Van rental: which size to choose for a move, a trip or a load

Van sizes: indicative dimensions

Size designations are not standardised. “L2H2” means different dimensions on one manufacturer's model than on another's, and “medium” means nothing at all. So the table below is a planning reference, not a substitute for the specific vehicle's data.

Two dimensions you need more often than volume: the rear door aperture, usually about 1.2–1.3 m wide, and the gap between the wheel arches, about 1.2–1.4 m. It is the arches, not the overall width, that decide whether a sofa or a wardrobe lies flat.

The figures vary by manufacturer and model year. Before booking, ask the owner for the real internal length, the width between the arches, the height and the door aperture — then measure your longest, widest and tallest item, packaging included.

Compare the price across the whole route

A van's daily rate is one budget line. Add fuel or charging, the mileage limit, delivery, additional drivers, insurance or excess terms, cleaning, and a possible second run if the model turns out too small.

A Naudokis.lt listing shows the rental price and the deposit that applies, and the total for your chosen period and handover method before you send the request. Once a given van class holds a large enough sample of active offers, this guide should add median prices and mileage-limit ranges with the date and sample size.

Purpose first, size second

A minibus's seats and trim take space away from the load. In a cargo van, people cannot travel in the load compartment. A crew van suits a team with equipment, but check how many seats are registered and how much luggage space is left when they are in use.

How to calculate the volume you need

List the large items and mark which ones come apart.

The volume of a rectangular item is length × width × height. But a van's catalogue volume can rarely be used at 100 %: the wheel arches, the bulkhead, lashing points and the gaps needed for safe stacking all take space.

Example. A 0.60 × 0.40 × 0.35 m box takes 0.084 m³. Ten of them are 0.84 m³ in theory. In practice, plan for at least a third more.

Fragile and unstackable items create a lot of air. A bicycle, a mirror or a plant takes several times more room than its dimensions suggest.

A useful trick: mark the van's internal rectangle on the floor with chalk or tape. Put the largest items that cannot be turned into it first. Then you can see what is really left.

Volume does not protect you from overloading

This is where the most common mistake happens.

Payload is not the same as maximum authorised mass. Maximum authorised mass is the limit for the whole loaded vehicle. It includes the van, the driver, passengers, fuel and the load, so the real margin shrinks with every extra passenger or item.

Dense materials reach the mass limit while the load compartment still looks half empty. Tiles, books, liquids, building mixes, metal parts.

If the load is heavy, weigh it or calculate it. Do not go by how the vehicle looks. And confirm the permitted limit with the owner in writing.

Sources: Your Europe, Regitra

Category B: the limits now, and what changes

As of August 2026 the ordinary category B limit is still 3,500 kg maximum authorised mass, and the vehicle may be designed to carry no more than eight passengers besides the driver. For the model you are renting, always check the registration document.

In practice: a heavier model, or one carrying more passengers, needs a different category. Check the specific vehicle's registration document, the restrictions on your own licence, and the owner's experience requirement — for vans it is often stricter than for cars.

If you will tow a trailer behind the van, assess the mass of the whole combination. Being able to drive the van on a category B licence does not mean any trailer is allowed.

Sources: EUR-Lex, European Commission, Regitra

Insurance, excess and the roof

For a van it is worth checking not only the size of the excess but which body parts or situations fall outside the cover.

Compulsory third-party liability insurance covers damage to other people, while damage to the van itself is governed by the rental contract and any additional protection. So the word “insured” alone does not tell you how much you are actually risking.

The three most common exclusions in this category:

• The roof. High vans catch archways, branches and garage openings. Some contracts apply separate exclusions or higher liability to roof damage — check that directly.
• The inside of the load compartment. Scratched or punctured lining, damaged floor covering, a broken lashing point — that is damage to the vehicle, not a question about the load.
• The load itself. Vehicle cover does not necessarily extend to what you are carrying. For a valuable load, check whether you have separate cover.

