Forget vans and small SUV's! Our family took a trip around the midwest with 5 kids and 2 adults a few years back. Rented a Lincoln Navigator in Chicago but due to the small space behind the back seat the luggage had to be stacked to the ceiling (some from the inside) to get it all in. Luckily it had a flat tire before leaving Chicago, so we took it back to Hertz, all they had was a Ford Excursion which is similar to the Expidition XL. We loaded the same amount of luggage and it didn't even go above the seat back. That vehicle was great and our trip was a great experience the kids still talk about! It really made all the difference! Would suggest the Expedition XL for sure.

I agree re the Expedition - but w/ five adults vs. 2 children, make sure everyone packs light.

Plus, unfortunately rental agencies don't generally guarantee a specific vehicle. They almost always state " . . . or similar" so you might end up w/ something entirely different that you expect.

Definitely pack light

You want to go in style and not have to pack light? These guys know what they are doing. http://www.cjstarbuses.com/
They have 7 "star" tour buses.
I'm sure it costs plenty.

A Chevy Suburban.

Mark

Mini-vans will not do it for you, even if you pack very, very light. Although they are rated for 7 or 8 passengers, that is if you wish to ride like sardines, and the middle seat and back row are not comfortable over any distance (think the equivalent of a coach airline seat or less). The luggage space behind the 3rd row is very limited - perhaps 2-3 small/med suitcases and a backpack or 2.

There are 12-16 passenger full-sized vans that can be rented. These are obviously larger - groups use them for tours, but the seating is oftennot that comfortable. And I would investigate cost, since it can be quite high. You might want to do some research on safety of 16 passenger vans - they are true roll-over risks

NO NO NO to the mini van, I owned and drove one for years, fine with three kids being ferried to school, but even when they each brought home a friend for a playdate( which happened often since I was the mom who didn't work and could everyones kids|) it was CROWDED with one adult( me) and 6 kids under 12,, and that was travelling a few miles, cannot imagine cramming four adults in, I would commit hari kari. And fitting 6 kids school backpacks in a fully loaded mini van was hard enough, there is like no real trunk space and we had the "extended " version.

We eventually bought a 26 foot rv( then eventually went up to a 30 footer when boys were over 6ft tall,,, lol ) an it was lovely. We stilled stayed in a hotel every week or so, but for actual travel a small RV rental is a great idea, even a 20 footer, you can stop and make lunches, etc, you can still stay at hotels , but you have the room to breath .

At very least get the biggest suv you can afford.

I agree with justineapris, RV is one way to go. 7 in a mini van or a SUV, especially 5 adults and 2 kids, not going to be very comfortable.

If you can find a 12 seater (example: Ford Econliner 350 or Dodge Sprinter) that would work too. There are lots of room for luggage but the seats are not as comfortable as a regular mini van or SUV.

Thanks everyone. I am definitely going with the large SUV. We have looked at RVs also. I'm just not sure of driving a large RV across country and through Yellowstone everywhere we go. I would probably feel better about it if it was just myself, wife and kids with a smaller RV.