CarmelLimo41 reviews
This score is based on 41 genuine reviews submitted via US-Reviews since 2019.
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Good overall — used last week, skeptical at first, impressed.
Came early, chill ride
Driver showed up early, car was great, support actually checked in.
Pleasant surprise
Booked for the airport, I was nervous — had lots of luggage and a bad past transfer. Driver came early, loaded my suitcases, tiny curb shuffle.
Best part was the driver
worth it overall — Michael was the highlight, super friendly and actually made the trip fun. Shuttle was clean and on time, though pickup timing confused me a bit. Book it anyway.
Mostly solid, a few hiccups
Overall, I'd use Carmel Service again — mostly because our ride from LAX to Anaheim was smooth and Shami actually went out of his way (helped with bags to the elevator). A friend recommended them and I first noticed their shuttles at LAX. Not perfect — the pick-up took a few extra minutes and the driver was pretty chatty — but solid service.
Awkward tip pressure
I took this transfer last week after a long flight. The van was clean and the driver polite, so first impressions were okay. But at drop-off they kind of hung around asking for a tip, even though I'd prepaid. It felt awkward and a little pressured — I didn't have cash ready. Also got charged a toll later that wasn't mentioned when booking. Ride itself was fine, just those surprises bugged me.
Not reliable for JFK trips
I'd steer clear for airport runs. They failed to show up twice — once from JFK to my hotel and then again for the return — which felt ridiculous. The booking looked professional, confirmation email and all, so that made the no-shows even more surprising. Then they tried saying I picked the wrong airport and asked for extra cash. I called and argued, no change. I've used other companies that at least answered. The app was easy to use, but that's it.
Airport surprise fare
Funny thing — a JFK agent told me Carmel would beat Uber, so I tried it (and a buddy had praised it too). On the phone they quoted about $10.50, then the driver tacked on a 30% tip and a 12‑minute ride cost me $150. Annoying. Delivery to the terminal was easy though, and customer service actually helped sort a refund, so I'm kind of relieved after a short back-and-forth.
Shaky pickup, decent finish
I paid for a vehicle and a low-end Toyota showed up, no car ID, they promised 5-min notice and said nothing. At pickup they called saying "no car" and couldn't give a time. Eventually they sent a car late; driver was polite, helped with my bags. Grateful it worked out, but communication was sloppy — I'll think twice next time.
Left on the curb
Standing outside baggage claim, I remember thinking "not again" — we booked because my bad back makes dragging bags a nightmare. I had a bunch of doubts before ordering (no clear pickup info, odd silence on emails), and those worries never really disappeared. Calls cut off twice while listening to a recording, no way to find the driver, so after about 30 minutes we gave up and grabbed a taxi. They refused a refund and kept pointing to customer service, which didn’t help. Price was okay, but I probably won’t use them again.
Late pickup, awkward night
I use airport car services a lot for school drop-offs, weekend trips and the occasional family visit. Booked Carmel Limo two weeks out and gave them our flight details. When we landed there was no car waiting — they kept telling us "five to seven minutes" after baggage claim, but it stretched on. We were standing outside at midnight with the kids, cold. On the phone they arranged an alternate driver who did show, about 40 minutes later. The ride itself was fine, driver was polite, but the company's communication and timing were poor. It works if you have a buffer, otherwise not great.
Waited and waited, taxi saved the night
the taxi showed up, the driver played music, the kids zoned out, and we zipped into the city. Funny thing — it cost only ten bucks more than Carmel's quote. Yeah, poor service, but the ending was unexpectedly okay.
Late-night letdown
I won't book these guys again, though I'm kinda relieved it didn't get worse. We booked two SUVs months in advance for a late Newark to Manhattan pickup. Confirmed the day before, they told us to call when ready. So we called, described our clothes so they'd find us, were told cars were 5–7 minutes away. Forty minutes later we called back, got put on hold, then told no cars had even been assigned — this was around 1am. Calls dropped a few times. We finally grabbed two Ubers. Annoying and stressful, but lesson learned: always have a backup.
Highway wrench moment
I was picked up for an early flight last week and thought, okay, easy — the car seemed clean and the driver polite at first, until the car died on the highway. The driver dug a wrench out of the front seat and spent almost an hour fiddling with it while we sat in the lane, which felt... unsafe, honestly. Company support was useless; they basically said they couldn't send another car and told us to call police — not exactly reassuring when you don't know the area. Eventually someone did show up, rescued us and got us to the airport, so credit where it's due. Still, the whole thing was unnerving, and then the replacement driver hinted hard about a tip. Not perfect, but we made the flight.
Caramel smell, a weird desk, and then relief
when we walked into our apartment and everything was where it should be. No drama. I’d been burned before by long waits and hidden fees elsewhere, so I was bracing for the worst. It wasn’t perfect — they did ask for a little extra cash for tolls and a tip, which felt odd — but in the end we were safe, on time, and oddly relieved. Would I do it again? Probably, with a bit more cash ready and less panic next time.
Terminal saga that turned into an Uber rescue
car won't start. Their suggestion? Wait... maybe, or arrange something yourself. No timeline, just wishy-washy. I told them I'd grab an Uber and also to cancel the return ride; the rep got oddly defensive, like I was lecturing them on car maintenance. So yeah, annoying. On the bright side, Uber showed up, I made my meeting, and I rebooked my ride home with someone else — smooth as that. Lesson learned: always have a Plan B. A little irritated by the customer interaction, but relieved it all worked out in the end.
