Van Hire FAQs
Everything you need to know about hiring a van in Lytham St Annes. Can't find your answer? Get in touch.
Booking & Availability
How do I book a van?
You can book online at any hour, or call us and we will do it with you. The form asks for your collection and return times, any optional extras, and your name, email and phone number; you then pay the deposit by card to confirm. The deposit is 20% of the hire total, and the total includes a £2.50 booking fee. A confirmation email arrives straight away, followed by a separate email with a link to submit your insurance details and upload your driving licence and proof of address. Bring those documents with you on collection day — we cannot release the van without them.
How long can I hire a van for?
Hire periods run from a half day, which is up to 4 hours, through a working day — more than 4 hours, collected and returned inside our opening hours on the same day — to a full day, which is 24 hours from collection and allows overnight use. Longer hires are charged per additional 24-hour period, and the booking system works out the correct band from the times you choose. Published rates run up to 7 days; anything longer is priced individually, so the booking flow will ask you to call us for a bespoke quote rather than guessing. Every published rate is on the rate card.
Can I book a van at short notice?
Online bookings need at least 24 hours' notice before your collection time, and the booking form will not offer an earlier slot. For shorter notice, call us — we can often still help, because staff can take a booking by phone when the van is free. Availability is the real limit, particularly on Saturdays and around bank holidays. Remember you will still need to provide your driving licence, DVLA convictions page, proof of address and ID, and we walk round the van with you at handover, so leave a little time in the day for that.
What is your cancellation policy?
You can cancel free of charge up to 48 hours before your hire start time. Cancellations inside 48 hours may be subject to a charge. There is no self-service cancel button once your deposit has been paid, so contact us as soon as your plans change — call or email and we will deal with it and confirm back to you. If you only need to move the dates rather than cancel altogether, say so: shifting a booking is usually more straightforward than cancelling and rebooking, and it keeps the van held for you.
Is a deposit required?
There are two separate amounts and they do different jobs. The booking deposit is 20% of your hire total, paid by card online when you reserve the van; that secures the dates, and the balance is invoiced before collection. The hire deposit is £150, taken on the day of hire before the keys are handed over. That one is refundable: it is held against fuel discrepancies, excess mileage, cleaning, late return, lost keys and minor damage, and it is returned once the van has been inspected and signed off by our staff. It is not the insurance excess and it does not cap your liability — the full list is in our terms and conditions.
What payment methods do you accept, and do your prices include VAT?
The booking deposit is paid by debit or credit card through our online checkout. The balance is invoiced and can be settled by bank transfer or by card. We cannot accept cash for a hire — a cash hire is not insured, so it is refused rather than merely discouraged. All amounts shown on the site are in pounds sterling and include VAT where applicable. The rate card is the full picture: hire rates, the charges and fees table, and any optional extras, with standard insurance and 150 miles a day already inside the hire price rather than added at the end.
Is a card pre-authorisation or hold taken, and when do I get the £150 back?
No pre-authorisation or hold is placed for the online booking deposit — it is taken as an ordinary card payment when you book, so it leaves your account rather than sitting pending against your balance. The £150 hire deposit is separate and is taken on collection day, before the keys are handed over. It is refunded once the van is back and a member of staff has inspected and signed it off, less any charges that have arisen for fuel, excess mileage, cleaning, late return or damage. If anything is deducted we will tell you what and why, and anything owed above £150 is invoiced separately.
What if I need to extend my hire part-way through?
Ring us as soon as you know. Extensions must be requested at least 24 hours in advance, depend on the van being free afterwards, and are charged for the additional hire time. Do not simply keep the van longer: an unauthorised extension is treated as a late return, charged at £20 per hour or £150 per day, and the van can be reported as overdue. Returning early does not earn a refund, so if there is a real chance you will need an extra day it is worth discussing before you set off rather than afterwards.
Insurance & Documents
Is insurance included in the van hire price?
Yes — standard insurance is included in the price you see. We arrange the cover as part of the booking, so there is no separate quote to chase and nothing extra to pay for most drivers. A small surcharge can apply for younger drivers, for example 24–25 year olds, or for certain licence history and personal circumstances, and in some cases cover is declined altogether. We confirm any surcharge during the booking process, before you are committed to it. You remain liable for the excess stated on your rental agreement. Full requirements are on our Insurance page.
What documents do I need to bring?
A current full UK photocard driving licence together with your DVLA convictions verification page, plus proof of your current address. Bank, credit card, utility, landline and Sky or cable bills must be from the last three months; a council tax bill must be for the current financial year; tenancy agreements, mortgage statements and local authority letters are accepted up to 12 months old. You will also generate a DVLA licence check code before you hire and give us that code. Bring the documents to collection as well as uploading them to the insurance form. Visitors from outside the UK confirm a temporary UK address from the same list. The full tables are on our Insurance page.
