Many van hire customers only need a van occasionally for a few days — that’s why they choose to rent, not own a van.

However, there is another group of users who need — or choose — to hire a van for a month or more. Hiring offers a number of advantages over buying a van, not least that the hirer usually has no maintenance costs, and can hand the van back and stop paying for it whenever they no longer need it.

The good news is that long-term van hire is an attractive business for van hire companies, too, and many companies now offer this service.

In this article, I’m going to take a closer look at the long-term hire options provided by the major companies listed on vanrental.co.uk, to see how they compare, and whether there are any significant differences.

Europcar

Europcar’s Month+ service is available for hires of more than 28 days. There’s no requirement to hire a van for complete months — as long as you want it for more than 28 days, you can keep it for as long as you want. The terms and conditions of the service are broadly similar to standard daily rental and Month+ can be booked directly through Europcar’s website using its standard booking engine.

A simple, flexible choice.

National

Long-term van hire can be booked through National’s standard website booking system. There’s no mention on the firm’s website of any special deals for long-term hire, but the sample quotes I tried came out exactly the same as those I got with Europcar — perhaps unsurprisingly, as they are the same company in the UK.

Sixt

Sixt offers a long-term van hire service called Flexi Rent, but it appears to be available only to business customers, and Sixt says that deals are typically for 52 weeks, although it doesn’t specify whether this is a minimum requirement.

Sixt’s online booking system only allows you to book van rentals up to 28 days — anything longer than this and you need to get in touch with the firm directly at a branch or by phone.

Hertz

Hertz offers a van rental plan aimed specifically at long-term hire customers. Named the Hertz 28+ Plan, it includes a minimum of 2,000 inclusive miles per month and includes servicing and roadside assistance. You don’t have to pay upfront and there are no early return penalties after the first 28 days.

As an added bonus, the 28+ Plan includes complimentary Gold membership of the Hertz #1 Club, so you can bypass branch queues when collecting and dropping-off vehicles. Free delivery and collection is also included, as are a free monthly valet and up to 5,000 Nectar bonus points. Visit www.hertz28.co.uk for full details — this service isn’t available through Hertz’s standard website booking engine.

Thrifty

Thrifty also has a dedicated plan aimed at long-term car and van rental customers. This service is available online and enables you to specify van type or monthly budget, term (minimum 1 month/28 days) and monthly mileage, before providing you with a quote for each 28-day period.

The rates I saw looked pretty competitive to me, but do note that hirers have to provide their own comprehensive insurance. Hirers wanting rates including insurance can book at Thrifty’s standard daily rates, which are considerably higher. Click here for full details.

Argus Car Hire

As a broker, Argus offers the best rates available from individual hire companies’ daily rental services. It offers a good choice for long-term van hire bookings, but you should be able to find better prices by using a dedicated long-term hire service, such as those offered by Thrifty, Europcar and Hertz.

Conclusions

Hertz, Europcar, Thrifty and Sixt stand out as offering dedicated long-term hire services aimed at business customers needing hire vans for more than a month. It’s worth noting that many smaller, independent hire firms offer this service too, and that the biggest savings are for customers who can provide their own insurance — as with the Thrifty long-term van hire programme.

Although some of these companies do allow you to book long-term van hire online, this is probably a case where it is worth ringing round different companies and finding out exactly what they offer, and what, if any, the restrictions are. Make sure you understand any terms and conditions relating to mileage, usage, insurance, cross-border use and anything else that might apply to you, before working out which company offers the best overall package.

This article is part of a series looking at additional services that are available to van hire customers. To learn more, check out the following articles:

• Van Hire For Students & Young Drivers: How Much Does It Cost For Drivers Under 25?
• 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 and details were checked at the time of writing in September 2013, but they 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.