Removals from Cheshire to France

From Cheshire, France starts with most of the length of England. The M6 south, the M25 or the M40 across, then the M20 to the crossing — a full day's driving before the Channel, which is why the loading hour matters and why the vehicle is packed for a long haul rather than a short hop.

The route

the M6 south, then across to the M20 for the Kent crossings — most of the length of England before the Channel After the crossing it is Calais or Coquelles and the A16 or A26 south, then whichever way the destination takes you: the A28 and A13 for Normandy, the A11 for Brittany and the Loire, the A10 through Poitiers for the Charente and Dordogne, and the A7 down the Rhône for Provence.

Where deliveries go

• Normandy and the north — Rouen, Caen, Calvados, the Cotentin
• Brittany and the Loire — Rennes, Vannes, Nantes and the coast
• Charente, Dordogne and the Lot — stone houses down long lanes
• Occitanie and the south-west — Toulouse, the Tarn, the Aude
• Provence and the Riviera — Aix, the Var, the Alpes-Maritimes
• Paris and the Île-de-France — apartment deliveries with their own access rules

Rural at both ends

A good share of Cheshire moves to France go from a village or a farm here to a village or a farm there, and the two ends have identical problems: a narrow lane, a low branch, a gate built before lorries, and a drive that softens after rain. We ask the same questions about the French approach that we ask about a Cheshire one, and where the answer is the same we plan a transfer for the last stretch rather than hoping.

Customs

A household move to France is a formal customs entry. It needs a detailed inventory in the form French customs expect, evidence you are transferring your normal residence, and the supporting documents for relief on personal effects — the French address, the previous UK address and the timing. We build the inventory at survey and prepare the declaration from it, and tell you at the start which documents have to come from you.

Dedicated vehicle or shared space

A dedicated vehicle means your dates and the fewest handlings. Shared space means a lower cost, a delivery window rather than a named day, and more handlings along the way. On a household with pieces you would mind losing, the handling count is a real argument for a dedicated vehicle, and we will make that argument rather than quietly selling the cheaper option.

Starting the move

Both addresses, rough dates, a sense of the volume, and whether shared space is an option for you. We will survey and quote in writing. See European removals for how the four compare.