But now, chauffeuring is a lot different.

Sharon Fallon could be in charge of the horsepower and SAT/NAV will take you to any door in the country while you entertain yourself with the on-board fridge, TV, DVD and heated seats.

Fallon, from Dublin, gave up her job in industry to work for a new company, Aerchauffeur. com, set up in November and based at Collinstown Cross Industrial Estate at Cloghran.

"I always enjoyed driving and now I have no routine as such. Every day is different and interesting, " she says. "A wide variety of clients use our service, many of them business people looking for a transfer from the airport to one of Dublin's top hotels, but we have also provided cars for contemporary-style weddings and even special nights out.

Through this work I meet a lot of interesting and well-travelled people - though obviously they don't all want to talk."

Fallon is one of a pool of drivers who work flexible hours to suit their lifestyle and the needs of the company. All contracts are booked in advance, ensuring that traffic jams can be avoided as far as possible by careful route planning while the base station informs drivers of delays en route.

As part of the application process, Fallon was one of less than 30% who passed a driving assessment test prior to taking the advanced driving course.

"The course was very interesting, " she says. "I was amazed at how many tips the course was able to give me to improve my driving skills, both at work and in my leisure time. More than anything else, we are taught to be constantly aware of what is happening on the road, not just right in front, but 100 metres ahead."

Recently, Aerchauffeur. com increased its fleet of Volvo S80s by spending half a million euro on five new executive cars, specially adapted for the chauffeur market.

Alan Clarke, Managing Director, Aerchauffeur. com says, "We're providing something a bit different. Over long distances, our prices are competitive with hiring a taxi."