UAE van rental, someone else drives.

Van rental in the UAE with a driver

When people ask us about van rental in the UAE, they usually mean one of two things. Some want the keys to a van. Others want a van that turns up with someone behind the wheel, so that the whole family, crew or team can travel together and nobody has to drive. We only do the second kind.

Our vans are a Mercedes V-Class for up to seven, a Toyota HiAce for up to thirteen and a Mercedes Sprinter for up to sixteen. Above that, the “mini bus” most people picture is a Coaster-class mini coach with 22 to 30 seats, and we run those too. Every one of them comes with an experienced driver, fuel and a written quote. We are based on Al Muraqqabat Street in Dubai and our vans work across all seven emirates, which is why this page spends most of its time on Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah and the roads between them.

Self-drive or a van with a driver?

Self-drive van rental has its place. If one of your own people is happy to drive, the van is needed for several days of short, unpredictable hops, and nobody minds sorting out the fuel and the parking, renting the keys can work well. Rental companies across the UAE offer it.

There are catches, though, and they grow with the size of the van. Bigger passenger vans and minibuses can need a different licence category from an ordinary car licence, so check with the licensing authority before you book one. Toll charges, parking and any traffic fines come back to the person who hired the van. And on a long day, the driver is one of your group, at the wheel for three or four hours, who then drives everyone home tired.

With a driver, those problems are ours. The driver plans the route, finds somewhere legal to wait, keeps the van cool between stops and drives back at the end. For a group outing or anything that crosses emirates, that is usually the better deal, even before you count the hours nobody in your group spends driving.

Our vans and minibuses

Seat numbers are passenger seats; the driver has their own. Bags means medium suitcases. Starting prices are for a full day (up to 10 hours) within Dubai, with driver and fuel. Trips in other emirates are quoted for the actual route.

The HiAce is the workhorse. It is what most crews and small staff routes use, and in our fleet nothing moves thirteen people for less. The V-Class is the opposite: fewer seats, more polish, sliding doors on both sides. The Sprinter sits in between in size but not in price, because it is built and priced as a luxury minibus, with standing headroom and reclining seats.

Twelve to sixteen people: which vehicle?

This is the question we answer most often, so here is our honest view. Up to thirteen with ordinary bags, take the HiAce. It is the economical choice and it fits almost anywhere.

Fourteen to sixteen is where it gets interesting. The Sprinter seats you all and is the comfortable option for a long drive, but it starts at AED 950 per day. A 30-seat mini coach starts at AED 550. If the pick-up point can take a slightly longer vehicle and the group doesn’t need the Sprinter’s comfort, the mini coach is cheaper and has more room. For a villa lane, a hotel with a tight driveway or an airport kerb, the Sprinter is easier.

Watch the luggage. Sixteen people with a big suitcase each will not fit in a Sprinter with their bags. For an airport run like that we would send the mini coach, or a Sprinter plus a small luggage van, and we will tell you before you book rather than at the kerb. Our 15-seater van page goes into the fourteen and fifteen-seat case in more detail.

Minibus rental in Sharjah

Van rental in Sharjah tends to mean one of a few jobs. Families arriving at Sharjah International with relatives and a week of luggage book a V-Class or a Sprinter from arrivals. Small teams that live in Sharjah and work in Dubai use a HiAce on a monthly route. Exhibitors at Expo Centre Sharjah in Al Taawun book a van every morning and evening of a show, with room at the back for brochures and samples.

If you need a mini bus for rent in Sharjah for a regular commute, the numbers are worth knowing. A daily return run between Sharjah and Dubai in a 12 to 15 seat van starts from AED 4,800 per month, against a typical market range of AED 5,000 to 6,500, with the driver and fuel included.

Sharjah has a lot of paid street parking and some very busy lanes around Al Khan and Al Majaz in the evenings. A van that drops a group and waits needs somewhere legal to wait, which is part of the driver’s job, not yours. For buses and coaches in the emirate, see bus rental in Sharjah, and for arrivals, Sharjah Airport transfers.

Van rental in Ajman and Umm Al Quwain

Ajman is small, and much of what moves through it is heading for Sharjah or Dubai. Vans here do a lot of crew work, from shared accommodation to the Ajman Free Zone and the industrial areas, and a lot of family work around weddings at the Corniche hotels. A HiAce covers most crews. For a wedding family with elderly relatives, we would pick the V-Class for its sliding doors, even though it seats fewer. Our bus rental in Ajman page covers the bigger vehicles.

Umm Al Quwain is quieter still. Vans there mostly carry staff south in the morning and bring groups north for the water park and the lagoon. See bus rental in Umm Al Quwain for routes and drive times.

