- Car rental wins for long, multi-day self-drive holidays where you want to change plans every day.
- A driver wins for airport runs, city days, business trips, groups, evenings out and one-way intercity routes.
- With a rental, the headline daily rate is only part of the cost: fuel, parking, deposits and possible one-way or cross-border fees come on top.
- Transfero prices: hourly from €25, a day with a driver €250–€500, Tallinn–Riga from €270 per vehicle.
Short answer: rent a car if you are planning a long, flexible self-drive holiday with many stops over several days. Book a driver for airport runs, city days, business, groups, evenings out and any one-way trip between cities — it is usually simpler, and often not more expensive once everything is counted.
Both options have their place. The mistake is comparing only the daily rental rate with the price of a transfer. Here is what each really involves.
What a rental car really costs
The daily rate is the number you see first. The rest tends to appear later:
- Fuel. You pay for every kilometre, and usually return the car with a full tank.
- Parking. Hotels and city centres often charge for parking; in Tallinn's Old Town and central Riga it can be hard to find a space at all.
- Deposit and insurance excess. A deposit is typically blocked on a credit card, and basic insurance often comes with an excess you pay in case of damage — unless you buy extra cover.
- One-way and cross-border fees. Rental companies often charge extra for returning the car in another city or country, or for taking it abroad. Always check the terms before booking.
- Time. Collecting the car, the paperwork, the inspection, the return — it adds up, especially at an airport.
What you pay for with a driver
With Transfero the price is per vehicle, agreed in advance, and includes the driver, fuel and the vehicle. Still water, Wi-Fi, child seats and meet & greet at the airport are included, plus one hour of free waiting if your flight is delayed.
| Format | Price per vehicle |
|---|---|
| Transfer (A to B, up to 1 hour) | from €30 (Skoda Octavia) to €75 (Sprinter for 23) |
| Hourly hire | from €25 per hour |
| A full day with a driver | €250–€500, depending on the vehicle |
| Tallinn–Riga, one way | from €270 |
The full list of vehicles and routes is on the pricing page. Coach prices are on request; the limousine starts from €120 per hour.
The things that do not appear on a receipt
Fatigue
Tallinn to Riga is about 310 km, roughly 4–4.5 hours. After a flight or a long meeting, that is a tiring drive. With a driver, those hours are yours — to work, talk or sleep.
Navigation
Unfamiliar roads, one-way streets, pedestrian zones in old towns, hotel entrances that are hard to find. A local driver knows them.
Alcohol
A wine dinner, a business reception, a wedding — with a rental car, someone has to stay sober. With a driver, nobody does.
Winter driving
In Estonia winter tyres are compulsory from 1 December to 1 March, and roads outside the cities can be icy well beyond those dates. Short daylight, snow and black ice are routine for local drivers — less so for visitors in a car they have just collected.
Who wins when: an honest verdict
| Trip | Better choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A week-long self-drive tour with many stops | Rental car | Maximum flexibility over many days |
| Airport to hotel | Driver | Met at arrivals, no rental desk, no parking |
| A city day or sightseeing | Driver | Door to door, the driver waits, no parking |
| Business trip | Driver | Work on the road, arrive rested |
| Group of 5 or more | Driver | One vehicle, one price split between everyone |
| An evening out | Driver | Nobody has to stay sober |
| One way, e.g. Tallinn to Riga | Driver | No one-way return, no drive back |
A worked example: Tallinn to Riga, one way
Say four colleagues need to be in Riga for a meeting and fly home from there. With a rental car, they pay the daily rate, the fuel for about 310 km, parking in central Riga and often a fee for returning a car rented in Estonia in another country. One of them drives for four hours and arrives tired.
With a driver, the price is fixed in advance: €270 for a Skoda Octavia or €285 for a Jaguar F-Pace, for the whole vehicle. Nobody drives, the meeting can be prepared on the way, and there is no car to return. For six people, a Mercedes-Benz V-Class costs €365.
Many travellers combine the two: a transfer from the airport and for the first city days, then a rental car only for the days that really need one. For day trips without a car of your own, read what a full day with a private driver looks like.
Frequently asked questions
For a single day or a one-way trip, often not by much once fuel, parking, deposits and possible one-way fees are added to the rental. With Transfero, hourly hire starts from €25 and a full day with a driver costs €250–€500 per vehicle. For a week of self-driving, a rental is usually cheaper.
Yes. One-way prices from Tallinn to Riga start at €270 per vehicle, with no return trip to pay for on your side.
If you rent a car in Estonia, winter tyres are compulsory from 1 December to 1 March. The rental company fits them, but you still drive in winter conditions. With a driver, that is our job.
Yes. Hourly hire starts from €25 per hour for a Skoda Octavia, and the driver waits for you between stops.
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