If you’re aged between 21 and 25 and you need to hire a van, you will find that your choice of rental companies is restricted. Some companies won’t rent to young drivers — and those that do will normally charge an additional young driver surcharge.

If you’re under 21, things get even worse. I’m afraid that none of the major van rental companies will accept your business. Even if you’ve had a full, clean driving licence since you were 17, you’re out of luck.

If you’re a student trying to head back to university in a hired van under your own steam, I’m afraid you may not be able to, unless you are already 21, so it may be time to enlist the help of a parent, or an older friend or sibling.

Young Driver Surcharges – how much?

As far as I know, all companies will require drivers under 25 to pay a young driver surcharge, but the cost of this can vary considerably between companies. Here’s a quick summary of the minimum ages and the young driver surcharges charged by each of the main companies we include in our van hire price comparison searches on vanrental.co.uk*:

• OUR PICK: Thrifty: All drivers must be over 21. Drivers aged under 25 can only rent short wheelbase vans (e.g. Ford Transit SWB and smaller). Drivers aged 21-24 are subject to an additional charge of £25 per day. This is about as good as it gets for under-25 van hire — click here to get a Thrifty quote.
• Sixt: Age restrictions vary for different types of van, but smaller vans are available for drivers from age 21, subject to a young driver surcharge of £30 per day. Age restrictions apply to drivers aged under 25.
• Europcar & National: Minimum age 22, a surcharge of £32.50 per day applies to drivers under 25. Additional restrictions apply at some locations to drivers under 26.
• Hertz: Hertz doesn’t list age requirements for smaller vans, but 23 is the minimum age for UK hires. Most vehicles require drivers to be at least 25 years old. The smallest car groups allow drivers aged 23 on payment of a young driver surcharge of £30.84 per day (up to a maximum of £308.40).
• Van Hire 3000: As Van Hire 3000 is a broker, age restrictions and surcharges vary depending on the supplying hire company and the vehicle being hired. In general terms, age and young driver surcharges may apply to drivers aged 21-25.
• Argus Car Hire: As Argus Car Hire is a broker, age restrictions and surcharges vary depending on the supplying hire company and the vehicle being hired. In general terms, age and young driver surcharges may apply to drivers aged 21-25.

If this article has frustrated you, then I’m sorry! I don’t make the rules, and in some other countries you can hire at a younger age than in the UK. However, forewarned is forearmed — so I hope you will see this information in time to make alternative plans.

For what it’s worth, I reckon Thrifty is the best of the bunch, with Sixt in second place. Drivers aged 21 and upwards can hire vans up to the size of a Ford Transit SWB from Thrifty, which is plenty big enough for many purposes. Thrifty’s daily young driver surcharge is also the cheapest of those listed here, and the firm’s hire rates are generally pretty competitive, too.

This article is part of a series looking at the true cost of van hire. To learn more about the true cost of van hire, check out the following articles:

• Child Seat Hire With Van Rental: How Much Does It Cost?
• How much does an additional driver cost?
• How much does it cost to take a van abroad to Europe?
• How much does it cost for hire van delivery and collection services?
• How much does UK one-way hire cost?
• How much does sat nav hire cost when you hire a van?

*All figures were checked at the time of writing in August 2013, but these may be subject to change. vanrental.co.uk and the author take no responsibility for any errors, omissions or future changes. Please check yourself before booking.