September is the busiest month of the year for small van hire at Euro Hire Drive, and most of it is students and their parents moving into halls and flats in Edinburgh, at Heriot-Watt, Napier and Queen Margaret, and up the M9 at Stirling. This checklist covers the four things that trip people up: who is allowed to drive, which van actually fits a student room, when to book, and how to get the van in and out of a halls car park. Our student van hire page has the vehicles and the form.
1. Who can drive the van
Our minimum age is 23 with at least two years’ driving experience, so for most first and second years the driver is a parent, an older sibling or a flatmate who is 23 or over. The driver brings a photocard licence, a DVLA check code or National Insurance number, two proofs of address from the last three months, and a card in their own name for the refundable deposit. A second driver can be added at collection on the same terms.
2. Which van fits a student room
A small van takes a single room: bedding, a desk chair, a mini fridge, a bike and ten to fifteen boxes, and it fits in a normal parking space. A Transit Custom takes two rooms or a shared flat, which is why two friends heading the same way often split one. Nobody needs a Luton for halls.
3. When to book
The first two weekends of September go first, then the last weekend of May and the first two of June for moving out. Book as soon as the tenancy or halls date is confirmed; a week or two ahead is usually enough, the day before usually is not. Midweek moves are quieter on the roads and easier at the halls.
4. Getting the van to the halls
- Heriot-Watt, Riccarton. Fifteen minutes from our depot up the A71. Wide roads, plenty of turning space; check the accommodation office’s move-in slots.
- Edinburgh city halls. Pollock Halls and the city-centre flats have tight streets and, in some cases, height barriers; a small van or a Transit Custom is the right size, a high-roof van is not.
- Napier and Queen Margaret. Sighthill and Musselburgh have car parks that take a van; arrive outside the peak slot.
- Stirling. Thirty-five minutes down the M9; the campus roads are wide and the halls car parks take a van easily.
- Glasgow and Dundee. Forty minutes and an hour and a quarter respectively; for a one-way move the driver can take the train back to Livingston North.
The checklist
- Driver 23 or over with two years’ licence, documents ready.
- Van size chosen: small for one room, Transit Custom for two.
- Booked a week or more ahead for a September weekend.
- Move-in slot confirmed with the accommodation office.
- Boxes the same size, heavy at the bottom, bike last.
- Return time agreed, within opening hours, fuel at the level agreed at collection.
Need a van this week?Panel, Luton and crew cab vans up to 3.5 tonne, hired by the day, week or month across Scotland.
Get a quoteStudent move questions
Can we hire the van for two days?
Yes. A two-day hire covers a move that starts in the afternoon and finishes the next morning.
Do you deliver to halls?
For hires of a week or more we can deliver to campuses across the central belt. For a single day, collection from Livingston is the practical option; see delivery and collection.
What is included?
VAT, insurance for the named driver, mileage and UK breakdown cover. Mileage is limited on one to three day hires, which is plenty for a move within the central belt; see insurance and damage cover.
Is a weekend cheaper than two days?
Weekend hire runs from Friday afternoon to Monday morning and is quoted as a package; tell us your dates and we will quote both.
