Booking your private-hire car: app or phone?
At ONLY VTC, both work — and that is a deliberate choice. Here is an honest look at what each channel offers, so you can book in the way that suits you.
Published on July 29, 2026 · By Khaled Aggoune, founder of ONLY VTC — private-hire driver in Lyon since 2016, assistance missions on the A43/A46 corridor
Many of our customers have been booking since 2016, before the app even existed. We have never closed the phone line: you should be able to reach a driver. But the app has brought things that a call cannot offer. Let's sort it out, without the marketing.
The phone: simple, human, always available
A quick call to 06 67 25 84 26 and it is done. This is the right option when: you are not comfortable with apps, you have a particular request to explain (non-standard luggage, a specific route, hourly chauffeur hire), or you are booking for a loved one. You speak to someone who knows the area — Lyon and the eastern Rhône — and can advise you.
The limitation: once the ride is confirmed verbally, you have no visual tracking, and the receipt is emailed after the ride. For an occasional one-way trip, this is more than enough.
The app: added tracking and traceability
The app (iOS and Android) adds three practical things the phone does not allow:
- Real-time tracking : you see the driver approaching on the map and receive a notification when they arrive — see our article on real-time tracking.
- Your invoices and history : all your rides and receipts are grouped together and can be downloaded at any time — invaluable for expense claims and insurance reimbursements.
- Self-service booking 24/7 : fixed price shown before confirming, choice of vehicle, advance scheduling, with no reliance on switchboard hours.
Our recommendation
For an occasional need or a request to explain, the phone remains perfect. For regular use — commuting, frequent airport transfers, business travel with receipts — the app saves you time and keeps a record of everything. Nothing stops you from alternating: same account, same drivers, same area.
Want to try it? Estimate a journey to see the fixed price, or browse our destinations such as Part-Dieu station or Saint-Exupéry airport.
App or phone, it is the same service: professional drivers, fixed price known in advance, available 24/7 in Lyon and the eastern Rhône since 2016. Phone: 06 67 25 84 26 — Partnerships and businesses: contact@onlyvtc.fr.