Van hire FAQS: common questions answered

We get it. Hiring a van can be daunting – especially if you've never done it before.

No doubt you've got burning questions. Perhaps you're wondering "how much can I expect to pay?", "how long can I hire it for?" or "how does insurance work?"

Don't worry – we're here to help. We've compiled a list of frequently asked questions about van hire, along with all the answers you'll need to get moving.

How much does a van cost to hire?

It's hard to give a firm answer to this question. This is because there are lots of things that can affect the cost of van hire. 

For instance, are you going to be the only person driving the van? Or will you be sharing the driving with someone else? Do you need extras, such as a collision damage waiver (CDW)?

Everyone will have different answers to these questions. That's why we provide quotes on a case-by-case basis.

The good news: it's really easy to find out the cost of hiring a van. Simply browse our fleet of rental vans and fill in a quick online form. We'll instantly show you a range of quotes so you can pick the right van for the job. Simple!

Can you hire a van by the hour? By the day? For a month?

In common with most van hire companies, we calculate our hires on a 24-hour basis. In practice, this means the minimum hire period is one full day.

That said, we'll always do our best to be flexible, so please get in touch if you have any particular requirements.

If you're hiring on behalf of a business and you need a longer hire period – say, a month or more – take a look at our business hire FAQs.

What documents will I need?

We've tried to make the hiring process as simple as possible. But, of course, we need to make sure we've dotted all our "I"s and crossed all our "T"s. That's why we ask to see several pieces of documentation before we go ahead with any rental agreement.

To hire a van from us, you'll need:

• 
  A valid UK driving licence.
• A passport that's valid for at least another six months. (Only if you have an old-style paper driving licence. If you have a photocard licence, no passport is required.)
• A DVLA check code. This is a special code that's tied to your licence and allows us to check your driving record. You can generate one at GOV.UK.
• Two proofs of address. These can be bank statements, utility bills or council tax bills.

Is insurance included when hiring a van?

Yes, all our prices include insurance as standard. You'll also benefit from 24/7 roadside assistance for the duration of the hire.

Can I hire a van if I have points on my licence?

It depends on how many penalty points you have and what you received them for. Your age also plays into it – the rules are usually stricter for younger drivers than veteran road users.

What's more, you'll often face problems if you've received driving bans or had your licence revoked in recent years.

Different hire companies may have different rules on this. You can check our rules here.

Do hire vans have mileage limits?

Our vans come with mileage limits, but they're very generous – you can drive for up to 250 miles per day without incurring any additional charges.

Think about that. If you hired a van for seven days, our mileage limit would allow you to tot up 1,750 miles over the course of the week. That's enough to travel from Newcastle to John O'Groats, then swing south and drive all the way to Lands End. Cruise back from Cornwall to Newcastle and you'll reach our forecourt with around 14 miles left on the clock.

Of course, these are daily limits, so you'd have to tackle the trip in stages. However, the point still stands: there's enough leeway in our mileage limits for nearly all circumstances.

What is van contract hire?

Van contract hire is a form of vehicle leasing where you pay a fixed amount per month for the use of a van. You'll continue to make these payments until an agreed cut-off date, at which point you'll return the van to the hire company.

Contract hire can be a good option for businesses that want an easy way to budget for vehicle costs. All the complexities of ownership are boiled down to a simple, easy-to-manage monthly payment. Plus, you avoid the hassle of selling, maintaining or scrapping the vehicle when the contract ends.

At Metro Vehicle Hire, we offer the best of both worlds. You can choose a fixed-term rental for simplicity and cost-effectiveness or a flexible rental for those busy seasonal peaks or unexpected "odd jobs". For more information, see our business FAQs.

Where can I hire a van near me?

If you live close to Newcastle upon Tyne – or you're travelling here – we've got you covered.

For more than 20 years, Metro Vehicle Hire has specialised in affordable vehicle hire for businesses, schools and individuals. We have a fleet of around 90 vehicles to rent, including cars, SUVs, minibuses and – of course – vans. All are maintained to exceptional standards and go through a full valet service and safety check before we hand you the keys.

You'll find us in Swalwell, a village in Gateshead (very close to the MetroCentre). This puts us within easy reach of Newcastle city centre, County Durham and Northumberland – as well as Newcastle International Airport.

So if you need to hire a van in Newcastle, please don't hesitate to get in touch. Our staff pride themselves on being friendly and flexible, so we'll always do our best to help if you have special requests or questions.