Tag Archives: vanhire

Ideal Car Hire Launches London Van Hire Service

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vanrental.co.uk vanLondon car rental firm Ideal Car Hire has built its reputation providing car hire to London residents and tourists, but the firm has now decided to capitalise on strong demand for rental vans in the capital by launching its own van hire service.

Vans are available to hire at Ideal’s Stoke Newington and Kings Cross branches, and the company has decided to launch with three types of van:

  • Compact van (e.g. Nissan NV200)
  • Medium van (e.g. Ford Transit SWB)
  • Long wheelbase van (e.g. Nissan NV400)

Ideal Car Hire also offers long-term rental deals on its cars and vans (a topic I recently looked at here), through its 28 day+ service, which only requires 28 days’ commitment and includes 2,000 miles per month, free delivery and collection, breakdown cover and monthly billing. Extras such as sat nav hire, child seats, additional insurance and roof racks are also available for most vehicles, regardless of hire length.

Ideal’s decision to offer van indicates that it wants to broaden its customer base and reduce its dependency on the tourist market, which is a key part of its car business. Although the firm only has two branches, it does offer a delivery and collection service within the M25, that’s free for hires over 7 days and costs just £10 each way for shorter hires.

Northgate Vehicle Hire Reports First Signs Of Growth

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Northgate Vehicle Hire’s parent firm Northgate plc reported what may be the first signs of its recovery today. In the firm’s most recent quarterly update, Northgate said that UK vehicles on hire had increased by 1,600 to 44,700, compared to 43,100 during the same period last year. This reverses a long-running trend that has seen the company reduce its fleet size in order to maintain stable utilisation and profitability as it has battled to reduce its debt pile.

Of the 1,600 additional vehicles on hire, 500 vehicles were based at new sites opened by the company, while the remainder were at existing sites, providing an encouraging indication of both organic growth and successful expansion.

The majority of Northgate’s business is with fleets and business customers — its vehicles don’t appear in our van hire price comparison results — and although Northgate’s vehicle hire business does serve retail customers directly, it’s not as well known as the major car rental brands, like Europcar.

Stable utilisation

The Darlington-based firm said that vehicle utilisation had averaged 88% during the last quarter, compared to 89% during the same period last year, but that utilisation returned to 89% in August, despite a modest increase in fleet size from 49,900 at 30 April 2013 to 50,600 currently. Underlying hire revenue per rented vehicle also edged higher, rising by 1% compared to the same period last year.

As you might expect, Northgate reported that used van sale prices remained strong during the last quarter, and were in-line with last  year’s prices.

Spanish growth

We’ve become conditioned to some modest signs of growth in the UK, but it was even more surprising to see that Northgate reported a similar set of results from recession-bound Spain. Although some of the gains were seasonal, Northgate said that utilisation rose to 92% in the period to 18 September 2013, compared to 90% for the same period last year. Northgate’s Spanish fleet also grew, from 35,100 at the end of April to its current level of 36,100.

Northgate plc operates the Norflex, Northgate Vehicle Hire and Van Monster businesses in the UK.

Heading Off To University? It’s Time To Hire A Van

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Student hat and degree scrollAll across the UK, the university term is about to start (or it’s just started), and parents and students are arriving in droves, often with surprising amounts of ‘stuff’ — electronics, furniture and clothing, mostly, plus a few books…

The only problem is that when you come to pack all that stuff into your car, you may find it simply doesn’t fit — or that your pristine new car is going to end up looking like a battle-scarred taxi inside, by the time you’ve rammed everything in.

The solution, of course, is van hire. This is an especially busy time of year for van hire companies, who face a surge in demand from students and their parents every autumn, as the university crunch strikes, and parents realise that a car simply isn’t the answer.

Although demand is high and I would have recommended booking earlier, my sources tell me that there is still availability for hire vans in most UK locations for the next fortnight, during which most universities kick off the new year.

Luckily, our unique, transparent van hire price comparison engine allows you to compare prices from most major UK van hire companies with just a few clicks. If you need a last-minute rental van, here are a few pointers to get you started:

Thrifty Opens Worcester Car & Van Hire Branch

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Thrifty Car & Van Rental logoThrifty Car and Van Rental is continuing its steady expansion in the UK and has opened a new branch in Worcester, on Prescott Drive.

The new branch offers a range of cars and vans for hire and also offers its FlexiFleet service for business customers, which I recently wrote about in my feature on long-term van hire.

Worcester branch manager Amanda Field is keen to emphasise her team’s customer service credentials and the central location of the new branch:

“Our customer service team are very friendly and professional, so you can expect a warm welcome and excellent service on every visit.”

Prescott Drive is situated just to the north of Worcester, directly off the Cotswold Way (B4639) and close to the A449, the Worcester and Birmingham Canal and the districts of Blackpole and Wall Meadow.

You can find full details of the new branch, including a map, on our Thrifty Worcester branch page.

The full address and contact details for Thrifty’s new branch are:

Prescott Drive
Worcester
WR4 9NE

Tel: 01905 675114

Email: thrifty.worcester@thrifty.co.uk

You can find a full list of Thrifty UK van rental branches on our Thrifty branch page.

