Paying someone to drive us around

Personally I'd expect to cover the cost of fuel, plus at minimum £200 for a day.

I have to agree with Rebecca-I might feel safer with a licensed driver and guide to the Cotswold.

You might want to look into other options as well.

Thanks for the suggestions and sharing your thoughts...
Fortunately this isn't just "someone". It's so much better than a group. It's a personal tour taking us wherever we want to go, with the addition of places we wouldn't know to go. A private driver without the exorbitant costs we see ranging from 700 and up, going where they want to take us. I wouldn't have it any other way! We were thinking 300 per day. So it sounds like thats fair for a young adult looking to make some extra pocket money.

It sounds to me like this is an online friend who is doing this as a kind favour. You can be sure that the locals know all the best places to go and you will have some input regarding how much time you need in each place. If I were in your shoes, I would take up the offer.

Regarding money; it is most likely that the private car insurance policy does not cover transporting people for hire or reward. If an arrangement were made to pay money and a crash happened, the insurance would be null & void. I never take or expect any payment for taking people in my car but simply give lifts out of kindness - as I suspect your contact is offering to do.

The insurance thing is a really good point.

The commercial companies will take you to the same few honeyspots- where they think you should go to, and on their schedule. I don't doubt that they are very good at what they do.

If this was me making this offer (in the Lake District) I wouldn't even be expecting the petrol money. It would be a local friend offering you their knowledge and expertise, simply because I am a friend. Yes the petrol money might be nice, and I suppose I would accept that, if pushed.

But I would be stunned and totally mortified if you offered me any payment (let alone several hundred pounds) on top of that. In my books that is totally and utterly not what friendship is about.

I say accept this with open arms in the spirit in which it is offered. If you must give payment maybe buy his lunch or do something else non monetary.

In the Lake District the Mountain Goat are brilliant. But unless you do a private hire then you are stuck with their routes and their timings. There are many other really amazing places even Mountain Goat don't get to. You may get to somewhere and suddenly think I want more time here, or indeed the contrary- but with a tour bus you are stuck with their timings.

One little kind of similar example- the other week I was with a forum member. She was driving her rental car, not me. We swapped the day round at the last moment adding on one extra. Having swapped the day round there were three brilliant further additions (none mentioned by RS or on this forum- one has been since) which I havered and havered on the spot about adding in. We had actually very briefly talked about adding in the Gilsland Spa walk 48 hours earlier. Because it was her driving her rental at the end of a long trip (and she was tired too, I think), on the day I didn't add on the further extras (I was also physically exhausted that day after a ludicrous week the week before). But had I been driving I would have offered those extras and now regret very much not suggesting them. No way would I have expected or accepted payment if it had been me driving. That would have just been being friendly, thoughtful and helpful.
A badly missed opportunity there.

I don’t think insurance would be an issue here. Money has neither been asked for nor expected so this is not a business arrangement. The op would just like to make a gift at the end of the day to thank the family friend for his kindness.

In this case I think the young man would find £200 a very generous gift.

I viewed this as a friendly gesture, not a for hire scenario. I would think his insurance would be covered. You might miss out on the details, history and finer points that a tour guide would provide, but that does come with a cost. I think to treat him to a nice lunch or dinner, depending on your driving schedule and to give him a gift of chocolate, wine or liquor, etc. depending on his tastes would be nice. But, if he is relying on this as income, you might ask again, what his current rate is.

About a year ago, I was inside a local castle and I heard some American accents. I got talking to the British tour guide who was a local who had been hired in for this leg of the coach tour. I asked where they were going next and it turned out to be a Gin Tasting about 10 miles away. I asked if they were going to the top visitor attraction in the area in the area - which happened to be a 1500’s castle with gardens and historic buildings in the grounds and free entry. The answer was no - even though this was only 5 miles away.

The tour guide said that she had no input into where they were to go and had to follow precise instructions from the tour operator. Sounds to me like the tour operator might be getting a payment for bringing ‘customers’ to the so called 'Gin Tasting’. Let the buyer of tours beware - you might just be taken from one place to another designed to relieve you of your money.

Thank you all so much for your input, it is appreciated.

I think the only thing lost in translation is that we are completely safe, first and foremost. Although this is an online friend who offered her young adult child as a means of transportation, I have known her for years. Yes online, and yes, we feel completely safe and so appreciative.

The offer of money will not be offensive, as we started the conversation by saying we were looking for a driver in the Cotswolds. It is fully understood that we will pay this young person to drive us. Not as a hired driver, simply as a kind gesture for them being willing to give up their day to show a couple of old ladies around.

Thanks again for everyone’s input, we can’t wait to come visit this beautiful part of the world.

I cleared out a few things just to keep the thread on the intended topic and to avoid some issues.