Everywhere else we rent, January is the quiet month. In Florida it is the season: cruise groups, youth tournaments, bowl week, race week, the boat show, spring training and the family that flies down to see the grandparents. Here is how the winter runs at our two Florida branches, when to book, and the handful of Florida-only rules worth knowing before you do.
Bandago has rented 12 and 15 passenger vans in 15 US cities since 2003. Two of them are in Florida: Orlando, minutes from MCO, and Miami, minutes from MIA. Between December and March those two lots are our busiest, and the groups renting there are not the groups we see in July. This guide is written for them.
Yes, you can rent a 12 or 15 passenger van in Orlando or Miami all winter, and you should book it three to four weeks ahead for December and for mid-February through March, the two peaks. Most winter renters take a Ford Transit (the value pick) or a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter (the comfort pick) for four or five days. Weekly rates in Florida this season start at $129 a day on rentals of seven days or more, live from our rate sheet below. Every rental includes 250 miles a day, pickup is off-airport (no concession fees), and one-way rentals run between Orlando, Miami and our 13 other cities.
Three Florida-specific things catch people out: Orlando International Airport's 10% fee on renters who land at MCO within 48 hours of pickup (we itemize it, we did not invent it), Florida's cashless toll roads, and the height of a full-size van in a parking garage. Each gets a section below.
What fills the two lots, month by month. Dates are the organizers' announced dates as of October 2026; an event given only by month had not published its date when this was written.
| When | What | Where | Who rents vans |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 6 to 8, 2026 | EDC Orlando | Orlando | Artists, crews, friend groups travelling together |
| Nov 16 to 20, 2026 | IAAPA Expo | Orlando | Exhibitors moving staff and booth gear between hotel and convention center |
| Dec 1 to 7, 2026 | Art Basel Miami Beach, Miami Art Week | Miami Beach | Galleries, installers, production teams, collector groups |
| Late December to Jan 1 | Orlando's bowl games | Orlando | Bands, cheer squads, alumni and booster groups |
| Jan 14, 2027 | College Football Playoff semifinal, the Orange Bowl | Miami Gardens | Team staff, media, hospitality groups, travelling fans |
| Jan 28 to 31, 2027 | Rolex 24 at Daytona | Daytona Beach, about an hour from Orlando | Race teams, sponsors, media, support crews |
| Feb 10 to 14, 2027 | Miami International Boat Show | Miami | Exhibitors, vendors, production teams |
| Mid-February to late March | Spring training (Grapefruit League) | Across central and south Florida | Fan groups, youth teams on a spring-training trip, scouts |
| Feb 21, 2027 | Daytona 500 | Daytona Beach | Race teams, media, fan groups |
| Late March 2027 | Ultra Music Festival, Miami Music Week, Jazz in the Gardens | Miami | Artists, crews, production, friend groups |
| All winter | Youth and amateur tournaments and showcases | Orlando area especially | Club teams, school programs, travel organizations |
| All winter | Cruise sailings | PortMiami, Port Everglades, Port Canaveral | Family groups and friend groups sailing together |
We keep this calendar in our own demand planning (it is how we decide where the vans go in November). Confirm an event's dates with its organizer before you book around it.
Our Florida winter renters book about three to four weeks before pickup, and most of December is booked in November. Two periods sell out first: the first week of December in Miami (Art Week) and mid-February through late March at both lots, when the boat show, Daytona, spring training and spring-break travel stack up. A Christmas-week pickup wants to be booked by the end of November.
A family of nine flying into Miami for a Saturday sailing rents the van for the two or three days around the ship: the airport run, the day in South Beach or the Everglades, groceries and the port drop. The pattern that works best is to return the van to our lot before you board and take a rideshare the last few miles to the terminal, rather than paying a week of port parking for a van nobody is using.
Flying into Orlando and sailing out of Miami, or the reverse? A one-way rental between the two branches is about 235 miles down the Turnpike, well inside one day's included mileage; the one-way fee is shown on the quote before you reserve. If you do keep the van during the cruise, check the port's parking page for oversize-vehicle parking first: a high-roof Sprinter or Transit is about nine feet tall and does not fit a standard garage.
Central Florida is where the youth sports calendar goes in winter: baseball and softball showcases, soccer and lacrosse tournaments, and the training-camp trips that northern and Canadian clubs make every year. The arithmetic is simple. A roster of 12 to 14 players, two coaches and the equipment either fills a 15-passenger van or it fills four rental SUVs with four drivers and four schedules.
More on how clubs use us: youth sports travel vans and sports team van rentals.
Every winter we get the same question from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut: can we pick up a van up here, drive the family down and drop it in Florida? Yes. One-way rentals run between any two Bandago branches, so a van collected at our New Jersey branch can be returned in Orlando or Miami. The one-way fee depends on the route and is priced on the quote page before you reserve. It is about 1,100 miles from Lyndhurst to Orlando and 1,280 to Miami, two long driving days; a five-day rental includes 1,250 miles, a six-day rental 1,500.
When a northern lot has more vans than winter demand, we post a one-way deal that waives days on a van taken south. Check current deals before you book; the windows change with the fleet. The one-way page explains how a one-way booking works.
