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Overland from London

Van removals from London to Portugal

Because on a Lisbon hill a long vehicle has nowhere it can legally stop.

Portugal is the longest run we do and the one where the last fifty metres cause the most trouble. Lisbon and Porto are built on hills, with narrow old streets where a long vehicle cannot safely or legally stand. The gradient outside the door is a genuine planning factor, and a van handles it where a truck does not.

Longest single runHill gradientsPart-loads welcomeOne vehicle throughout

Why a van

A steep narrow street with parked cars on both sides has room for a van and no room at all for a rigid truck. The alternative is stopping at the bottom of the hill and carrying up, which on a Lisbon gradient is a materially harder job. In the Algarve the constraint changes to development gates and height barriers, which a van also clears.

The route

The crossing, then the length of France, then the length of Spain. The longest continuous run we do, in one vehicle, with no depot handling anywhere in the middle of it.

Who moves on this route

  • People moving a room or a part-household to Lisbon or Porto.
  • Owners of an Algarve property adding to it from a London flat.
  • Anyone whose Portuguese address is on a hill street, behind a development gate, or under a height barrier.
  • Households whose load would fill a small fraction of a shared container.

Destination areas

Which part, exactly

Lisbon Old buildings on steep narrow streets. Where a vehicle can legally stand on the gradient decides the carry, and a van has far more options than a truck.
Porto and the north Narrower old-centre streets again, with granite stairs and low door heads inside.
The Algarve Generally good access; the recurring obstacles are development gates and height barriers rather than the building itself.
The Silver Coast and Alentejo Rural properties at the end of long approaches, some of which only a van will take.
Inland Portugal Smaller towns with usually good access at the door. Madeira and the Azores are not road destinations and we say so rather than quoting.

Paperwork

Who holds which document

A household move to Portugal needs a customs entry and evidence of a transfer of residence rather than an import. What follows is what is normally asked for, and none of it is legal, tax, customs or immigration advice.

Passport or identity document YouFor the owner of the goods, matching the rest of the file.
NIF (número de identificação fiscal) YouThe Portuguese tax number, asked for consistently.
Proof of the Portuguese address YouA deed, a lease, or a registration with the câmara municipal.
A valued inventory UsBuilt when we load, item for item. Values are looked at on this route.

Arriving in Portugal

One vehicle and the same two people, London to the Portuguese door, at the end of the longest drive we do. On a run this long, a handover in the middle is exactly what we are avoiding.

What we need in advance is the gradient and the width of the street, where the van may stand on it, whether there is a lift and what fits inside, and — in the Algarve — the gate arrangement and who holds the code.

Tiled stairs in afternoon heat are a slip risk rather than an inconvenience, so we order the day around the temperature rather than treating it as weather.

London to Portugal

Questions about moving to Portugal

Why does the hill matter?
Because where the vehicle can legally stop on a gradient decides how far the load is carried, and the carry decides the crew and the day. It is a survey question, not a detail.
Is a van sensible over this distance?
For a modest load, yes. The alternative adds four handling points and a wait for a container to fill, for a journey that is no shorter.
Do you go to Madeira or the Azores?
No. They are not road destinations and we would rather say so than quote for something we do not run. Mainland Portugal only.
Can you share the run with another load?
Yes, and on a run this long it is common. It costs less and involves more handling; we set out both sides.
Who files the customs entry?
An agent, 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.

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