Travelling with friends or family can make a holiday even more enjoyable, but once the group grows beyond five people, one practical question becomes essential: which type of rental car is best for a group?
With four or five passengers, finding a suitable vehicle is usually quite straightforward. With 6, 7, 8 or 9 people, however, you need to think more carefully about the number of seats, luggage space, comfort, costs and how you plan to organise your journeys.
The answer is not necessarily to choose the largest vehicle available. In some cases, a 7- or 9-seater minivan is the most practical solution; in others, it may be more convenient to rent two cars.
If you are planning a trip to Sardinia with friends or a large family, here is how to choose the vehicle that best matches your group’s real needs.
Which rental car should you choose for a group?
The number of travellers is naturally the first thing to consider, but it should not be the only factor.
As a general guide:
- for 5 people, a spacious passenger car may be enough;
- for 6 or 7 people, a multispace vehicle or 7-seater minivan can be a good option;
- for 8 or 9 people, a 9-seater minivan allows the whole group to travel together;
- for groups of more than 9 people, you will usually need to consider two vehicles or other solutions designed for larger groups.
Before booking, however, you should also consider how many suitcases you have, how many kilometres you expect to drive and how much personal space you want each passenger to have.
A vehicle approved for seven occupants, for example, does not necessarily offer the same luggage capacity when all seven seats are in use.
Should you rent one minivan or two cars?
This is probably the main question for anyone travelling in a larger group.
Both options can make sense.
When one minivan makes more sense
A minivan can be particularly practical if:
- your group has no more than 8-9 people;
- you want to travel together at all times;
- you are following the same itinerary;
- you are not carrying an excessive amount of luggage;
- you want to split fuel, parking and rental costs between everyone;
- your holiday includes several transfers or day trips.
Using a single vehicle also makes departures, stops and arrivals easier to coordinate.
If you are planning, for example, a road trip around Sardinia, travelling together means you do not have to keep two vehicles together throughout the journey, and the drive itself becomes part of the shared experience.
When two cars may be more convenient
A minivan is not automatically the best option.
Two cars may be preferable when:
- you have a lot of luggage;
- the group wants greater independence;
- you may split up during the holiday;
- some travellers want to go to the beach while others prefer visiting towns or villages;
- there are more than nine of you;
- you would rather not drive a larger vehicle;
- two compact rental cars are competitively priced compared with one minivan.
The choice should therefore be based on total cost and how you want to organise the holiday, rather than simply counting seats.
Does 7 seats really mean enough space for 7 people and their luggage?
This is one of the most important points to check.
A car may be approved for seven occupants, but that does not necessarily mean it can comfortably carry:
7 adults + 7 large suitcases.
In many 5+2 multispace vehicles, the two rear seats use part of the space normally available for the boot. When those seats are in use, luggage capacity can therefore be significantly reduced.
Ellepi’s fleet also includes 5+2 categories where the configuration allows you to prioritise either passenger space or luggage capacity.
Before booking, ask yourself:
how many people are actually travelling, and how many suitcases do you need to carry?
For six people travelling light, a 7-seater may be ideal.
For seven adults with large suitcases, a more spacious minivan or two vehicles may be a better choice.
When to choose a 9-seater minivan
For groups of 8 or 9 people, renting a 9-seater minivan allows everyone to travel in the same vehicle.
It can be particularly useful for:
- groups of friends;
- large families;
- two families travelling together;
- small organised groups;
- business trips;
- wedding or event guests;
- groups arriving on the same flight.
The main advantage is not just the number of seats.
A minivan allows you to keep all your transport in one vehicle, avoid relying on someone’s private car and divide the cost of the journey among more people.
Is a Category B driving licence enough for a 9-seater minivan?
For standard 9-seater minivans, generally yes.
An Italian Category B driving licence allows you to drive vehicles weighing up to 3,500 kg and designed to carry no more than eight passengers in addition to the driver.
This means up to 9 people in total, including the driver, provided the vehicle also meets the other requirements for Category B.
A 9-seater minivan should therefore not be confused with a bus or a vehicle designed to carry a larger number of passengers, for which different licence categories may be required.
Before booking, you should also check the rental company’s own requirements, such as minimum driver age and how long the licence must have been held.
Should you add more than one driver?
For a long road trip, this can be very useful.
If you expect to travel across several areas of Sardinia or spend many hours on the road, sharing the driving can reduce fatigue and make the journey more comfortable.
However, you cannot simply hand the keys to another member of the group.
Anyone authorised to drive must be listed according to the terms of the rental agreement. It is therefore worth checking at the booking stage:
- whether an additional driver can be added;
- whether an extra charge applies;
- which documents the additional driver must provide;
- which age and driving licence requirements apply.
How cost-effective is a minivan when the group splits the cost?
One of the advantages of travelling as a group is being able to share expenses.
The comparison, however, should not simply be:
the price of one minivan versus the price of one car.
The fair comparison is:
1 minivan
versus
2 cars needed to carry the same group.
With two vehicles, some costs may effectively double:
- two rental charges;
- fuel for two vehicles;
- possible parking charges;
- possible tolls when travelling outside Sardinia;
- additional services or extras.
With one minivan, these costs are concentrated on a single vehicle and can be shared between everyone travelling.
For example, if the total cost is divided between eight people, the figure that really matters is how much each traveller pays, not just the vehicle’s daily rental rate.
Does a minivan use much more fuel than a car?
A larger vehicle will generally use more fuel than a city car or compact model.
However, the correct comparison is once again with two cars, if that is what you would otherwise need to carry the same number of people.
A minivan carrying eight passengers may consume more than a single small car, but not necessarily more than two separate vehicles following the same route.
