European Moving Cost Calculator
Work out what a move from the UK to Europe should cost. European removals price on volume, so estimate your cubic metres from your property size or enter a figure you already have.
Where are you moving to?
Choose your destination, and tell us whether the move starts in the UK.
A move starting in the UK crosses the border, so it carries a ferry crossing and customs clearance for each van load. A move that starts and ends inside Europe does not.
How European moving costs are calculated
A domestic UK removal is priced on crew hours, van size and mileage. An international move is priced on volume — the cubic metres your belongings occupy — plus the corridor they travel and the paperwork needed to get them across a border. That is why two moves over the same distance can differ by thousands of pounds: the driver of the price is how much you are taking, not how far it goes.
European moves almost always travel by road. There is no container, no port handling and no long sea leg, which makes Europe the cheapest international destination per cubic metre and keeps transit times to days rather than weeks.
Typical costs by destination
Indicative 2026 ranges for a shared load, door to door, based on our own route pricing. A dedicated vehicle typically costs 40–70% more than the figures below.
| Destination | Studio / 1-bed | 3-bed |
|---|---|---|
| France | £1,200 – £3,800 | £3,000 – £7,500 |
| Spain | £1,400 – £4,200 | £3,500 – £8,500 |
| Portugal | £1,600 – £4,500 | £3,800 – £9,000 |
| Germany | £1,100 – £3,600 | £2,800 – £7,000 |
| Netherlands | £1,000 – £3,300 | £2,600 – £6,500 |
| Belgium | £1,000 – £3,300 | £2,600 – £6,500 |
| Italy | £1,600 – £4,500 | £3,800 – £9,000 |
| Poland | £1,300 – £4,000 | £3,200 – £8,000 |
| Sweden | £1,600 – £4,500 | £3,800 – £9,000 |
| Denmark | £1,400 – £4,200 | £3,400 – £8,500 |
| Norway | £1,900 – £5,000 | £4,200 – £10,000 |
| Ireland | £1,300 – £3,300 | £2,800 – £7,000 |
| Austria | £1,700 – £4,400 | £3,600 – £8,800 |
| Romania | £1,700 – £4,700 | £4,000 – £9,500 |
| Bulgaria | £1,900 – £4,800 | £3,700 – £10,100 |
| Greece | £1,900 – £4,900 | £3,800 – £10,300 |
| Malta | £2,100 – £5,400 | £4,100 – £11,300 |
| Cyprus | £2,300 – £5,900 | £4,500 – £12,400 |
Ranges assume a shared load and standard access at both ends. Use the calculator above for a figure based on your actual volume and destination.
Working out your volume
Everything starts with cubic metres. If a remover has already surveyed you, use their figure — it will be more accurate than any table. Otherwise these are reasonable starting points:
| Home | Typical volume |
|---|---|
| Studio | 10 – 16 m³ |
| 1 bedroom | 14 – 24 m³ |
| 2 bedrooms | 22 – 35 m³ |
| 3 bedrooms | 35 – 55 m³ |
| 4 bedrooms | 50 – 70 m³ |
| 5+ bedrooms | 62 m³ and up |
Households vary enormously, so treat these as a starting point rather than an answer. For scale, a 20-foot shipping container holds roughly 33 m³ and a 40-foot container about 67 m³ — which is why intercontinental pricing tends to step up in jumps rather than rise smoothly, while European road pricing scales more evenly with volume.
Groupage or a dedicated vehicle
This is the single largest lever on the price of a European move.
Groupage (shared load)puts your belongings on a vehicle with other shipments. It is considerably cheaper, but you fit the operator's schedule rather than your own, delivery windows are wide, and your goods are consolidated and deconsolidated at depots — which means more handling.
A dedicated vehicle is yours alone. It is faster, the dates are firm, and your belongings are handled once at each end. It costs materially more, though the gap narrows on larger volumes because fixed costs like customs clearance and the crossing spread across more cubic metres.
For a studio or 1-bed, groupage is almost always the sensible choice. For a 3-bed with a fixed completion date, a dedicated vehicle often justifies itself.
What the estimate does not include
The calculator prices the removal itself. Budget separately for:
- Customs clearance. Since Brexit a UK-to-EU move is an import and must be declared. Your remover normally files it; agents typically charge a clearance fee per shipment.
- Marine or transit insurance.Usually 2–3% of the declared value of your belongings, and worth having — a carrier's standard liability is far below replacement cost.
- Storage. Common when completion dates at either end do not line up, and charged per week or per cubic metre.
- Access charges at the European end. Narrow streets, restricted city centres and upper floors without a lift can require a shuttle vehicle or a larger crew.
- Duty and VAT, if you do not qualify for relief. Most EU countries waive both on used personal effects under transfer of residence relief, provided you are genuinely relocating and have owned and used the goods for a qualifying period — usually six months. A detailed valued inventory is required either way. Moving to the UK instead? See the ToR1 guide.
European Moving Cost Calculator: Common Questions
How is the cost of moving to Europe calculated?+
European removals are priced on volume rather than hours. The main factors are how many cubic metres you are shipping, which country you are moving to, and whether your belongings travel on a shared load (groupage) or in a dedicated vehicle. Packing, storage and access affect the final figure too.
How many cubic metres is my move?+
As a rough guide, a studio is around 12 m³, a 1-bedroom home about 18 m³, a 2-bedroom about 28 m³ and a 3-bedroom about 42 m³. Households vary a lot, so if a removal company has already surveyed your belongings, enter their figure instead for a closer estimate.
What is the difference between groupage and a dedicated service?+
Groupage means your belongings share vehicle space with other customers' moves. It is usually cheaper but collection and delivery dates are more flexible. A dedicated service reserves the vehicle for your move alone, which is faster and easier to schedule but costs more.
Is this estimate a quote?+
No. It is an automated estimate based on the information you supply, intended to show you the realistic range before you speak to movers. Your final price may change after a professional survey or a confirmed inventory.
Can I enter cubic feet instead of cubic metres?+
Yes. Switch the unit to ft³ and the calculator converts it for you at 35.31 cubic feet per cubic metre. Everything is priced internally in cubic metres.
Country moving guides
Destination guides cover customs paperwork, transit times and what to expect on each route.
Looking for the wider picture? Read our European removals guide for how the process works end to end.