? – Yes, we can offer this at additional cost. You may wish to book a different car for this journey to save money.
2. Are wedding cars limited in the amount of trips they make for the wedding party? – Our wedding cars are booked on a time basis and are available to you throughout the duration of your wedding and are available for photos or anything else we can help you with during that time, including multiple journeys for other wedding guests. Should additional time be required this is normally no problem and you will be charged an hourly rate which we divide into 15 minute segments.