A fuller explanation of the difference between excess, deposit and insurance is in the car rental guide.

Sources: Lietuvos bankas

Load low, and strap it down

The heaviest items go on the floor, closer to the centre of the vehicle, against a solid bulkhead. But do not create one overloaded side.

Lighter items can sit higher only where they cannot fall.

Leave no free gaps. Under braking the load accelerates into them, and friction between boxes is not something to rely on.

Use straps of adequate capacity and the vehicle's lashing points. Do not loop a strap around a fragile handle or trim. Protect furniture edges, and do not build a stack by the doors that would fall out when they open.

An improperly secured load changes the vehicle's balance under braking and in corners. That is a question of people's safety, not only property.

After the first few kilometres, stop and check the strap tension. As cardboard compresses, a strap that was tight comes loose.

Sources: European Commission

Height, parking and how it drives

Write down the vehicle's overall height and keep it where you can see it — on the dashboard, not in your phone.

What to compare it against: underground and multi-storey car parks, courtyard archways, barriers and ferries all have specific height limits, and they can be lower than an H2 or H3 van. Do not rely on a “typical” height — read the sign at each point on the route.

The rear of a longer vehicle follows a different line through a corner. Blind spots are larger, and the braking distance with a load is longer. Before setting off, adjust the mirrors somewhere safe and get a feel for the dimensions.

Fuel consumption. It varies enormously with the model, the engine, the load, speed and route. For budgeting, use the specific vehicle manufacturer's figures as a starting point and leave a margin for city driving, the load and cold weather. Add any likely excess over the mileage limit.

For an electric van, assess the real range with a load and at motorway speed separately. It is considerably lower than the catalogue figure, and charging on moving day costs time.

Plan the moving day, not just the vehicle

A sofa that fits the van may not get round the turn in the stairwell. So measure the route through doors, stairs and gates too — not only the items.

Before you collect the keys, confirm the access time, the lift booking, the helpers and legal parking at both ends.

Agree the roles. One person runs the loading, another keeps the keys and documents. When manoeuvring, the driver is helped by exactly one agreed spotter — who must stay visible in the mirror at all times and never stand between the vehicle and an obstacle. Lose eye contact, and stop.

Set a stopping rule in advance: if the calculated payload margin is gone, or the doors only close under pressure, unload and change the plan. Abandoning the straps or lifting heavy boxes higher solves nothing.

When a removals service is the better call. If there is no lift and things go to the third floor or above, if safes, pianos or large appliances are involved, if you cannot muster at least two physically capable helpers, or if the time window is a few hours — hiring a van becomes the more expensive option, not the cheaper one. Compare at least one service quote against your full cost: rental plus fuel plus your day.

And most importantly: if driving feels uncertain once loaded, redistribute the load or use a professional carrier. A booking already paid for is not a reason to continue with an unsafe plan.

Carrying people — start with the people

Every passenger needs a registered seat with a seat belt. Luggage must not block exits or move freely in the cabin.

The number of seats does not tell you how much luggage space is left. Eight passengers plus a driver need nine registered seats; if there are eight people in total, eight seats are enough — but assess the luggage capacity separately either way.

Factor in child seats, rest stops and who can share the driving. Every driver has to be named on the contract, and before a long trip it is worth briefly testing the braking and parking somewhere safe.

Handover and return

The return time has to cover more than the last run. Unloading, clearing rubbish, sweeping the load compartment and refuelling all take longer than they look.

Sources: e-TAR

How this works on Naudokis.lt

• A specific vehicle, not a class. The listing shows one specific vehicle. You can ask by message about internal dimensions, the door aperture and the masses stated in the registration document before booking — the most important question in this category.
• Check the registration data before booking. If the load is heavy, or the exact seat count matters, ask the owner to confirm the maximum authorised mass and the number of seats from the registration document. A copy of a personal or document number is not needed for that.
• Record condition identically at handover and return. Photograph the load compartment floor, walls, doors and lashing points in particular — damage there is easier to miss than on the body.

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