A van today: last-minute rental

A van today: last-minute rental

Needing a van today is nothing unusual. The seller only offers delivery until tomorrow, a friend with a trailer cancels, or the sofa or washing machine simply won't fit in the car. A last-minute rental is a standard situation for us, not a request for an exception.

Why it works

We operate non-stop and pick-up is contactless. You don't wait for a branch's opening hours or for someone to answer the phone. You make the booking online, pay by card and collect the van yourself via the web app. No registration or account is needed, so there's no email verification or password to come up with either.

Three things that make the difference

Van availability, your documents and a charged phone. You need two documents, one of which is a category B driving licence. You unlock the vehicle with your phone, so without battery and data you won't get into it. Check the available vans in our fleet so you don't waste time planning around a van that's already booked.

The deposit won't hold you up

There's no deposit and nothing is blocked on your card. So you don't have to worry about whether you have a big enough buffer in your account, or call your bank to raise your limit. You pay for the rental and off you go.

When to set off

You can collect the van in the morning, in the evening or at night. If you're racing to collect something before a shop closes, allow time for loading, the drive and the trip back to the starting location.

How long it all takes

Booking takes a few minutes, and so does picking up the van. You photograph the vehicle following the app's instructions, unlock it with your phone and find the keys in the compartment on the passenger side. No queues, no signing at a counter.

When the van you want is taken

Try moving the start of the rental by a few hours. Evening and night slots tend to be freer than Saturday mornings, and a van is also easier to drive through a quieter city. Another option is to choose a different model that will still suit your load.

What not to forget in a hurry

Make sure you can actually drive the van. All our vans have a manual gearbox and run on diesel, and you can't drive them with a licence restricted to automatics. In addition, only the person named in the contract may drive, so make the booking in the name of whoever will actually be behind the wheel.

What to avoid in a hurry

Misjudging the size

The most common last-minute mistake is choosing a van by eye. Measure the largest item in your load, not the total volume. Length and height decide it, not your gut feeling. Payload ranges from roughly 1 100 to 1 450 kg depending on the model, so the limit is usually the dimensions rather than the weight. Two trips with a small van cost you more time and fuel than one trip with the right one.

Underestimating the time

Loading and unloading take longer than you expect. On top of the pure driving time, add finding somewhere to stop, carrying things up and down stairs and refuelling before the return. You pick the van up with a full tank and return it full to the same location.

Booking on a whim

You can cancel a booking free of charge no later than 72 hours before the start of the rental. For a booking for today, that deadline has already passed, so only book once you're sure. Check in advance that someone will help with loading and that your destination will still be open.

Quick preparation

A helper and equipment

Arrange for someone to help you load. On your own with heavy furniture you'll lose more time than you save. Bring straps or blankets so the load doesn't shift when you brake.

Route and stopping

Think about where you'll stop with the van. In the city centre that's a bigger problem than the drive itself. Parking in blue zones is not part of the service, so follow the signs in the street in question. You can leave your own car at the location free of charge for the whole rental.

Who drives

Only the person named in the contract may drive. The vans have a manual gearbox, run on diesel and are driven within the Czech Republic. The rest is covered in the FAQ, and you'll find references in the reviews section.

Documents and phone come first

Documents are what people forget most often in a hurry. You need two, one of which is a category B driving licence. Without a charged phone with data you won't unlock the vehicle either, so bring a car charger too.

You return it where you started

Check where the rental ends before you set off. The vehicle goes back to the same location where you picked it up, with a full tank. So plan your last refuelling near there, not near your destination on the other side of the city.