What age do I need to be to hire a van?
Drivers must be between 21 and 78 and hold a full UK driving licence. Points or offences on your licence can affect whether we are able to insure you and what the premium is, and in some cases cover is declined — which is why the licence check happens at booking rather than on the day you arrive. A small insurance surcharge may apply to younger drivers, for example 24–25 year olds. Every driver, including any additional driver, has to meet the insurer's requirements and be named on the rental agreement before they get behind the wheel.
Do I need my own insurance?
No. We arrange the insurance as part of the booking and standard cover is already inside the hire price, so there is no policy for you to arrange or pay for separately. What you do need to do is complete the insurance form we email you after booking and upload your driving licence and proof of address, so the cover can be set up in your name before collection. You remain liable for the excess shown on your rental agreement, and for uninsured items — tyres, windscreens, interior damage, misfuelling, lost keys and damage caused by overloading.
Can I add a second driver, and what does it cost?
Yes — up to two additional drivers can be added to a hire. Each one has to meet the insurer's requirements, be aged between 21 and 78, hold a full UK driving licence and provide the same documents you do: photocard licence, DVLA convictions page, proof of address and ID. An additional charge applies; ask us when you book and we will confirm it before you commit, so the extra driver is priced and insured ahead of collection. Nobody who is not named on the rental agreement may drive the van — letting an unnamed driver take the wheel can invalidate the insurance and leave you liable for the full cost of any damage.
What happens if the van breaks down?
Every hire includes 24/7 UK-wide roadside assistance, so if the van will not start or fails on the road you are covered for recovery. Call us as soon as it happens — the number is on our Contact page — and we will get assistance to you and tell you what happens next. Genuine mechanical failure is our problem to sort out, not yours. Breakdowns caused by misuse are chargeable, and the usual causes are the avoidable ones: the wrong fuel in the tank, a load over the payload, or a warning light ignored rather than reported. Report any fault as soon as you notice it.
What happens if I have an accident or damage the van?
Make everyone safe, then tell us. Do not admit liability; take the names, addresses and details of everyone involved and of any witnesses; make the van secure; contact the police if anyone is hurt or the road is blocked. Report it to us immediately when it is safe to do so and complete an incident report within 24 hours — late reporting can invalidate the insurance and leave you liable for the whole loss. Know the cost before you hire: any incident involving damage, theft, collision or loss carries a fixed £1,500 charge regardless of fault, plus a £50 administration fee. Your £150 deposit comes off that, the remainder is invoiced, and anything the repairs do not use is refunded once we have the invoices. Full detail is in our terms and conditions.
Mileage & Travel
How many miles are included, and what if I go over?
Every hire includes 150 miles per day, which covers most local jobs comfortably — a tip run, a flat move, a week of trade work around the Fylde Coast. The allowance is per day of hire, so a three-day booking carries 450 miles rather than 150. Mileage over the allowance is charged at 15p per mile, worked out from the mileage-out and mileage-in readings recorded on the condition report at collection and return, and settled against your £150 hire deposit when the van is signed back in. If you know in advance that you are doing something long-distance, tell us when you book and we can tell you roughly where you will land.
How far can I travel with your vans?
Anywhere in mainland Great Britain. There is no regional restriction, as long as the van stays on the mainland and comes back to our Ansdell depot at the agreed time. What limits a long trip is the mileage allowance rather than geography: 150 miles a day is included and anything beyond that is 15p a mile, so a long round trip is worth pricing before you commit to it. The van must not be driven off-road, used for racing, pace-making, track days or speed tests, or used for hire and reward unless it has been specifically insured for that.
Can I drive to Scotland or Wales?
Yes. Scotland and Wales are both mainland Great Britain, so they are inside the permitted area and need no special arrangement — the same mileage allowance and the same terms apply. Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are not permitted, and nor is anywhere that needs a ferry off the mainland. If you are planning a Scottish or Welsh trip, work out the round-trip mileage first: with 150 miles a day included and 15p a mile after that, the distance can add more to the final bill than an extra day of hire would.
Can I take the van abroad?
No. The van may only be driven within mainland Great Britain, so it cannot be taken abroad — not to continental Europe, not to Ireland north or south, and not anywhere involving a ferry off the mainland. This is a condition of the hire rather than a preference: taking the van outside the permitted area would invalidate the insurance and leave you liable for the full value of any loss or damage. If you need a vehicle for a European trip, a hire company that specialises in it will be able to arrange the right cover — we would rather say so than take a booking we cannot insure.
