Which Transfer Vehicle for a Lot of Luggage? Do the Sum

The sum

Every class has a seat count and a luggage count, and they are the same number: VIP van 6 and 6, minibus 14 and 14, midibus 24 and 24, coach 45 and 45. Before booking, total both — people on one side, items on the other — and take the higher of the two. That is the number that determines the vehicle you need.

For most travellers the two coincide: four people, four cases, one VIP van. It only gets interesting when they come apart.

Three cases where they come apart

The golf party

Four players, four cases, four bags: four people, but eight items. The VIP van is rated for six, so here the luggage decides rather than the group size.

The family with a toddler

Five people, five cases, plus a pushchair and a travel cot: five seats, seven items. Again the luggage count exceeds the headcount, and again it is the one that governs. A child seat itself does not add to the total — it takes a seat, not a luggage place; see booking a child seat.

The long stay

Two people, four cases, because it is for three months. Here the headcount is small and there is still nothing to do: four items fit a VIP van. The sum works out — you just have to have done it once.

Where the extra cost sits

The next class up costs more, and how much depends on the route — the full amounts are in the price list, grouped by airport and destination. What can be said generally: the gap between one class and the next is usually smaller than a second vehicle, which is why the honest sum beforehand is nearly always the cheaper option.

What happens if the sum was never done

The vehicle is dispatched against what the booking says. If more items turn up at the hall than were declared, things get reloaded, replanned or a second vehicle called — solvable, but it costs thirty to sixty minutes at the end of a flight. Two minutes of arithmetic beforehand reliably avoids it.

With groups

From about fifteen people the sum works the same way with larger numbers — plus one further question when the group does not arrive together. More on that in one group, several flights.

Common questions

There are four of us with seven cases. Which vehicle do we need?

The higher of the two numbers decides, so seven. The VIP van is rated for six items — declare the extra luggage and either a vehicle planned for it or the next class up will be sent.

Does a child seat count as an item of luggage?

No. A seat we provide takes a seat, not a luggage place. A seat you bring yourself does count as an item.

Is the next class up more expensive than a second vehicle?

As a rule, no — one class up is usually considerably cheaper than two separate transfers. The exact amounts for your route are in the price list.

What if we arrive with more luggage than we declared?

It can be resolved on the spot, but it costs time and possibly a second vehicle. A short message in advance — even on the day — is always the better route.

When Luggage, Not Group Size, Decides Your Vehicle