Van choice usually happens the worst possible way: look at the daily rate, take the cheapest. The result is three trips instead of one, or a family travelling with the bags on their laps. The right approach runs the other way: start from what you’re carrying and arrive at the size.
Choosing on passengers
Seat count is the easy part, but there’s a trap: “seven-seater” means seven seats, not seven people plus their things. The rear row of a seven-seater, when in use, leaves very little space behind it.
| People | Right choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 4 | Car or mini van | A van adds nothing; you pay more for no reason |
| 5 | 5-seat mini van | More luggage space than a car of the same footprint |
| 6–7 | 7-seat van | Comfortable, as long as every seat isn’t filled with large cases |
| 8–9 | 9-seat minibus | The only single-vehicle answer; otherwise two cars |
The critical point: at six people the seven-seater works. At seven, consider the nine-seater, because that seventh seat costs you all your luggage space.
The luggage question
A useful rule of thumb: count one large suitcase per two passengers, not per passenger, if every seat is taken. A nine-seat minibus at full passenger load holds roughly six to eight cabin cases or four to five large ones.
Travelling to an island by ferry, remember you’ll load and unload twice. A little extra space is worth far more than a small difference in the daily rate. See the categories on the van rental and 9-seater minibus pages.
Vans for moving: how many cubic metres
Here seats don’t matter, volume does. Working rules for Attica flats:
- Studio or one-bedroom with few furnishings — five cubic metres, usually two runs.
- Fully furnished one-bedroom — eight cubic metres, one to two runs.
- Two-bedroom or a whole house — ten cubic metres with a high roof. Being able to stand up inside makes an enormous difference to loading speed.
The decisive dimension often isn’t volume but the height of the loading door. A tall fridge-freezer or a three-seat sofa may fit comfortably in the space and not through the opening. Measure bulky items separately and tell us the dimensions. More on the moving van page.
Licence and legal limits
A category B licence covers vehicles with up to nine seats in total (driver plus eight) and a gross weight under 3.5 tonnes. Every van and minibus rented for private use falls inside that. A category D licence is only needed above nine seats, or for carrying passengers commercially for a fare.
The same weight limit applies to panel vans. Every one in our fleet is under 3.5 tonnes, so no commercial entitlement is required.
Driving a larger vehicle in practice
A nine-seater or a high van isn’t hard to drive, but three things catch people out:
- Height. Underground car parks and garages often cap below 2.10 metres. A high van won’t go in. Check before you enter, not after.
- Length when manoeuvring. Reversing on a narrow Piraeus street takes patience. Use the camera and, if you have a passenger, have them guide you.
- Crosswind. On the coast road and on bridges, a tall empty van is noticeably affected. Slow down and hold the wheel steady.
We go through all of this at handover, along with the exact dimensions of the vehicle you’re taking. It’s five minutes that saves a good deal.