The Vans
What types of van do you have available?
One, and we would rather be straight about that than list sizes we cannot supply. Our fleet is a single long-wheelbase medium panel van — a Renault Trafic — kept clean, serviced and well maintained. Small vans, large panel vans and Luton box vans appear on the site because people search for them, but none of those is currently in the fleet, so please call before planning a job around one. The Fleet page always reflects what is genuinely available, and the van's full load dimensions and payload come straight from the vehicle record rather than from an estimate.
Are your vans suitable for moving house?
For a smaller move, yes. The long-wheelbase medium van handles student moves, one-bedroom flats and a load of bulky furniture or appliances — it is high enough to take a fridge-freezer upright and long enough for flat-pack, lengths of timber or a stack of boxes. For a full multi-bedroom house move it is likely to mean more than one trip, and we do not currently have a large van or a Luton with a tail lift in the fleet. Call us and describe what you are shifting: we will tell you honestly whether one van and one trip will cover it.
Can I transport dirt bikes, kayaks, or outdoor equipment?
Yes — the long-wheelbase van suits dirt bikes, kayaks, paddleboards, surfboards and similar kit, and it is one of the more common reasons people hire from us on the coast. Load it so nothing can move in transit and stay inside the payload figure on the vehicle record; a load that shifts and damages the van is chargeable, and interior damage is not covered by the insurance. If you need tie-downs or protective covers, check the optional extras on the rate card when you book rather than assuming they are in the van. Sand and mud happen, but the van comes back clean — excessive dirt is a £30 charge.
Can I hire a van to take rubbish to the tip?
Yes, and it is one of the most popular reasons people hire from us — garden waste, old furniture, DIY clear-outs and house clearances across Lytham, Ansdell, St Anne's and Blackpool. Two practical points. Check your local tip's rules before you set off, because some household waste recycling centres require a permit for a van or restrict van access altogether, and that is between you and the council rather than something we can arrange. And the van comes back swept out and clean — excessive dirt is a £30 charge, so it is worth taking a sheet or some old cardboard to line the load area.
Are the vans automatic or manual?
We run one van, so there is one answer rather than a fleet-wide policy — and the gearbox is listed with the rest of the specification on the van's own page, which you can reach from our Fleet page. It comes straight from the vehicle record, so check it there before you book if it matters to you, or call and ask. If you can only drive an automatic, please say so when you enquire: we would rather tell you up front than have you arrive to a van you cannot comfortably drive, because there is no second van to swap to on the day.
Is there anything I can't carry in the van?
Yes. Hazardous and illegal materials are not permitted under any circumstances, and neither is any load that would take the van over its payload — overloading is dangerous and any damage it causes is chargeable to you and not covered by the insurance. The van must not be used for hire and reward, meaning you cannot carry goods or people for payment unless we have specifically insured it for that. Beyond those rules, use judgement about anything that could damage the load area: unsecured loads, anything wet or corrosive, anything sharp. Line the floor if in doubt — cleaning beyond normal use is £30.
Does the van have a tow bar — can I tow with it?
Towing is not permitted without our written permission, so the answer is never simply yes: ask before you book if towing is part of the job and we will tell you whether it can be arranged. Whether a tow bar and the electrics are actually fitted is worth confirming with us directly rather than assuming — call us and we will check the van for you. Towing without permission is a breach of the hire terms and would invalidate the insurance, which would leave you liable for the full cost of any damage to the van, to the trailer, or to anyone else.
Will the van fit on a normal drive or in a car park?
It is a long-wheelbase medium panel van — the size that fits comfortably down the residential streets around Lytham, Ansdell and St Anne's without becoming a chore to park, and it needs no special licence beyond a full UK one. It is longer and taller than a car, though, and that matters in two places: a short driveway, and a multi-storey or barrier-controlled car park with a height limit. We do not publish the external height and length, so if you are working to a specific clearance, call us and we will measure it and give you the real figure rather than a guess. Load-space dimensions and payload are on the van's page.
Do you have tail lifts, ramps, straps, blankets or a trolley?
There is no tail lift — that is a Luton feature, and we do not have a Luton in the fleet, so plan on lifting into a panel van rather than wheeling a load onto a lift. Loading aids such as straps, blankets, a trolley or a ramp are handled as optional extras rather than being in every van by default. Whatever is currently available is listed with its price on the rate card, and again at the extras step when you book, so that list is the one to trust. If something you need is not on it, call and ask before you rely on having it.
Our Area
Do you hire vans in Blackpool?
