The 5 top van rentals in Melbourne for your next move
Buying a car in this economy? No, thanks. It’s hard enough that the prices of all commodities are as high as they are.
Purchasing a van for a family trip or a quick business venture is neither a financially and environmentally wise decision.
Just like hotels, you’d want to rent a van that meets your standards, or at least with the standards that matter, such as vehicle variety, additional services, service coverage, and customer feedback.
But the search for a rental that fits your needs may be a long one if you’re from an area as broad as Melbourne. Lucky for you, we’ve got it covered.
While the list of van rentals in Melbourne can be extensive, we ‘ve narrowed it down to the best ones that you can check out for your next trip, wherever and whenever that may be.
How much does renting a van in Melbourne typically cost?
On average, van rentals in Melbourne charge their clients $50 to $130 per day. However, the actual price depends on the company’s policies, van type, and the length of rental. Other fees may also apply based on the agreement between the client and the company.
1. Rent A Van
Address: 1356 North Road Oakleigh
Phone: (03) 9562 8122
Operating hours:
- Monday to Friday – 9:00am – 5:00pm
- Saturday – 9:00am – 4:00pm
Rent A Van has been a premier van rental service with over 25 years of reputation. They offer different types of vans including Toyota, Mazda, Ford, etc.
Like any rentals, they have short-term and long-term packages that customers can choose from, depending on their needs.
Compared to other companies, they have the lowest rates, starting as low as $50 per day.
However, after talking to some of their recent clients, we found out that the low fees do manifest in the quality of some of their vans. Some reported that certain units were outdated and needed repair or restoration.
Nevertheless, Rent A Van is a great choice for most moving necessities that don’t require any fancy impression. It has great and responsive customer service, and it won’t put a dent in your wallet.
Quick and flexible service
“Needed to rent a Van at short notice on Australia Day. Lloyd was really helpful, came in and set me up in less than 45 minutes. He also opened back up later on that day so I could return the vehicle. Flexible service at a good price. Nice guy as well. Thanks Lloyd!”
– Barry Davies, Google Review
Reasonably priced and easy to drive
“My wife Jenni and I were unable to rent a van from Bunning because they were only available to tradies. So we googled van rental and found Rent-a-van. Lloyd was very charming and helpful and we were able to rent a 3 metre van for 24 hours. It was an easy to drive automatic. I can certainly recommend Rent A Van and will use them again in the future. Very reasonable price too.”
– Michael Watkins, Google Review
2. Van and Ute Hire
Address: 35 Webb Rd, Airport West
Phone: 03 9379 8300
Operating hours:
- Monday to Friday – 9:00am – 4:30pm
- Saturday – 8:30am – 10:00am
- Sunday – 9:00am – 10:00am
Van and Ute Hire has been in the business for 50 years. They have over 60 vehicles in stock and are available 24 hours for drop-off.
We were impressed by the company’s transparency. From van rental rates and vehicle specifications to customer feedback, their website has it all.
While most of their customers transact with them in-store, having a website with a detailed UI is a plus.
Many customers we talked to highlighted the company’s flexibility with last-minute rentals. The whole booking process and in-store assistance were both smooth and convenient.
Plus, their huge variety of vans was commended for being of top quality especially for moving items from far locations.
Another highlight is that they allow their vans to be used for towing with certain restrictions. They also allow the return of the vehicle outside operating hours as long as it was initially agreed upon.
However, some clients complained about faulty hires, which had stinky seats and defective brakes.
Customer-focused service
“Steve was fantastic to work with. I had specific needs and he gave me the time of day to listen to me and came back with the best possible options and price. Greatly appreciated the attention to detail customer focused service. If I ever need a rental vehicle again this is definitely the place I’ll be going.”
– Daniel Bennier, Google Review
Hassle-free experience
“I have hired here before, as it’s super easy and much affordable. Called up during the week and requested a van to move my furniture. I must say always fantastic dealing with this company. The van was clean and comfortable, making my trip enjoyable. The lovely gentlemen who assisted me during the hiring process was incredibly helpful and made everything smooth and easy. Their excellent customer service truly made a difference. I highly recommend this van rental service to anyone looking for a pleasant and hassle-free experience. 5 stars all around!”
– Irene Tsimas, Google Review
3. SIXT Car & Truck Rental
Address: 393 Bridge Rd
Phone: 13 74 98
Operating hours:
- Monday to Friday – 8:00am – 4:30pm
- Saturday – 8:00am – 12:00pm
- Sunday – 8:00am – 11:00am
SIXT Car & Truck Rental is the most widely branched out company in this list, with over 4500 locations across more than 100 countries. They’re like the Costco of van rentals with an exhaustive list of vans and trucks for hire.
Many customers have claimed that their Richmond branch charged less than their Spencer St. branch. This is a nice little tip for you if you ever want to consider renting a van from them, seeing as they have a lot of locations to choose from.