Long-Term Van Hire: Monthly Rental & Other Tips

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vanrental.co.uk vanMany 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:

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.

Van Hire Trade Association Warns Customers To ‘Look For The Logo’

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vanrental.co.uk vanThe British Vehicle Rental & Leasing Association (BVRLA) is warning car and van hire customers to ‘look for the logo’ when hiring a car or van.

The BVRLA is the UK’s trade association for vehicle rental companies, and to help customers understand the benefits of hiring from a BVRLA member firm, the organisation has published a new leaflet entitled “Why use a BVRLA member?”

According to the new leaflet, which is available on the BVRLA’s website, BVRLA has more than 500 members operating more than 2.75m cars, vans and trucks all over the UK.

BVRLA members are required to follow a Code of Conduct which requires members to provide safe and roadworthy vehicles, provide clear and accurate information about their services and offer a complaint resolution service. You might think that all of these requirements are standard for any car or van hire company, but sadly, there are all too many tales out there of companies whose vehicles did not meet the required standards, some of whom are outright fraudsters.

Member companies rental vehicles are required to pass a 44-point checklist before being rented out, while even more stringent checks apply to goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes — and companies are subject to random inspections periodically, to ensure they are up to scratch.

Virtually all of the companies whose services we include on vanrental.co.uk are BVRLA members, and while there are reputable companies who aren’t members (mostly small, local independent firms), what I’d recommend is that if you are not familiar with the reputation of a firm, then make sure it’s a BVRLA member.

Sixt Van Hire from just £25 per Day

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Sixt van hire from £25 per dayGerman car and van rental firm Sixt is one of the biggest hire operators in the UK. With 20 branches in London alone — as well as a comprehensive national network of locations, you’re rarely far away from a Sixt branch.

Anyone needing to hire a van at the moment can benefit from Sixt’s great hire rates, which start from just £25 per day.

Click here for a list of all Sixt’s UK branches, or click on the advert on the left to get started with a Sixt quote.

Sixt’s UK van rental fleet includes the following sizes of van:

  • Small van (e.g. Volkswagen Caddy)
  • Medium van (e.g. Ford Transit SWB, Volkswagen Transporter SWB)
  • Large van (e.g. Ford Transit LWB, VW Crafter, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter)
  • Extra-long wheelbase vans (e.g. Ford Transit Jumbo, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter XLWB)
  • Luton vans (e.g. Ford Transit Luton)
  • 3.5t Dropside and Tipper vans (e.g. Ford Transit Tipper/Dropside)

Sixt’s fleet is one of the most comprehensive offered by the main consumer van hire companies in the UK, so you should be able to find what you need, in your area.

Save Up to 33% On Hertz Van Rental! [EXPIRED]

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The Hertz global sale kicked off on Saturday, giving you the chance to save up to 33% on Hertz’s standard hire rates.

Hertz has more than 200 hire locations across the UK (click here for a list) and offers a wide range of cars and vans for hire, so you’re sure to be able to find what you need.

You can also collect Nectar points when you hire with Hertz, saving you even more money!

Here are the full details of this discount code offer.

THIS OFFER HAS NOW EXPIRED

HERTZ GLOBAL SALE: UP TO 33% OFF VAN RENTAL

  • Booking dates:  31st August to 22nd September 2013
  • Rental Period:  1st September 2013 to 31st March 2014
  • Code:  778700

To get started, click here to visit the Hertz website.

Europcar Trials ‘Pop-Up’ London Van Hire Locations

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Pop-up shops — temporary locations in unused or temporary premises — seem to be all the rage at the moment.

The latest development in the pop-up craze has come from an unexpected direction — Europcar’s largest car and van hire company, Europcar.

Europcar is currently trialling 14 new pop-up locations in London, in an effort to speed up customers’ access to rental cars and vans in the capital.

The pop-up branches are being operated as Meet & Greet locations and will offer Europcar’s full fleet of vans and cars available for collection in London.

When a customer arrives at one of the new branches, they will be met by a Europcar representative who will take them to their pre-booked hire van or car, enabling them to continue with their journey as quickly and seamlessly as possible.

It’s not clear how near the pre-booked cars and vans will beheld to the pop-up location, but I guess it’s reasonable to assume that they will be much closer than the nearest Europcar branch, enabling customers to cut out travel time across London to the nearest permanent London rental branch.

Europcar’s pop-up locations will be open six days a week, Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm, and Saturday, 8am to 1pm. The full list of Europcar pop-up locations is:

  • Battersea
  • Borehamwood
  • Camden
  • Chingford
  • Crystal Palace
  • Dartford
  • Earls Court
  • Ilford
  • New Cross
  • New Southgate
  • Notting Hill
  • Orpington
  • Staples Corner
  • Wood Green

Pop-up locations can be booked through Europcar’s website in the normal way and show up in the booking system as ‘Meet & Greet’ locations – e.g. ‘New Southgate Meet & Greet’. For more details or to make a booking, visit Europcar’s website.

Van Hire For Students & Young Drivers: How Much Does It Cost For Drivers Under 25?

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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:

*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.