For most airport transfers, vehicle selection is straightforward: count the passengers and choose accordingly. But for passengers travelling with ski equipment, golf bags, dive gear, musical instruments or other oversized items, the boot capacity and interior dimensions of the vehicle become the primary decision factor — and getting it wrong on transfer day is stressful.
This guide covers how to choose the right Fare 1 vehicle when you are carrying more than standard airline luggage, with specific guidance on ski and golf travel cases.
Why Oversized Luggage Changes the Equation
A standard airline suitcase — the typical 23kg checked bag — is approximately 75cm x 50cm x 30cm when packed. A Standard Saloon's boot comfortably takes two of these alongside normal carry-on bags. So far, straightforward.
A ski bag changes this completely. A typical ski bag (covering skis up to around 185cm) is 190 to 200cm long and relatively narrow, but that length makes it incompatible with most saloon boots. It cannot be bent and it cannot be stacked efficiently with square luggage. It must either lie flat across the boot length, or be positioned diagonally — both of which take space that was otherwise available for other bags.
A golf travel case (hard-shell or soft-shell over a carry case) is typically 130 to 140cm tall when upright and 50 to 60cm in diameter. Again, saloon-incompatible in most configurations once other luggage is added.
Vehicle Recommendations by Gear Type
Two passengers with ski bags and standard luggage
An Estate is the minimum practical vehicle. The Estate's longer, wider boot allows ski bags to be positioned flat or angled along the full boot length. Two ski bags plus two suitcases is possible with careful loading in most Estate-class vehicles.
If you have more than two ski bags, or boots bags in addition to ski bags, an MPV is the safer choice. MPV vehicles allow rear seats to be folded or configured to extend luggage capacity significantly, and loading becomes less of a puzzle.
Two passengers with golf travel cases
A golf travel case in soft-shell format (common for international travel) folds and can be positioned in an Estate boot alongside one or two suitcases. Hard-shell golf cases are bulkier and more reliably handled in an MPV, where the configuration is more flexible.
Note in your booking that you are travelling with golf equipment. This allows your driver to confirm the vehicle loading capacity in advance and avoid any uncertainty on collection day.
Families on a ski holiday
A family of four on a ski trip — two adults, two children, four suitcases, four ski bags, and boot bags — requires an MPV or Executive MPV at minimum. The V-Class (Executive MPV) is the most practical choice for this scenario: the cabin comfortably seats all four passengers, and the luggage area with seats configured appropriately handles the full complement of ski gear.
Alternatively, for a family group travelling with significant kit, booking a Minibus provides the most loading flexibility — the large rear compartment can be configured to take all luggage flat, and all passengers travel together without any loading compromise.
What to Tell Us When Booking
When you get your quote at book.fare1.co.uk, select the vehicle class based on your luggage requirement rather than your passenger count alone. If you are uncertain, use the notes or special requirements field to describe your oversized items:
"Travelling with 2 ski bags (180cm), 2 suitcases, 2 boot bags — 2 passengers" gives the driver and dispatch everything they need to confirm the right vehicle and configuration.
Providing this information at booking means the driver arrives with the correct vehicle and has already thought through the loading. It eliminates the scenario where you are standing on the driveway on departure morning trying to work out how to fit everything in.
On the Return Leg: Arrivals With Oversized Gear
For arrivals transfers, oversized sports luggage comes off the aircraft on the oversized items belt or at the aircraft door, depending on the airline. This may add 10 to 15 minutes to your terminal time compared with standard bag pickup. Your Fare 1 free waiting window covers this — the 60 minutes from landing accommodates normal delays at the oversized carousel.
Confirm with your driver by message when you are collecting oversized items and they are on the way to the car — this means the vehicle is positioned and ready when you exit the terminal with your gear.
Book Your Transfer With the Right Vehicle
Get an instant fixed-price quote at book.fare1.co.uk. Upgrade your vehicle class to Estate or MPV directly in the booking flow, and use the notes field for any oversized item details. Fixed fares mean no surprises regardless of how long loading takes.