With more students than ever before expected to start university this autumn, the annual migration from home to student digs could be busier than ever.

According to The Guardian More than 400,000 students have a university or college place confirmed for this autumn — and many of those will shortly be making their way up and down the motorways to university, to experience their first taste of life away from home.

Although the family car is the traditional form of transport for these yearly journeys, it isn’t always the best choice, especially as today’s students seem to take more with them — from kitchen equipment to furniture to exercise gear — than previous generations of students.

As I’ve mentioned before, hiring a van for the trip can be a cheaper, less stressful and safer way of making the journey, something that Ken McCall, Managing Director of Europcar UK Group, is keen to emphasise:

“From personal experience, I know that the first year trip to student halls is stressful enough without having to worry about getting everything packed into the family car.

Van hire from Europcar makes a real difference because it offers the flexibility of hourly rates and one way and overnight rentals.  Plus, to reduce the stress even further, we deliver to home addresses through our delivery and collection service.”

If you haven’t got a quote for van hire yet, I’d recommend a quick visit to our price comparison system — plus we also have more information on one-way hire and hourly hire, including from Europcar.

However, if you’ve already sorted out a hire van but have never driven one before, I’d strongly recommend a quick look at these van driving tips, which have been put together by Europcar:

Watch your speed

• Depending on the size of the van, the speed at which it can be driven may well be slower than the national limit so make sure you check the limits when collecting the vehicle.
• vanrental.co.uk tip: As a general rule, the speed limit for vans on single carriageway roads is 50mph and on dual carriageways it’s 60mph –for more information on van speed limits, click here.

Handle with caution

• Take the time to get to know the size and responsiveness of the van before you head out onto busy roads.
• Remember that the van will handle differently when you collect it empty to how it will feel once it is fully loaded.

Secure the load

• Even a small amount of movement in a van can cause it to move around dangerously, so ensure items are packed securely.

Know your size: 

• Make sure you are aware of the additional height and width of the van, remembering to take extra care under low bridges and overhanging trees. Also remember vans need extra room to turn corners, due to the extra length of the vehicle.

Take it slowly

• Larger vehicles require a much longer braking distance, especially when fully-loaded or in poor weather, so watch your speed. In addition, make sure you take tight bends slowly as vans are more liable to tip over due to their height and increased centre of gravity.

Pick your positioning

• Take advantage of the higher seat in a van and make sure you look around and use your mirrors often. There is no option to look over your shoulder in a van so make sure you angle your mirror to give you sight at junctions.

Changing lanes

• Be more cautious when changing lanes and be sure to look out for two-wheeled vehicles and pedestrians.

Mind the doors

• It might seem obvious, but it is easy to overlook closing the door after packing a van. Make sure both the rear and side doors are securely shut before setting off.

Parking assistance

• Ask someone to guide you when reversing or parking if the van has blind spots. It might take longer, but it is a lot safer.