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Should you hire a van or a minibus?
Here at Intack Self Drive, we have a vehicle for every occasion! With our 50 years of van, car, and minibus hire experience in daily hire and Flexi hire, no one knows car and van rental like we do. Currently, our fleet includes over 450 cars, vans, and minibuses, so we've got the vehicle for you no matter what the occasion or your needs. Better still, we won't be beaten on price!
If you have a big job, either at work or at home, and you're unsure whether a minibus or a van would be best for your needs, we've got you covered. We've pulled together everything you need to know to help you find the perfect fit for your journey. Let's take a look.
The key differences between minibuses and vans
At first glance, when you're browsing our website, you might think our minibuses and vans look pretty similar. While you aren’t wrong, they are very different in a variety of ways. The most significant difference between a van and a minibus is in the name; one is a van, and one is a small bus, and they’re designed for very different purposes.
How our customers use our minibus hire services
Minibuses are specifically designed for transporting people and are mostly used for group travel, shuttle services, or within organisations. For example, some of the more popular reasons we get for minibus hire here at Intack are day trips like stag or hen parties, work trips, or simply family outings. The capacity of passengers for a minibus can reach much higher than that of our vans, too, so whether you’re transporting a small group of four to five people or a much larger crowd of up to seventeen, we’ve got a minibus to suit you!
How our customers use our van hire services
Our vans, on the other hand, are typically hired out by small business owners or tradespeople in search of a replacement vehicle while theirs is in the garage, or people who are moving house and need a means to do so. Our more compact vans are ideal for making multiple small deliveries, while the generous load space in our Luton vans lets you tackle even the biggest of moving projects with ease.
So as you can see right off the bat, the uses between the two vehicles are extremely different. Obviously, there are always exceptions to every rule, but generally speaking, this is how it usually goes!
Benefits of a minibus vs benefits of a van
An easy way to decide between a minibus and a van when it comes to your hire vehicle is to consider the benefits of each and see which best applies to the purpose of your hire, the number of passengers you'll have and your budget. Here's a quick list of the benefits of each:
6 benefits of hiring a minibus:
- Increased seat capacity
- Spacious
- Ideal for large groups
- Suitable for both short and long trips
- Removes the need for multiple vehicles
- Cost-effective for group travel
6 benefits of hiring a van:
- Simpler to drive than a minibus
- Ideal for tradespeople
- Great for small businesses
- Perfect for moving home
- Plenty of space to store cargo
- Only a driver's licence is required
Are there any requirements to hiring a van or minibus?
To hire a van from us here at Intack, you need to be at least 25 years old. The requirements for hiring a minibus are slightly more specific. You must also be over 25 years old and have at least two years of driving experience. If you want to rent a minibus with nine seats, this is the only requirement. However, for a 12 or 17-seater minibus, you need to have passed your driving test before January 1997 or hold a driving licence with the D1 entitlement.
All of our minibuses and vans are available for both daily hire and flexi hire, which means you can hire them for a little as a day up to 28 days or longer, and return them when it suits you, no strings attached!
So no matter whether you need your van or minibus for daily hire or Flexi hire services, we have you covered! Ready to get started? Check out our hire deals right here on our site, or if you prefer, you can give our friendly team a call on 01254 57811 and we’ll be happy to help you over the phone!