transportation to Florida

My family will be driving to Orlando for vacation to Universal and a cruise and there will be 6 adults and 4 kids. Everyone on here is so great about advice and is so helpful I am asking what would you do or recommend. The question is, would you rent a 12 passenger van which we know has no luggage storage to speak of or would you rent two mini vans where we would be more comfortable and have more luggage space. Any feed back would be great. My family is torn between the both. Thanks I really appreciate it!!! I forgot to mention that we will be driving from Omaha Ne so it will be about a 21 hour drive. Thanks!!!

If you rent the big van, where will you put the luggage?

The good news is that you are not considering a 15 passenger van. They are even more dangerous and prone to roll-over than the 12 passenger van. Please google "12 passenger van safety." 60 Minutes did a feature on the dangers of 15 passenger vans that many university sports teams use. The 12 passenger vans are only marginally safer. Here is a university statement of policy on using vans:

12 and 15 passenger vans

• Vehicle operators should assure that all their passengers are wearing their seat belts. The NHTSA indicates that you can reduce your chance of being killed in a rollover by about 75% just by wearing a seat belt.
  
• Use properly sized tires and check for proper inflation before each trip.
  
• There should be no roof racks or trailer hitches on the vehicles. Luggage and gear should be stored in the vehicle. The rear window should not be blocked by luggage.
  
• For long distance trips, drivers shall rotate every two hours. A maximum driving shift of two hours shall be enforced, with no driver taking more than three shifts. The maximum driving day with three drivers should not exceed 18 hours.
  
• Driving through the night is not permitted. Do not drive past midnight. Front passengers should remain awake to help keep the driver alert during all shifts.
  
• Attend mandatory training. EHS requires all drivers of 12- and existing 15-passenger vans attend training specific to driving vans. EHS offers classroom-based courses on general defensive driving on request.
  

Personally, I would never ride in one for a long trip, nor allow my kids in one. I really hope I have talked you into using minivans. Much safer for everyone. Shouldn't safety be the number one priority?

Two mini vans will probably use less fuel than one 12 passenger van.

And when you compare the difference in price of a one-way vs. local rental the "drop charge" difference for one large van--if you can even find one available for a non-local rental--will probably be the same as said charge for two mini vans.

I don't know about Omaha but 12 pax vans are quite a special niche with rental companies, even down here in Florida; one-way rentals likely have restrictions as to how many states away you can drop them.

So as long as you have sufficient number of drivers go with two vehicles.

6 adults will require more space than one van..... What a drive that will be!

To throw a wrench in the plan I would probably go with the most comfortable vehicle, or even 2 large SUVs and then rent a small trailer from U-Haul for the luggage. That's a long time to be in a vehicle and I would want to be as comfortable as possible.

Thanks so much for all the feed back so far!!! I am kind of leaning more towards the two mini vans. We have enough drivers and I think we will be driving at night so the little ones can sleep while we drive and I think with that alone, the two mini vans would be a better fit for us. You even made a great point about the luggage room. Do you think that we would spend the same or more in gas getting two vans?

Seats and the ability to recline some in the minivan would make it my choice for that trip.

The two minivans will use almost twice as much gas as the 12 passenger one - but will be a whole lot safer and more comfortable - as well as more likely to be available to rent in the first place.

Are you planning to drive straight through? Yuck!

Thanks so much for everyone's advice. We have decided to rent two vans. Everyone talked about comfort and safety and that was a key point. So just wanted to say thanks to everyone and I appreciated all your comments.:)