Is a van really cheaper than a shared container?

On a small load, usually yes — and it is handled far less. A part-load in a container is picked up and put down at four depots and ports before anyone carries it upstairs.

Will the van fit into a Paris courtyard?

Normally, which is exactly the point. We check the entrance width at survey because a courtyard that a van clears is a courtyard a lorry does not.

Can you share the run with another household?

Yes. On France it is common, because a single room rarely fills a vehicle over this short a distance. It costs less and involves a little more handling.

Do the same people drive the whole way?

Yes. One vehicle, the same crew, London to the door.

Who deals with the customs entry?

An agent files it against documents and declarations you supply; their accuracy is legally yours. We tell you what is normally asked for.

Overland from London

Van removals from London to France

Because a Paris courtyard was not built for an articulated lorry.

France is the shortest run we do, and the one where a van most obviously beats the alternative. A single room, a studio, a part-load — putting that in a shared container means it is handled at a London depot, a port, a French port and a French depot before anybody carries it upstairs. A van carries it from the flat to the flat.

Shortest crossingCourtyard accessPart-loads welcomeSame two people

Why a van

Paris addresses are reached through a porte cochère into a cour — an entrance sized for a carriage, not a lorry. A van goes in; a rigid truck stands on the street and turns the job into a long carry. On smaller loads the van is also simply the right size, so you are not paying for space you do not fill.

The route

The tunnel or a ferry, then the French motorway network to the door. The crossing is a slot booked with an operator we do not own; the drive and both ends are our own two people.

Who moves on this route

Students and researchers moving a single room to Paris, Lyon or Toulouse.
People part-moving into a French place they already own — the London flat emptied into a house that is already furnished.
Anyone who has been quoted for a shared container and realised their load would not fill a third of one.
Households whose French address is behind a courtyard entrance, a bollard or a pedestrian zone.

Destination areas

Which part, exactly

Paris and the inner suburbs Courtyard entrances, small lifts and spiral stairs. The van fits where a truck does not, which is most of the argument here.

Lyon, Bordeaux, Nantes, Toulouse Old centres with enforced loading restrictions. Where a vehicle may stand, and for how long, decides the day.

The south-west and Dordogne Narrow lanes where a long vehicle cannot reach the door at all. A van usually can, and we check at survey rather than hoping.

Provence and the Côte d’Azur Hill villages with stepped approaches. The carry is measured; the van gets as close as the street allows.

Brittany and Normandy The shortest run of all, and the one most often booked as a part-load sharing with another household.

Paperwork

Who holds which document

Since the UK left the EU a household move to France needs a customs entry even though nothing is being sold. What follows is what is normally asked for. It is not legal, tax or customs advice, and the French authorities set the requirements.

Passport or identity document YouFor the owner of the goods, matching every other name in the file.

Proof of the French address YouA lease, a deed or a utility connection in your name.

Proof of transfer of residence YouUsually a mairie certificate or a consular document. It decides whether the move counts as a relocation.

A valued inventory UsBuilt when we load, item for item, in a form the entry can be filed against.

Arriving in France

The two people who loaded the van in London are the two people who carry it in at the other end. Nothing is transferred, nothing is depot-handled, and nobody who has never seen your things turns up at the worst moment.

What we need in advance is the access: whether the furniture comes through the courtyard or a side door, the width of whichever it is, whether there is a lift and what fits inside it, and where the van may legally stand.

Where something will not go up, we say so in London while it is still in the room rather than on a pavement in Paris.

London to France

Questions about moving to France

Is a van really cheaper than a shared container?: On a small load, usually yes — and it is handled far less. A part-load in a container is picked up and put down at four depots and ports before anyone carries it upstairs.
Will the van fit into a Paris courtyard?: Normally, which is exactly the point. We check the entrance width at survey because a courtyard that a van clears is a courtyard a lorry does not.
Can you share the run with another household?: Yes. On France it is common, because a single room rarely fills a vehicle over this short a distance. It costs less and involves a little more handling.
Do the same people drive the whole way?: Yes. One vehicle, the same crew, London to the door.
Who deals with the customs entry?: An agent files it against documents and declarations you supply; their accuracy is legally yours. We tell you what is normally asked for.

Tell us what it is and where it is

If it is not a van job we will say so, and say what to book instead.

Both addresses, what the item is, what floor each end is on, and a photograph of the biggest thing. That is enough for a straight answer and a written price.

Get a price What we turn down