Midterminal mess
wheelchair space, room for three bags total, polite driver. Yeah, I should’ve known to lower my expectations, but you know how it goes — you see a reasonable rate and you think, fine, it’ll be fine. That doubt was nagging in the back of my mind though; I kept picturing a tiny sedan and awkward smiles. Turned out the doubt was on the money.
When Newark felt like a game of phones and clocks
our flight was delayed, we called the driver, she said “don’t worry, I’ll wait.” Felt relieved, honestly. Then we step outside and the company hits us with an extra charge — not small — saying she’d been waiting two hours and they wanted another $90 on top of that. Cue the tired, confused faces. We showed the confirmation that said pickup time, and even pointed out their office sent the driver early, but nope, they still made us pay. Ended up paying almost $300 to go eleven miles. The driver tried, but her English was shaky, which made a simple exchange feel like charades. To be fair, we got home safely — and that was a relief — but the whole ordeal left a sour taste. My initial doubts about booking were... justified, mostly. Slight relief that we didn’t miss anything major, but I won’t trust this company again.
Not the way to start a trip
this pick-up really ruined the start of our vacation. We used the transfer the moment we landed on the first day of our trip, thinking it would be a straightforward ride to the hotel — that was the plan. At first glance the car itself was actually tidy, which was weirdly reassuring (the seats were comfy and the air conditioning worked great), so we told ourselves it would be fine. Then things went downhill fast.
We booked through the usual channel a few days before flying. The confirmation email did mention tolls and tipping, which we noted but figured we’d deal with once the service was provided. The driver met us at arrivals and before even properly saying hi he bluntly told us, in a rude, clipped way, that tips and tolls were not included and that we had to pay him directly. Odd to be told that right away, especially before he’d done anything for us. We said okay, because yes, the email mentioned it — but the tone set off alarm bells.
During the ride he was nearly silent, but not in a normal quiet-driver way. There were weird little signs: constant beeping from somewhere, short angry exhalations, and some pretty aggressive driving — tailgating and sudden honks. It felt tense, like watching someone whose temper was simmering under the surface. We exchanged a couple of nervous looks and tried to keep it casual, reminding ourselves to stay calm and not make a fuss on day one of vacation.
As we neared our stop he suddenly demanded payment for the toll and expected a tip immediately. He showed us the payment screen and the tip options were right there. We tried to be straightforward: we’ll pay the toll (which, spoiler, turned out to be under seven bucks), and we’ll tip after the ride if appropriate. I said out loud that we didn’t feel comfortable tipping because of the way he’d spoken to us from the start. That’s when everything exploded.
He started yelling — really aggressive, full-on shouting — saying he’d drive us straight back to the airport and that we’d have to “deal with his company.” We told him calmly that we would pay the toll and we didn’t understand the meltdown, but he wouldn’t stop. He kept shouting, telling us to shut up, accelerating and driving like someone on edge. At one point I told him I would call the police, and honestly he didn’t seem to care at all. It was scary — not like uncomfortable, but like being trapped in a car with someone who wasn’t in control.
We tried every route to calm things down. We said “we’ll give you the money now” and that apparently helped a little — he turned down the volume of his shouting, enough to drive us back to the hotel. In the end the toll was $6.94 and we chose the smallest tip option on the screen just to get out of the situation. It’s embarrassing to admit that we paid more to get away from him than the service was worth. There’s a lingering, stunned feeling about how quickly a small disagreement escalated into someone threatening to basically hold us hostage.
Two unexpected things stuck with me: one, the car itself was clean and comfortable (which made the whole aggressive behavior feel even more inexplicable), and two, the driver’s English was pretty broken, which probably made communication worse and maybe made him more frustrated. I could be wrong, but it also looked like he might have been under the influence — he didn’t seem steady mentally or emotionally. Whatever the cause, someone in that state shouldn’t be behind the wheel of paying customers.
We are reporting this to the booking company. It’s not just that the driver was rude — it was dangerous and unnerving. I’m still baffled that a person who acts like that would be allowed to operate for a big service. So yeah, avoid this transfer if you can. If you absolutely must book, be wary, keep your phone charged, and maybe try to get another driver if anything seems off. We’re still processing the start of our holiday, and we definitely won’t use that service again.The moment I exhaled
flight on time, driver waiting, luggage loaded. But right after a half-hearted hello he plunged straight into “tolls and tips not included” — blunt, a little rude, like we already owed him something. Fine, we thought, we’d read the email about fees. Still, it felt off to be told about tipping before the ride even began. Normally you tip after decent service, not upfront, but okay, whatever—little red flag.
About CarmelLimo
CarmelLimo, also known as Carmel Car and Limousine Service, is a transportation company based in New York City. It specializes in providing limousine and luxury car services for a variety of occasions, including airport transfers, weddings, proms, and other special events. The company has a reputation for offering reliable, professional, and comfortable transportation solutions. Founded in 1978, CarmelLimo has grown significantly over the years and has expanded its services to offer global transportation options in many cities worldwide, making it one of the largest limousine services in the world. Through a user-friendly booking system, including a mobile app and website, customers can easily reserve their rides in advance.
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Categories CarmelLimo
Car Services | Airport parking and transfer
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Last update: November 2025
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On-line car service prepaid tr
The drivers were great - so responsive, nice, and they knew their stuff. The driver from the East Side to LGA went the quickest way possible without me even having to ask, makin... Read onBy: kennedy