Pre-book a chauffeur, give the correct flight number and agree the meeting point in writing. Include your passenger count and luggage details so the vehicle suits your group. Choose meet and greet if you want help inside the terminal, and confirm that the operator monitors your flight and sends you the driver’s contact details before you travel.
TL;DR:
- Book several days ahead, with more lead time for school holidays, major events, and early morning departures, when demand is highest.
- Choose a minibus when your party is larger or luggage is bulky; a family vehicle with child seats avoids last minute juggling.
- Request airport assistance at least 48 hours before travel, and tell the operator about wheelchair needs, child seats, and oversized luggage in writing.
- Taxis booked by phone or app carry a €3 booking fee plus the metered fare; hackney and limousine fares must be agreed in writing.
- Airlines must provide meals and hotel accommodation for significant delays or cancellations; keep receipts for reasonable costs and alert your transfer operator promptly.
Table of Contents
- What should you give the operator when you book?
- How do chauffeurs differ from taxis, hackneys and minibuses?
- Where will your driver meet you?
- What should you do on the day of travel?
- How do you book assistance and special requests?
- What does it cost, and what do the rules say?
- What if your flight is delayed, cancelled or diverted?
- Why can you rely on this guidance?
- Why is a written meeting point worth more than a cheaper fare?
- How can we help with your airport transfer?
- FAQ
- Sources
What should you give the operator when you book?
A reliable pickup starts with complete booking details. The operator can only plan around what you tell them.
- Flight number and scheduled time: this lets the operator track your flight and adjust the pickup if it lands early or late.
- Passenger count: it decides which vehicle is sent.
- Luggage: include large cases, golf bags, sports kit and pushchairs.
- Special requests: child seats, wheelchair access, extra stops or a name board.
- Contact number: use one that works on arrival, ideally with roaming enabled.
Book as early as your plans allow. Several days ahead is sensible for most trips, and longer for school holidays, major events and early-morning departures, when demand is highest. A wrong or missing flight number can cause tracking to fail, so check it against your confirmation email before you submit.
How do chauffeurs differ from taxis, hackneys and minibuses?
The right service depends on your group, your luggage and how much you want handled for you.
- Chauffeur or private transfer: typically includes meet and greet, flight tracking, luggage help and a price agreed before you travel. Our chauffeur service guide sets out what to expect.
- Taxi: can be hired at a rank or pre-booked, and the fare follows the meter. It suits a short, spontaneous trip with light luggage.
- Hackney: pre-booked only, with the fare agreed before the journey.
- Minibus: the practical choice once you have a larger party or bulky luggage, because it keeps everyone and everything in one vehicle. Our minibus capacity guide helps you match seats to cases.
For a standard family trip, a family-friendly vehicle with child seats removes a lot of last-minute juggling.
Where will your driver meet you?
Transfers commonly use either meet and greet or curbside pickup. With meet and greet, the driver waits in the arrivals area with a name board and helps with your bags. With curbside pickup, you collect your luggage, walk to an agreed set-down point and meet the vehicle there. Meet and greet suits first-time visitors, families and anyone arriving tired. Curbside suits confident travellers with light bags who want the simplest handover.
Airports differ in where drivers may wait, whether that is the arrivals hall, a set-down lane or a car park, so never assume. Before you travel, make sure your written confirmation states:
- The exact meeting point and whether it is meet and greet or curbside.
- The driver’s name and mobile number.
- The vehicle make, colour and registration.
- The operator’s contact number for problems.
Pro Tip: Reply to your confirmation with the meeting point restated in your own words. Any mismatch shows up before you fly, not at the arrivals door.
What should you do on the day of travel?
A few small habits prevent most travel-day failures. Our guide to flight-tracked transfers at a regional airport shows how this works in practice.
- Screenshot your booking confirmation, including the driver’s name, number and vehicle details. Airport wi-fi and roaming signals can be unreliable.
- Save the driver’s number in your phone contacts so it works offline.
- Check your flight status yourself as well. Operator tracking is reliable, but your own check costs nothing.
- If your flight is delayed or diverted, message the operator early so they can replan.
- Ask about the free-wait allowance when you book. Our guide to return transfers and free waiting time explains the common arrangements.
- Keep your passport, luggage tags and a charged phone to hand as you leave the terminal.
