What actually fits
Trunk space is the constraint almost every time, and it fills faster than seats do.
| Vehicle | Seats it really takes | Bags it really takes |
|---|---|---|
| Sedan | Three adults, comfortably two | Two large cases plus a carry on each, and that is the honest limit |
| Three row vehicle | Five adults | Five large cases, or four plus something awkward |
| Van, seven to ten seats | Ten adults | Ten cases with room for a pushchair or a box |
| Van, eleven to fourteen | Fourteen adults | Everything, and this is the size for a sports team or a family reunion |
The row that catches people is the first one. Three adults fit in a sedan and their luggage often does not. If you are three people each with a large case, ask for the next size up and stop worrying about it.
Things that are not a bag
These change the vehicle rather than the price of the bags, and they need saying on the request rather than at the curb.
- A bicycle box. Needs a van, always, no matter how many people are traveling.
- Skis or a snowboard bag. Long rather than bulky, and some vehicles simply cannot take the length.
- A cello, a double bass, or anything else in a hard case that buys its own seat on the aircraft.
- Golf clubs. Two sets is a three row vehicle, four sets is a van.
- A pushchair, a travel cot, or a car seat you are taking with you rather than borrowing.
- A folding wheelchair, walker or rollator. No addition for these, but the size still has to know.
How to describe a group without thinking about it
Count people. Count large cases. Count anything that is not a case. Say those three numbers.
That is it. The desk does the translating, and it does it every day. What does not work is describing a group by relationship rather than by count, because "my sister and her family" could be three people or seven and the trunk does not care which.
The polite rounding down problem
Half the vehicles that turn up too small were ordered by somebody being considerate. They did not want to seem extravagant, so they said sedan when they meant three row, and the difference in the rate was about the price of a sandwich.
Order the size you need. If it turns out you needed less, nobody minds and nothing is wasted. If it turns out you needed more, somebody is standing on a sidewalk at 5:00 am doing arithmetic with a trunk lid open, and that is a much worse morning.
Send the request with three numbers on it, or telephone +1 (443) 612-4708 and say them out loud.