The vans stationed at each branch today and the lowest daily rate each one is quoting for a pickup in the next 30 days: the weekly rate (rentals of seven days or more) and the one-to-six-day rate. These are the same numbers the quote page charges; a Special posted for the season lowers them here the day it is posted.
| Van | Seats | From, weekly | From, 1 to 6 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet Express Van | 15 | $129/day seasonal special | $149/day |
| Sprinter Van (Black) | 15 | $279/day | $320/day |
| Sprinter Van (White) | 15 | $199/day seasonal special | $229/day |
| Transit Medium Roof | 15 | $149/day seasonal special | $169/day |
| Sprinter Crew Van | 12 | $269/day | $315/day |
| Transit Band Van | 8 | $219/day | $259/day |
| Van | Seats | From, weekly | From, 1 to 6 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet Express Van | 15 | $179/day | $199/day |
| Sprinter Van (Black) | 15 | $279/day | $320/day |
| Sprinter Van (White) | 15 | $269/day | $315/day |
| Transit Medium Roof | 15 | $149/day seasonal special | $169/day |
| Sprinter Crew Van | 12 | $269/day | $315/day |
| Transit Band Van | 8 | $219/day | $259/day |
Before tax, coverage and options. Rates move with the date, the length of the rental and how far ahead you book; the quote page prices your exact dates.
What else is on a Florida quote: Florida sales tax and the state's rental surcharge, a flat $12 vehicle license fee per rental, the optional damage waiver and liability coverage priced per day, and in Orlando the airport fee described next. Fuel is never included. For the full picture of what moves a van rental's total, read what a 15-passenger van costs.
Orlando International Airport requires every local rental company to charge a 10% gross receipts fee when the renter arrives at MCO within 48 hours before picking up the vehicle, whether or not the pickup happens at the airport. The quote asks the question and itemizes the fee up front. A renter who lands more than 48 hours before pickup, or who drives in, does not pay it.
Florida's Turnpike, the Orlando expressways (including the BeachLine to Port Canaveral) and several Miami routes are cashless: a camera reads the plate and the toll is billed to the vehicle. The renter is responsible for tolls during the rental, and if a toll is billed to us afterwards we pass it through with an administrative fee per transaction. The simple way to avoid all of that is the optional Toll Pass Waiver, a per-day add-on on the quote's Extras step that covers ordinary road, bridge and tunnel tolls for the whole rental (express and HOV lanes excluded). Our policies page has the detail.
A high-roof Sprinter or Transit stands about nine feet tall, a medium-roof Transit about eight and a half, and the Chevy Express about seven. Most parking garages, hotel porte-cocheres and drive-throughs are built for seven or less. Plan on surface parking at hotels, ports and stadiums, and ask the hotel about oversize parking when you reserve rooms. The Sprinter vs. Transit guide has the heights by model.
6050 South Semoran Boulevard, (Park Bark n Fly), Orlando, Florida 32822, a short rideshare from MCO. Hours, the vans on the lot today and directions are on the Orlando branch page, and in Spanish on the Spanish Orlando page.
2850 NW 40th Avenue, Bay #1, Miami, Florida 33142, a short rideshare from MIA. Hours, the vans on the lot today and directions are on the Miami branch page, and in Spanish on the Spanish Miami page.
Both branches take bookings online around the clock and by phone or text at 866-868-7826. Se habla español.
Can I rent a 15-passenger van in Orlando or Miami in December?
Yes. Both branches rent 12 and 15 passenger vans all winter. December is one of the two busy periods,
so book three to four weeks ahead; Christmas week should be booked by the end of November.
How far in advance should I book a van in Florida for the winter?
Three to four weeks for most dates. For the first week of December in Miami, Christmas week, and
mid-February through March at both lots, book as early as you know the dates.
Can I drop the van at the cruise port?
Return it to our Miami or Orlando branch before you board and take a rideshare the last few miles; that
avoids paying for port parking while you are at sea. We cannot leave or collect a van at the port itself.
Can I pick up in New Jersey and drop off in Florida?
Yes. One-way rentals run between any two Bandago branches. The one-way fee is priced on the quote page
before you reserve, and when a northern lot is long on vans we post one-way deals that waive days.
Is there an airport fee in Orlando?
If you arrive at MCO within 48 hours before picking up the van, Orlando International Airport requires us
to charge a 10% gross receipts fee. The quote asks and itemizes it. Arriving earlier, or driving in,
avoids it.
How do tolls work in a rental van in Florida?
Most Florida toll roads are cashless and bill the vehicle's plate. You are responsible for tolls during
the rental; a toll billed to us afterwards is passed through with an administrative fee. The optional
Toll Pass Waiver covers ordinary road, bridge and tunnel tolls for the whole rental.
Do you deliver the van to a hotel or an FBO in Florida?
Yes, where staff and vehicles allow: weekday deliveries and pickups between 11am and 3pm, booked about
two weeks ahead, with a three-day minimum within 100 miles of a branch. Call 866-868-7826, option 1, for
a delivery quote.
Event dates are the organizers' announced dates as of October 2026 and can change. Prices shown as live update from our rate sheet; everything else about pricing is general guidance, and the quote page is the only price for your dates. Taxes, fees and coverage availability vary by location.
Orlando and Miami, live availability, every fee shown before you book, 250 miles a day included.
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