How do you book assistance and special requests?
If you need help at the airport, ask for it at the booking stage. The Irish Aviation Authority recommends requesting assistance at least 48 hours before travel, and notes designated help points at airports where you can announce your arrival to assistance teams.
- Wheelchair-accessible vehicles: state the wheelchair type, whether you can transfer to a seat and any ramp requirements. Our wheelchair-accessible transfer guide covers the booking steps.
- Child seats and boosters: specify the age and weight of each child.
- Extra luggage space: list oversized items so the right vehicle is allocated.
- Written confirmation: get every special request confirmed in writing, not agreed by phone alone.
What does it cost, and what do the rules say?
In Ireland, taxis, hackneys and limousines are small public service vehicles regulated by the National Transport Authority. Transport for Ireland sets out the basics.
- Taxis use a taximeter for street hires.
- Hackneys and limousines are pre-booked, with fares agreed in writing before the journey.
- Keep your receipt or meter printout.
- Check the driver and vehicle licence details, and expect reasonable help with your luggage.
Taxis booked by phone or app carry a €3 pre-booking fee, and you pay the full metered or pre-agreed fare. A pre-agreed chauffeur price is easier to budget for than a metered one.
What if your flight is delayed, cancelled or diverted?
When a flight is significantly delayed or cancelled, the airline carries responsibility for your care. Under EU passenger rights, as the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission explains, this includes meals, refreshments and hotel accommodation, plus transport to the hotel if an overnight stay is needed.
- Keep every receipt if you make your own reasonable arrangements, then submit them to the carrier. The Irish Aviation Authority’s FAQs give the same advice.
- Tell your transfer operator quickly. Flight tracking helps, but a direct message speeds up the replan.
- After a diversion, see our guide to arranging pickup after a diverted flight.
Why can you rely on this guidance?
This guide draws on our day-to-day work arranging airport transfers, and on official guidance from Transport for Ireland, the Irish Aviation Authority and the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission. Our team handles pickups and flight tracking across Irish airports. For more detail on specific journeys, our luxury vehicles page and the guides linked above go further.
Why is a written meeting point worth more than a cheaper fare?
My view is simple: most transfer problems are information problems, not vehicle problems. Travellers compare prices and vehicle badges, then leave the meeting point to chance. That is backwards. A modest fare with a clear, written pickup arrangement beats a bargain that leaves you wandering an arrivals hall with a flat phone battery.
The conventional advice to “book in advance” is true but incomplete. What you book matters less than what you confirm: the flight number, the driver’s name and number, the vehicle details, and where exactly you will meet. Tracking is only as good as the flight number you supplied, and a driver can only find you at a point you both agreed.
Do not overvalue cheap fares that hide waiting fees or hours of friction with heavy luggage. Do not overvalue vehicle luxury if you have not yet fixed the logistics. Start with the checklist, then choose the vehicle that fits your party.
— Declan
How can we help with your airport transfer?
Our chauffeur and transfer services turn this checklist into a booking you can rely on. Flight tracking is built in, and our drivers offer professional meet and greet.
- Taxi transfers for quick, straightforward airport journeys.
- Executive and luxury vehicles for chauffeur-level comfort.
- Family-friendly taxi transfers with child seats arranged in advance.
- Minibus transfers for groups and larger luggage loads.
Book your transfer now and we will confirm every detail in writing. Current price details are on our website.
FAQ
What details do I need to book a chauffeur airport transfer?
You need your flight number, scheduled time, passenger count, luggage details and a working contact number. Add any special requests, such as child seats or wheelchair access, at the same time. Complete details let the operator track your flight and send a suitable vehicle.
Is meet and greet better than curbside pickup?
Meet and greet is better if you want help with bags and a driver waiting inside the terminal. Curbside suits travellers with light luggage who are comfortable walking to a set-down point. Either works well provided the meeting point is confirmed in writing.
When should I request mobility assistance at the airport?
Request it when you book, and at least 48 hours before travel, as the Irish Aviation Authority recommends. Tell your transfer operator at the same time so the vehicle and arrival plan match.
What happens if my flight is cancelled or delayed?
The airline must provide care and assistance, such as meals and accommodation, for significant delays or cancellations. Keep receipts for any reasonable costs you cover yourself, and contact your transfer operator early so your pickup can be rearranged.