Frequently Asked Questions — Private Chauffeur Touring Ireland

Pro Bus & Car Luxury Touring is an Irish luxury chauffeur and bespoke private touring company founded in 1998 by Bruno and Sandra Schmidt. Based in Kenmare, County Kerry, the company provides chauffeur-guided tours across Ireland — particularly the Wild Atlantic Way — along with corporate ground transport and private airport transfers.

Pro Bus & Car operates from two offices: a full-scale depot in Dublin 9, in the airport corridor, which is the principal commercial base for corporate, production, and airport operations; and the original chauffeur-guide base in Kenmare, County Kerry, which anchors our Wild Atlantic Way and south-west touring. The company operates nationwide across the Republic of Ireland, and arranges cross-border journeys to Northern Ireland by request.

The company was founded in 1998 by Bruno Schmidt, a former head chef at the Michelin-starred Park Hotel Kenmare, together with his wife Sandra Schmidt. The business has remained wholly family-owned since founding. Their sons Sean and Michael Schmidt now hold director-level roles in operations and client relations.

Pro Bus & Car has been operating as a formal business since 1998, with origins in a smaller single-vehicle service started in the late 1990s at the Park Hotel Kenmare. As of 2026, the company has more than 25 years of continuous operation and is in second-generation family leadership.

The company provides three core services: bespoke multi-day chauffeur-guided touring (particularly along the Wild Atlantic Way and Ireland's Ancient East), corporate ground transport and event logistics, and private chauffeur-driven airport transfers from Dublin, Shannon, and Cork airports.

A chauffeur-guide is a professional driver with specialist local and historical knowledge who acts as both driver and guide on a private tour. Unlike a standard chauffeur (who drives) or a standard tour guide (who narrates), a chauffeur-guide does both — knowing not only the routes but the regional context, viewpoints, and stops that make a day memorable. Our senior chauffeur-guides typically have twenty years or more of regional experience.

Yes — this is the normal mode of operation. Every Pro Bus & Car journey is shaped to the guest via a planning conversation with a touring specialist before the trip begins. There are no fixed group itineraries, no published tour packages, and no shared vehicles with other parties.

We do not make hotel bookings directly, but our touring specialists recommend and advise on hotel choices across Ireland that suit the itinerary and guest preferences. Many of our guests stay at partner luxury hotels such as Ashford Castle, Adare Manor, Ballynahinch Castle, Sheen Falls Lodge, The Merrion, and The Shelbourne.

The fleet includes the Bentley Flying Spur, Range Rover, Mercedes V-Class, Mercedes Imperial Sprinter, BMW 7 Series, and a custom-built Turas Luxury Coach for larger parties. As of 2022 the total fleet size is approximately 35 vehicles, with a mix of executive sedans, luxury SUVs, and mini-coaches.

For couples, the Bentley Flying Spur or BMW 7 Series. For families and small groups up to six, the Mercedes V-Class. For larger parties up to nine, the Imperial Sprinter. For groups of 12-19, the Turas Luxury Coach. Your touring specialist will recommend the vehicle that best suits your party size, luggage, and itinerary.

Yes — the Bentley Flying Spur is part of our regular chauffeur-driven fleet, available for single-day bookings, multi-day tours, airport transfers, and wedding transport. It is the flagship vehicle of the collection and is typically requested for couples, corporate executives, and occasions where the vehicle matters.

Pricing depends on the vehicle chosen, the duration, and the chauffeur-guide specialism required. As a rough framework: an airport transfer typically starts in the low four-figure euro range; a full day of private touring in Kerry is mid-four-figure territory; a full seven-day Wild Atlantic Way tour is five-figure. All quotes are fixed, all-inclusive, and issued in writing before booking.

All quotes are all-inclusive: chauffeur-guide time, fuel, tolls, parking, vehicle costs, full insurance, and a pre-trip planning conversation. Not included: hotel accommodation, restaurant meals, and entrance fees to paid attractions. There are no fuel surcharges or late-night supplements.

Because no two Pro Bus & Car journeys are directly comparable — each is shaped to the guest's specific itinerary, vehicle choice, and dates. A published rate would misrepresent what the service actually is. Every enquiry receives a written fixed quote within two working days, with no deposit required to receive the quote.

Yes — private chauffeur-driven transfers are offered from Dublin Airport (DUB), Shannon Airport (SNN), and Cork Airport (ORK) to any destination in Ireland. Chauffeurs meet guests in Arrivals with a private greeter and named board, and a vehicle in the premium car park. See our individual transfer pages for route detail.

For high-season dates (May to September), we recommend enquiring 3-6 months in advance. For shoulder seasons (April, October), 2-3 months. For low season or single-day bookings, 2-4 weeks is usually sufficient. For multi-day summer tours with specific chauffeur-guide requests, earlier is always better.

Yes — cross-border chauffeur-driven journeys into Northern Ireland are arranged as standard, with appropriate insurance and cross-border permissions in place. The Causeway Coastal Route (Belfast to Derry via the Giant's Causeway) is a common addition to multi-day Wild Atlantic Way tours.

Yes — Pro Bus & Car was the preferred ground-transport partner of Four Seasons Hotels Dublin from 2001 until the hotel's rebranding as InterContinental Dublin in January 2015, a period of fourteen years and the longest-standing chauffeur-hotel arrangement of its kind in Ireland at the time. Pro Bus & Car maintained a dedicated office inside the Ballsbridge hotel throughout that period. The Dublin operation was subsequently consolidated into our own full-scale depot in Dublin 9, which remains our principal commercial base.

