How much does renting a limo cost for prom? Depending on whom you talk to, prom is the most important night in a teenager’s life and, as such, prom should be perfect. You spend hours figuring out the best way to style your hair, which corsage or boutonniere to purchase, what extras you’ll need to make prom awesome, how you’re getting to the prom, etc. The price can vary drastically due to a variety of factors, including demand, the type of vehicle, and the amount of people you plan on transporting in the limo. You’ll most likely want to weigh each of these factors against your budget and choose whatever is the best value amongst all of them.
Time of Rental
Rentals during the weekends (which prom most likely is on) will cost more due to higher demand. This is a factor that you most likely won’t be able to change, but be wary that due to prom season, many other people will want to rent limos as well. You’ll want to rent your limo as far in advance as possible and, most likely, have a minimum rental time of 4 to 6 hours. Many limo services offer prom specials that allow you to split the time. For example, if you have a 4 hour rental, you’ll have the vehicle for 2 hours before prom and then 2 hours after prom. If they don’t offer this type of deal, you may have to rent the vehicle for the entire evening, including wait time while you’re at prom. You’ll also want to ask your limo service provider exactly when the clock starts ticking on your rental. Some companies start the clock when they pick you up; others start as soon as the car leaves the lot. Make sure to factor in how much time you’ll need for transit, giving yourself buffer time if your date or friends aren’t ready on time. You don’t want to go overtime and have a huge surcharge on top of all of your other fees. Get a watch and never lose track of time, even if your phone dies. Watches on Amazon start at $2.96 as of April 26, 2016.
Type of Limo
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The type of the limo will also drastically impact the cost. Renting a Hummer limo will cost far more than renting a regular stretch limo. You can expect the Lincoln Town Car price to be around $80 an hour with gratuity while a stretch Hummer limo will usually cost more than twice that. See the above table for a more in depth description of how much each type of rental will cost. If you have enough people, a party bus may be an even more economically friendly choice since you can split the cost with friends. Just make sure that your vehicle has enough room to seat everyone comfortably. Poofy dresses take up more space than average, and could quickly turn your lusciously large limo into a clown car. Speaking of clown cars, your limo service provider will not allow you to go over the maximum vehicle occupancy level. That means that if the maximum number of occupants is 25, you can’t squeeze a 26th person in, so someone will just have to ride without their date. If at all possible, check out the vehicle before you sign an agreement, asking the make, model, and year of the vehicle. Except for a vintage or classic car, a lower price suggests that it’s an older vehicle. And it would suck if your horse and carriage for the evening turned out to be a plain, orange pumpkin lead by mice.
Distance Traveled and Number of People
If you are planning on traveling a far distance with the limo or plan on picking individual people up, it may cost extra because of the gas expenses and longer travel times. The cost per person will also change depending on the amount of people you’re willing to travel with in a limo. As previously stated, be cautious about trying to overfill a limo as, often times, a 10-person limo refers to 10 small or average-sized people sitting closely together. You may want to subtract 1 or 2 people from the maximum number of occupants, depending on the size of the people and how comfortable you want to be during the ride.
Costs and Fees
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As you’ve learned from the above chart, the larger and/or more luxurious the vehicle is, the more it costs to rent. When budgeting and trying to calculate your final price, don’t forget these common fees. Many companies charge a 20% service fee, which usually covers a 10% tip for the driver and a 10% for administration costs. There’s usually a fuel fee as well, which is anywhere between 5% and 10%. Companies also charge extra if they leave the designated area in which they service. If any of your destinations require a toll, expect to be charged for that as well. Some companies even go so far as to charge a per-stop fee, usually $15-30. One fee that you can avoid, however, is one for overtime. The price for going overtime varies by company, but is usually 50-100% more than the hourly rate.
Real Life Example
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To put things into perspective, here’s a real life example. Renting a limo for 6 hours with a 20% service fee, 5% fuel fee, that stops at a restaurant, prom, and ending location costs a little over $1,000; $1,035 to be exact, not including a cash tip for the driver, which is customary. If you were to get the same limo with a 4-hour prom deal, it would only cost you $710 before tip. Now you know how expensive a limo rental can be, but do you know who’s supposed to pay for it? Find out here.
Note: The prices in this table are based on the times shown, a 20% service charge, 5% fuel fee, and 3 stops at $20 each. This table is only a guide and prices may vary depending on local market pricing, taxes, tips, etc.
Additional Help
No matter which vehicle you choose, you’re sure to have a fantastic night. To make your night even better, check out these top 10 items to make your prom great. If you’re looking for a prom limo right now and don’t know who to call, use TalkLocal to connect you to the highest quality limo company in the area in just minutes. It’s free, easy, and you’ll have a limo booked for prom in no time!
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