The practicalities that are easy to get wrong: how many people and cases actually fit, what a "day" means, and what happens if you want to keep the car longer.
We do not offer self-drive hire, and this is not a policy we are flexible about — it is what our vehicles are licensed and insured for. You are booking a car and a professional driver together.
A day trip is eight or nine hours door to door, from your hotel back to your hotel. That is service time, not driving time: the driver waits at each stop, and the hours you spend walking around are inside the price rather than charged on top.
Longji and Bajiao Zhai are nine-hour days because of the distance. The Li River cruise and the city tour are eight. Airport transfers are priced per trip, not per day.
Seat limits exclude the driver, and luggage is the constraint people underestimate. A 5-seat sedan carries three passengers comfortably but only two large cases. Three people with three large cases need the 7-seat MPV. Details on the cars page.
Three things can be added on top of the quoted price. All three are priced here, in advance, so you are never quoted "we will see" and charged at the end.
| Extra | Rate | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Extra hours | CNY 100 per hour about $15 |
Beyond the hours included in your day trip — usually 8 or 9. Tell the driver early in the day so he can check the vehicle is free; a driver cannot authorise it himself. |
| Extra mileage | CNY 5 per km about $0.76 |
Beyond the route we agreed. Adding a stop on the way, or a detour to somewhere not in the quote. The same rate for all three vehicle sizes. |
| English-speaking guide | CNY 600 per day about $91 |
If you want someone who walks with you into the attractions, rather than a driver who waits outside. Must be booked ahead, not arranged on the day. |
What does not cost extra: waiting time at each stop on a day trip, tolls, parking, airport waiting within the free window, a delayed flight, or a night arrival. Those are all inside the quoted price.
At the airport the driver waits in the arrivals hall, just outside baggage claim, holding a sign with your surname. He will not be at the kerb or in the car park — if you are looking for a car in the car park, you are looking in the wrong place.
Send your dates and route. We confirm the vehicle, the driver and a fixed price — usually within 2 hours.