International Moving Costs
How much does international moving cost?
There is no honest single answer to this — international moving costs depend on enough variables that a generic figure would be misleading. Here is what actually determines your price, so a quote makes sense when you get one.
Origin and destination
Distance is part of the picture, but the route matters more than raw kilometres — a well-travelled corridor with regular groupage departures behaves differently, cost-wise, than a less common route or an overseas destination requiring sea freight. Two routes covering a similar distance can have quite different costs if one has frequent shared-load traffic and the other does not, since a thin route often leaves dedicated transport as the only realistic option regardless of your volume.
Volume
How much you are moving is usually the single biggest factor. A smaller volume opens up groupage as a cost-efficient option; a larger household often makes more sense with dedicated transport or a dedicated container. This is also the factor most within your own control — deciding early what genuinely needs to travel with you, versus what can be sold, donated, or replaced at the destination, can shift a quote meaningfully before any transport method is even chosen.
Groupage vs. dedicated transport
Shared load (groupage) is typically more cost-efficient for smaller volumes, in exchange for a delivery window rather than a fixed date, since your goods are routed alongside another household's move on a similar corridor. Dedicated transport reserves a vehicle or container solely for your move, at a higher cost, in exchange for a firm collection and delivery date that does not depend on anyone else's schedule.
Access at both addresses
Lift access, narrow streets, parking restrictions and stairs all affect how straightforward loading and delivery are — and therefore time and cost. A ground-floor property with direct truck access takes noticeably less time to load or unload than a fourth-floor walk-up on a street where the vehicle has to park some distance away, and that difference in time is reflected in the price.
Moving date and flexibility
Fixed dates and busier periods generally cost more than a flexible window, particularly for groupage, where a shared load depends on enough demand on your route around a specific time. If your dates can flex by even a week or two, it is worth saying so when you request a quote — it genuinely widens the options available to you.
Packing
Full packing costs more than partial packing or a self-pack arrangement, but reduces the work and risk on your end — and for a longer international transit, professional packing materials are built to handle vibration and, for sea freight, humidity in a way that standard boxes bought locally often are not. See our packing service.
Storage
If your dates do not line up, storage adds a cost but avoids forcing an awkward, rushed handover — for example if you need to vacate your current address before your new one is ready, or if goods arrive at the destination before you do. See our storage service.
Container requirements
For overseas moves, a shared container is generally more cost-efficient than a dedicated one for smaller volumes, following the same logic as road groupage — you share space, and therefore cost, with another household's shipment on the same route. A dedicated container makes more sense once your volume approaches filling one anyway, or when a fixed delivery date matters more than minimising cost. See our container moving service.
Special items
Pianos, artwork, antiques and other high-value or awkward items often need extra handling, packing or insurance consideration. These do not usually change the overall shape of a quote, but they need to be flagged during the initial assessment rather than discovered on collection day, since the right protection for a piano on a multi-week sea crossing is different from what a generic item would need.
Customs
Routes that require customs documentation — the UK, Switzerland, and overseas destinations — involve preparation time on top of transport, and in some cases import duty depending on the destination country's rules and whether you qualify for relief as someone moving your main residence. EU-to-EU moves have no customs step at all, which is part of why they are generally the most straightforward and predictable moves to cost. Country-specific detail is on each destination page.
Shipping method
Road transport, groupage, dedicated transport, and sea freight each have different cost structures suited to different routes and volumes. As a rough pattern, cost tends to rise in that order — road groupage within Europe is generally the most affordable option, and dedicated sea freight for a large overseas household sits at the other end of the range. Where your move falls depends on the combination of route, volume and timeline covered above, not any one factor alone.
Why we do not publish a price list
Some of the factors above interact with each other — a flexible date can make a shared container viable even for a larger volume, while a fixed deadline can make dedicated transport the only realistic option even for a small one. That is why a genuinely useful quote depends on an actual assessment of your specific route, volume and timeline, rather than a generic price list that would have to average across situations that are not really comparable. It is also why we ask a few questions before quoting, rather than offering a number with none.
FAQ
Cost frequently asked questions
Can you give me an exact price without more details?
Not accurately — international moving costs depend on too many variables (origin, destination, volume, transport type, packing needs, and more) to quote a meaningful figure without knowing your specific move. Request a personalised quote and we will work through these factors with you.
Is groupage always cheaper than dedicated transport?
Usually, for smaller volumes — but not always, and the trade-off is flexibility on delivery timing rather than a fixed date. We can compare both options once we know your volume and route.
Are customs fees included in your quote?
We include the cost of preparing and handling customs documentation where it applies to your route. Any duties or taxes assessed directly by the destination country's customs authority are separate and depend on their own rules.
Get a personalised moving quote
Tell us about your move and we will work through these factors with you directly.