What we love about them is that their website’s user interface is easy to use and provides clear navigation that is at par with prevalent service apps like Uber or Didi. It makes the process of renting a van a breeze for anyone in this digital age.
However, with a great UI meant to make things easier comes the tradeoff of customization. Since vehicles are assigned automatically, based on the available ones, customers can’t choose their specifically preferred vehicle.
Some customers have also complained about the shortcomings with the staff, such as failure to release cars quickly and not providing a refund for downgraded rentals. Since SIXT is a well-renowned renting company, their service tends to suffer along with the supply for vehicles.
Great experience with the upgrades
“I originally booked a van, but when they informed me it didn’t have a spare tyre, they upgraded me to a 3-tonne truck. This actually worked out better for my move, so I was pleased with the change. I also purchased the moving package, which included two blankets and two long ropes, and rented a trolley that made shifting the heavier items much easier. Overall, the experience was great, and I’d definitely rent from them again.”
– Tebs, Google Review
Perfect from beginning to end
“Everything was perfect from the beginning to the end. Great car, great service from girls at reception and the boys that gave us the car. All of them very polite and friendly. Great value too as they are not greedy with insurance as most of rent a cars. Thank you guys, this is my second time and it won’t be the last”
– Carol S. Lopez, Google Review
4. Advance Car Rental
Address: 324 Queensberry St.
Phone: +61 (03) 9329 5000
Operating hours:
- Monday to Friday – 8:00am – 5:00pm
- Saturday and Sunday – 9:00am – 3:00pm
While Advance Car Rental isn’t as large-scale as SIXT Car & Truck Rental, it does provide van and car rentals for a number of locations such as Melbourne, Malaysia, Hong Kong, etc.
We love how most of their vehicles are well maintained and other customers even describe some units as “almost brand new.”
It is worth noting, though, that most of the vehicles they have for hire are cars, with only one option for a van, which is a delivery van.
So why is Advance Car Rental in this list? Simple, the customers we talked to all had great things to say about this company.
Besides, you can call them up in case you need a 12-15 seater van for your trip.
Reliable even on short notice
“We rented a car over the New Year period from another company but they ended up overbooking and left us with no car for our trip. But then we found Advance Car rentals and they organised a car for us on a very short notice. Car we got was a Mitsubishi Pajero Sports, almost like brand new, only few thousands Kilometres on it. They even gave us the discounted price. The guys there were very friendly and even stayed back after 5pm for us.
Definitely will go back to get any car in the future, the service was amazing. The whole process went really smoothly. Highly recommended👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
Thanks.”
– Muhammad, Google Reviews
Helpful and seamless process
“My first time using Advance Car Rental. Absolutely seamless process and the staff is very helpful in ensuring you get the best deal. They always advise you on what to do to avoid incurring soo many new costs. Definitely will be using their services again!”
– Nomvula Ndhlovu, Google Reviews
5. East Coast Car Rentals – Melbourne Airport
Address: 2 Tarmac Dr, Tullamarine
Phone: 1800 028 881
Operating hours:
- Monday to Friday, Sunday – 7:00am – 10:00pm
- Saturday – 7:00am – 7:00pm
Among the companies we listed, East Coast Car Rentals has got to be the most recommended by the customers we talked to. After all, the company claims that their service is award winning.
Just like SIXT Car & Truck Rental, their website is also intuitive, perhaps even more so. Once every important piece of info is filled up, East Coast Car Rentals will give three price options: Pay Now, Pay Later, and Best Value—all of which have their respective pros.
The Pay Now option allows a customer to pay instantly for the lowest price while Pay Later gives the customer a slightly higher price but more flexibility to pay at the shop’s counter. On the other hand, Best Value gives the customer the highest price but with “additional extras.”
However, upon talking to a few of their clients, they pointed out the company’s poor customer service which involved missed calls and subpar communication skills.
Well-maintained units
“We recently booked a Toyota RAV4 with East Coast Car Rentals in Melbourne, and we were thoroughly impressed with the experience. The vehicle was clean, well-maintained, and in excellent condition, making our trip smooth and enjoyable. The shuttle bus service from the airport was convenient, and we appreciated the ease it added to our journey. Additionally, the staff was incredibly friendly and always willing to assist, which made the entire process seamless and stress-free. Overall, we had a fantastic experience and will definitely consider booking with East Coast Car Rentals again in the future. Highly recommended!”
– Yathin Ramesh, Google Review
Pleasant booking experience
“Really pleasant experience booking with East Coast Car Rentals, easy check-in and out with great staff at reception. The car was great and economical to run at a good daily price. The insurance excess was put straight back on my car immediately. The tolls process is easy with an email with the details which gives me full trust with the transparency. I would 100% use East Coast Car Rentals on our next holiday to Melbourne.”
– Renee Carmody, Google Review