Chauffeur vs self-drive

In self-drive, the renter takes physical possession of the vehicle and operates it themselves. The rental contract is between operator and renter; the renter's driving licence, age, and (in some markets) endorsement are checked at pickup. Insurance follows standard rental structure: third-party liability + CDW + optional excess products. This is the dominant model for tourist car rental.

In chauffeur rental, the operator supplies both vehicle and driver — the renter is a passenger. The contract is more like ground transport: the operator is liable for the journey, the driver is on the operator's payroll, and the vehicle never leaves the operator's control. Insurance is different too — commercial passenger transport cover replaces standard rental cover. Many jurisdictions require a separate licence (private hire / TC / VTC) the operator must hold; the renter's driving record is irrelevant.

The pricing model differs in shape, not size. Self-drive prices per rental day; chauffeur prices per hour or per trip with minimums, including driver wage and waiting time. Many premium and corporate operators offer both products from the same fleet — chauffeur for events and airport transfers, self-drive for everything else. In renviq, both models are first-class agreement templates: the contract shape (self-drive vs chauffeur), insurance fields, and invoice line-item structure adapt per booking.