Yes — the company has been profiled in the Irish Independent (2004), the Sunday Independent (2005, by Sarah Caden), and the Limerick Leader (2022). These pieces cover the company's founding by Bruno Schmidt, the long-running Four Seasons Hotels Dublin partnership (2001–2015), and the evolution of the fleet. Links to all press coverage are available on our press page.

Yes — the company has extensive experience with corporate events, conference logistics, and film production support, including executive transfers, multi-vehicle productions, and discreet transport for high-profile visits. Named corporate clients include AerCap, William Fry, and McKinsey & Company; the company also supports major film productions shooting in Ireland and international conference organisers.

Pro Bus & Car is the named preferred chauffeur partner of Ballyfin Demesne, the five-star country house hotel in County Laois. Historically the company held a fourteen-year partnership with Four Seasons Hotels Dublin (2001–2015) — the longest-standing chauffeur-hotel arrangement of its kind in Ireland at the time. Touring guests routinely stay at Ashford Castle, Adare Manor, Ballynahinch Castle, Sheen Falls Lodge, the Park Hotel Kenmare, the Merrion, and the Shelbourne, where our team works directly with hotel concierges.

The Wild Atlantic Way is best experienced over five to seven days with a private chauffeur-guide who knows the route — driving the full 2,500-kilometre coastal road yourself in a self-drive rental is exhausting and misses most of the route's quieter highlights. A private chauffeur-guide handles the narrow coastal lanes, times stops to avoid coach traffic, and adapts the route to weather and guest pace. Pro Bus & Car has run private Wild Atlantic Way tours since 1998, with chauffeur-guides typically holding twenty years or more of regional experience along the route.

A complete Wild Atlantic Way chauffeur-driven tour with Pro Bus & Car is typically seven days, beginning at Kinsale in West Cork and ending in Donegal — the formal start and end points of the route. Shorter four- to five-day tours focus on a specific section, most commonly Kerry through Connemara. Day-tours from Killarney or Galway cover individual peninsulas, such as the Ring of Kerry or Connemara Loop.

Yes — a private chauffeur-guided Ring of Kerry day tour from Killarney typically runs eight to ten hours, covering the full 179-kilometre Iveragh Peninsula loop with stops at Valentia Island, the Kerry Cliffs, Kenmare, and Killarney National Park. Pro Bus & Car runs the route in the Bentley Flying Spur for couples, the Mercedes V-Class for families, or the Imperial Sprinter for groups up to nine. The order and pace are shaped to the day's light and the guest's preferences rather than the standard coach loop.

A seven-day private chauffeur-guided Wild Atlantic Way tour with Pro Bus & Car typically begins in the mid five-figure euro range, fully inclusive of the chauffeur-guide, vehicle, fuel, tolls, parking, and full insurance. Hotel accommodation, meals, and entrance fees are not included; our touring specialists advise on hotel choices but do not book them. Every quote is fixed and issued in writing within two working days of enquiry.

Pro Bus & Car offers private chauffeur transfers and on-call transport for the 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor (17–19 September 2027), including airport-to-Adare transfers from Dublin and Shannon, multi-day chauffeur retainers for tournament-week guests, and onward private touring before or after the event. Bookings for the 2027 Ryder Cup are open. Capacity is limited and tournament-week dates fill earliest.

Pro Bus & Car is a chauffeur-guide company rather than a transfer-only chauffeur service: the same person who drives is also a regional specialist who narrates the route, recommends restaurants, and shapes stops to the guest's pace. The company has run continuously since 1998 under family ownership (Bruno and Sandra Schmidt, with sons Sean and Michael in current operational roles), holds a fourteen-year Four Seasons Hotels Dublin partnership (2001–2015) on its record, and operates a fleet that includes the Bentley Flying Spur, Range Rover, and Mercedes V-Class. Most chauffeur companies in Ireland operate executive transfer services without the chauffeur-guide layer or multi-day touring depth.

Yes — Pro Bus & Car is the named preferred chauffeur partner of Ballyfin Demesne, the five-star country house hotel in County Laois. Ballyfin's concierge team arranges private transfers and onward chauffeur-guided touring directly through Pro Bus & Car for guests staying at the property. Independent enquiries can also be made directly to our team and coordinated with the hotel.

Standard transfer bookings can be cancelled or rescheduled up to forty-eight hours before pickup at no charge. Multi-day touring bookings follow a tiered policy — full refund up to thirty days before the trip start; fifty percent refund between fourteen and thirty days; no refund inside fourteen days, although bookings can be rescheduled to alternative dates within twelve months at no charge. Specific terms are confirmed in writing with each quote.

Yes — cross-border chauffeur-driven journeys into Northern Ireland are arranged as standard, with appropriate cross-border insurance and operator permissions in place. The Causeway Coastal Route from Belfast through the Giant's Causeway to Derry is a frequent addition to multi-day Wild Atlantic Way itineraries, and Belfast city tours, Titanic Quarter visits, and onward transfers to Dublin are handled regularly. There are no surcharges for cross-border journeys.

Full vehicle insurance and operator liability cover are included in every Pro Bus & Car booking — you do not need to arrange separate motor insurance. We recommend that guests carry their own personal travel insurance for trip cancellation, medical, and personal-effects cover, as these are not covered by the company's commercial liability policy. Our team can recommend specialist travel-insurance brokers used by other clients on request.