If your itinerary involves many kilometres, it is worth checking the fuel consumption of the chosen model and including it in your overall comparison.
Comfort matters most on longer journeys
For a twenty-minute transfer, filling almost every available seat may be perfectly acceptable.
On a journey lasting several hours, the situation is very different.
Before choosing your vehicle, consider:
- legroom;
- access to the rear seats;
- air conditioning;
- space between passengers and luggage;
- ease of getting in and out;
- driver comfort;
- whether you prefer an automatic transmission.
On a road trip, a little extra room can make a much bigger difference than it may seem when you first book the vehicle.
Is a minivan difficult to drive?
If you normally drive a city car, a minivan may initially feel noticeably larger.
The main differences involve:
- length;
- width;
- turning circle;
- manoeuvring;
- parking.
Most drivers get used to the dimensions after the first few kilometres, but extra care is useful in narrow parking spaces and historic town centres.
If your itinerary mainly includes small villages with narrow streets and frequent city-centre parking, this is something worth considering before booking.
Travelling around Sardinia by minivan: when is it particularly convenient?
For a group holiday, Sardinia is a destination where having your own vehicle can be particularly useful.
Beaches, villages, archaeological sites and natural attractions are spread across a large island, and a group itinerary often includes several stops in the same day.
A minivan can work particularly well for routes such as:
Olbia → Costa Smeralda → San Pantaleo → Porto Cervo
or
Olbia → San Teodoro → Posada
as well as for longer road trips combining the coast with inland Sardinia.
Travelling together means you do not have to keep arranging meeting points or waiting for a second vehicle.
What about beach days?
This is another situation where space becomes especially important.
If eight people are travelling with:
beach towels, beach bags, sun umbrellas, toys, cool boxes and children’s equipment,
the amount of space required can quickly become considerable.
Before choosing the vehicle, think not only about the suitcases you will bring to Sardinia, but also about what you will carry with you every day during the holiday.
Think about parking too
A minivan naturally requires more parking space than a city car.
In tourist areas this becomes particularly important in July and August, when coastal roads and car parks can be very busy.
For this reason, it is worth:
arriving early at the most popular beaches, checking parking options in advance and avoiding leaving the search for a space until the last minute.
During the high season, it is also advisable to book your vehicle in advance so that you have a wider choice of available categories. Sardinia’s official tourism portal also recommends booking rental vehicles early during the busiest periods.
Travelling with children? Check the child-seat setup too
If children are travelling with the group, the number of seats alone is not enough.
You also need to consider the space required for child restraint systems.
Two or three child seats can have a major impact on the internal layout of the vehicle and on how comfortable the other passengers actually are.
When booking, therefore, provide:
- the number of children;
- their ages;
- whether child seats are required;
- the total number of adults;
- an approximate amount of luggage.
This information helps you choose a genuinely suitable vehicle category instead of discovering at collection that there is less usable space than expected.
What to check before booking a rental car for a group
Before confirming your booking, pay particular attention to:
- the actual number of seats;
- boot capacity with all seats in use;
- the size and number of suitcases;
- manual or automatic transmission;
- any additional driver;
- the security deposit;
- included protection and the applicable excess;
- the fuel policy;
- the mileage allowance;
- child seats or other extras;
- collection and return times.
For a larger group, spending a few extra minutes choosing the right vehicle can prevent a lot of inconvenience once you arrive.
Minivan vs two cars: quick comparison
| Requirement | Minivan | Two cars |
| travelling together | excellent | no |
| group independence | lower | higher |
| cost sharing | often attractive | depends on the rates |
| parking | more demanding | easier for each individual vehicle |
| lots of luggage | needs checking | greater flexibility |
| group of 6-9 people | very suitable | possible |
| groups of more than 9 | normally not enough | often necessary |
| long journeys together | very practical | requires coordination |
| different itineraries on the same day | less practical | better |
Frequently asked questions about car rental for groups
What car should I rent for 6 people?
For six people, a good 7-seater may be enough, especially if you are travelling with limited luggage. If you have several large suitcases, a more spacious category may be preferable.
What car should I rent for 7 people?
A 7-seater multispace vehicle or minivan can work well, but you should check luggage capacity carefully when all seats are in use.
What car should I rent for 8 people?
For eight people, a 9-seater minivan is usually one of the most practical options, as it leaves one spare seat and allows the entire group to travel in a single vehicle.
What car should I rent for 9 people?
You need a vehicle approved for nine occupants in total, including the driver. Before booking, also check the actual luggage capacity when all seats are occupied.
Can I drive a 9-seater with a Category B licence?
Yes, normally a vehicle carrying no more than eight passengers in addition to the driver can be driven with a Category B licence, provided it also meets the applicable weight limit for that licence category.
For 10 people, is it better to rent two cars?
For ten people, a standard 9-seater minivan is not enough. Two vehicles can therefore be one of the simplest solutions and also give the group greater independence during the holiday.
Is one minivan cheaper than two cars?
It depends on the rental rates, luggage, mileage and how you plan to organise the trip. For a fair comparison, consider the total cost of two cars, including fuel and parking, against the cost of a single minivan.
Choosing the right vehicle can make the whole trip easier
For a group holiday, choosing the right vehicle means finding the right balance between seating capacity, luggage space, comfort, flexibility and total cost.
A minivan can be ideal if you want to travel together and share every part of the journey.
Two cars may make more sense if you have a lot of luggage or if different members of the group want greater independence.
The best approach is to start from the actual composition of your group and the type of holiday you are planning, rather than simply looking at the number of seats listed for the vehicle.
If you are travelling with up to nine people and want to explore Sardinia together, you can consider a 9-seater minivan rental and compare it with the other options available in the Ellepi car rental fleet before choosing the vehicle that best suits your trip.