Yes — Blackpool is one of the areas we hire to regularly, along with the wider Fylde Coast. One thing to be clear about: there is no Blackpool depot. Every hire is collected from and returned to our depot on Woodlands Road in Ansdell, Lytham St Anne's, so a Blackpool customer drives over to us, takes the van from there, and brings it back to the same place at the end of the hire. The full address and a map are on our Contact page. Once you have the van you can drive it anywhere in mainland Great Britain.
Can I collect a van from Lytham?
Yes. Our depot is on Woodlands Road in Ansdell, which sits between Lytham and St Anne's, so it is a short local trip from either. Collection is done in person: we walk round the van with you, record its condition, mileage and fuel level on a condition report, hand over the keys, and take the £150 hire deposit before you drive away. Bring your photocard licence, DVLA convictions page, proof of address and ID with you — we cannot release the van without them. The full address, a map and our opening hours are on our Contact page.
Which areas do you cover?
We hire regularly to customers across Lytham, Ansdell, St Anne's, Blackpool and the wider Fylde Coast, and the van can be driven anywhere in mainland Great Britain once it is yours for the hire period. Because there is a single depot, covering an area means people from that area collect from us rather than us running vans out to satellite sites — so the practical question is whether you can get to Ansdell, not whether your postcode is on a list. If you are further afield and the job still makes sense to you, call us and we will talk it through.
Do you deliver the van to me?
Our standard service is self-drive collection from the Ansdell depot, and that is deliberate: it keeps the price down, and it means the handover is done properly — we walk round the van with you, agree its condition and fuel level in writing, check your documents and answer questions before you drive off. None of that works as a driveway drop-off. If collection is genuinely difficult for you, call us and we will see what can be arranged rather than refusing flat, but treat it as an exception we look at case by case rather than a service with a published price.
Collection & Return
Where do I pick up and return the van?
From our depot on Woodlands Road in Ansdell, Lytham St Anne's — the same place for both. There is parking nearby; ask us when you book if you need to leave your own car while you have the van. Collection and return each take a few minutes with a member of staff rather than being a key drop: we walk round the van at the start and record its condition, mileage and fuel level, then repeat the check when it comes back, before the hire is signed off and your deposit released. Full address, a map and directions are on our Contact page.
What are your opening hours for collection?
Monday to Thursday 08:30–17:30, Friday 08:30–16:00, and Saturday 09:00–13:00. We are closed on Sundays, and Sundays cannot be booked online at all. Hours can vary around bank holidays, so check our Contact page or call us to confirm before planning a bank holiday hire. Note that Friday and Saturday close earlier than the rest of the week — the most common mix-up is a Saturday return booked for the afternoon, when we shut at one o'clock. A working-day hire has to start and finish inside these hours; anything running past them is priced as a full day.
Can I collect or return outside your opening hours?
Within limits, yes, and it is bookable online. You can collect up to one hour before we open and return up to two hours after we close, on any day we are open; Sundays and other closed days stay unavailable. Out-of-hours time is charged at £10 per hour or part of an hour, and it is applied to the collection and the return separately, so an early pickup and a late drop-off are two charges rather than one. Anything further outside our hours is only by prior agreement, so call us. If you return outside hours by arrangement, the van remains your responsibility until staff have inspected it.
What is the fuel policy?
Like for like, not full-to-full: the van comes to you with fuel in it and should come back at the same level. That level is recorded on the condition report at collection, so there is nothing to argue about afterwards. If it comes back short we top it up and charge the cost of the fuel plus a £2.50 administration fee, taken from your £150 hire deposit. Put the correct fuel in — misfuelling is fully chargeable and is not covered by the insurance, and it is an expensive mistake on a van. Keep the receipt from your last fill in case of any query.
What happens if I return the van late?
There is a 15-minute grace period, allowed at our discretion, and after that late charges start at £20 per hour or £150 per day. Bear in mind the hire does not end when you park up — it ends when a member of staff has inspected the van and signed it off, so leaving it outside after hours without arranging that first does not stop the clock, and the van stays your responsibility until it is checked. Late return charges come out of your £150 hire deposit. If you can see you are going to be late, call us before the return time rather than after it.
What condition should I return the van in?
Clean and swept out, with the same fuel level it left with, and with everything it came with — keys, documents and any accessories. Normal wear from a hire is expected and is not charged; excessive dirt is £30, and damage beyond normal wear is chargeable with a £50 administration fee per incident on top. The return check is a walkaround with staff against the condition report taken at collection, which is exactly why that first walkaround matters: anything already marked at the start cannot come back on you. Once the van is signed off, your £150 deposit is released less any charges.
Still have a question?
Our team is happy to help. Call us or send a message and we'll get back to you quickly.
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