Renting a van for your move? Discover our tips!
If you need to move, you have two choices. You can hire a moving company or do the move yourself. In that case, you will need to rent a van. Here are several things to know when renting a van.
Rent your moving van smartly
The first thing to do is to book early at the van rental agency closest to you. It is recommended to make your reservation at least a month before your move.
Next, you need to think about the route you will take. This will prevent you from getting lost while you are already focused on driving a vehicle you are not familiar with. Make sure to take roads that are wide enough and try to plan the easiest and shortest route. You will avoid many headaches and potential disasters.
Another useful tip is to plan how you will load the truck. Start by loading the heaviest items and place the items you will need immediately last in the truck. Make sure you have enough moving blankets and several meters of rope to secure the load. Visualize how you will load the vehicle to avoid loading and unloading items unnecessarily.
Finally, allow enough time. Check in advance how much an extra day of rental might cost, so you don’t have to do everything in too short a time. Allow a margin, it will save you a lot of trouble. And don’t forget to reserve a parking space in front of your building, remembering that sometimes you need to reserve this space 15 days in advance with your current municipality and the one you are moving to! In Brussels, for example, you can find information about this here.
Which van to choose?
When renting your van, you will find that costs depend on several factors: the size of the truck and the distance that will be traveled with the truck are the two main factors that will determine the amount you will need to spend.
If possible, avoid holidays and weekends which are more expensive and often very busy. Check out our advantageous offers for weekday rentals! The end of the month is also busier. Ideally, try to schedule the move on a weekday in the middle of the month.
To determine the size of the truck you will need, you must assess the amount of boxes and furniture to move. Make sure the size of the van you choose is sufficient to transport all your belongings. To help you determine the size of your rental utility vehicle, pack your boxes well in advance. Then, use our volume calculator. Europcar offers utility vehicles that can transport from 3m3 to 18m3.
Is it the end of the school year and you need to leave your student accommodation near the university for two long months of vacation? Is your family growing and you are moving to a larger house in the countryside? Are you retiring and moving to an apartment on the coast? Do you want to move your offices closer to your home and need large vans to transport all the computers and furniture?
Think of Europcar’s rental vans. We offer light utility vehicles of different sizes. All you have to do is enlist your friends for a helping hand.
Happy moving!