Van rental in Ras Al Khaimah

In Ras Al Khaimah a van usually means one of two jobs. One is a resort run: guests landing at Dubai or Sharjah, heading for Al Marjan Island or Al Hamra, with luggage for a week. The V-Class suits a family; the Sprinter suits a bigger party. The other is the mountain. Our Dubai to Jebel Jais day trip starts from AED 650 per day in a 15-seater van, against a typical market range of AED 700 to 800, with the driver waiting at the viewpoints. On that road we prefer the Sprinter. The bends are long, the drive up takes a while, and reclining seats make it a lot more pleasant.

There is crew work too, around the industrial areas and quarries, quoted per month like any other staff route. Bus rental in Ras Al Khaimah covers the emirate in more depth.

Vans for the east coast and Abu Dhabi

Two long runs come up often enough to have their own prices. Fujairah and the east coast: our Dubai to Fujairah transfer starts from AED 550 one way in a 14-seater van (typical market range AED 600 to 850). Abu Dhabi: a full day there and back from Dubai starts from AED 550 per day in a 13-seater van (typical market range AED 600 to 800), with Darb tolls in the quote. Our Abu Dhabi day trip page has a sample day.

Looking for minibus rental in Abu Dhabi itself? We collect there too, but we are a Dubai operator, so a job that starts and ends in the capital is quoted for the drive in and out. For a single day trip into Abu Dhabi from Dubai or the northern emirates, we are a natural fit.

Mini bus prices in the UAE

People searching for a mini bus price in the UAE are often trying to work out whether to buy one. We can’t help with that, as we rent with drivers and don’t sell vehicles. What we can show is how rental prices work out for real groups. These examples use our starting prices only, and your written quote confirms the figure for your date and route.

Example: ten people, one day in Dubai

A family day out with ten people and a few bags. One HiAce for a full day within Dubai: from AED 450 per day.

Example: fifteen friends to Hatta

A day at the dam and the mountain trails, with the driver waiting. Our Dubai to Hatta day trip in a 15-seater van starts from AED 650 per day, against a typical market range of AED 750 to 1,000.

Example: twenty-four colleagues

Two HiAces would start from AED 900 for the day. One 30-seater starts from AED 550, needs one driver and gets everyone there at the same moment. We’d send the mini coach.

Example: fourteen staff, every working day

A daily return run from Sharjah into Dubai in a 12 to 15 seat van: from AED 4,800 per month.

Prices outside Dubai, extra hours, waiting and parking all show on the quote before you confirm. The price guide lists every vehicle.

Luggage, children and long drives

Luggage decides more van bookings than headcount does. The V-Class takes about six medium cases, the HiAce about ten and the Sprinter up to twelve. Golf bags, prams and sports kit all count. Give us the real bag count and we will match the van to it.

If children are travelling, tell us their ages when you book, and we will confirm the seating arrangements in writing. For older passengers, the V-Class is the easiest to climb into. The Sprinter’s standing headroom helps too.

On drives over an hour and a half, plan a comfort stop. The driver knows the sensible places on each road, such as the rest areas on the way to the east coast.

By the day, the week or the month

A half day is five hours and a full day is ten, with the driver staying with you between stops. For a visit of several days, multi-day hire keeps the same van and driver with the group, which saves explaining the plan to someone new every morning. Short projects and training weeks can book by the week. Regular routes go on a monthly contract, starting at one month, with a regular driver where possible and a replacement vehicle if the usual one is in for service. See staff transport for how those are planned.

Booking a van with a driver

Send us the date, the timings, every pick-up and drop-off point, the number of passengers and the number of bags. The booking form is quickest, or email info@emiratesbushire.com or WhatsApp +971 54 126 1681. A written quote usually comes back within the hour, and nothing is charged until you confirm. For one-off trips allow at least a week, and two to four weeks for weekends between October and April.

Related: 15-seater van rental · Bus rental Sharjah · Bus rental Ajman · Bus rental Ras Al Khaimah · Bus rental prices · Get a quote

Keep reading

• Bus rental Sharjah: Vans, minibuses and 30 to 50-seat coaches with drivers, collecting from anywhere in Sharjah.
• 15-seater van rental: Fourteen or fifteen passengers? We send a Mercedes Sprinter with driver, which seats up to sixteen.
• Bus rental Ras Al Khaimah: Vans, minibuses and coaches with drivers for Jebel Jais trips, resort transfers, weddings and staff routes in Ras Al Khaimah.
• Bus rental Ajman: Vans, minibuses and coaches with drivers for staff routes, university trips, weddings and airport runs from Ajman.
• Sharjah to Dubai by bus: How the public buses between Sharjah and Dubai work, where they struggle at rush hour, and when a private bus is worth it.
• Car with driver Sharjah: An executive car, a 7-seater SUV or a Mercedes V-Class with a driver, for site visits, airport runs and family days in Sharjah and the north.