International removals from Chatham
Plenty of Medway moves don’t stop at the county line. When a house in Chatham becomes a house in the Dordogne or an apartment on the Costa Blanca, the origin stays the same — it’s the route and the paperwork that change. We plan European moves from Chatham to four countries we run regularly: France, Italy, Spain and Portugal.
Why Chatham is a good place to leave from
Geography helps. Chatham sits on the M2, and the M2 runs straight to the Channel — Dover for the ferry, Folkestone for the Eurotunnel shuttle. A load leaving Medway is on a boat or a train within a short, simple drive, with no London traffic to fight first. For an international move, that clean run to the crossing is worth more than it sounds.
We collect right across the Medway towns — Chatham, Gillingham, Rochester, Strood and Rainham — and we’ll pick up from further afield too. If your things are starting in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Edinburgh or Bristol, we can route a European move from there as readily as from the ME postcodes; the customs process is the same wherever in the UK the load begins. The difference is simply which motorway we join first.
What “international” actually adds
A European move is a local move with two extra stages bolted on. The packing and loading are the same care you’d get on a run to Rochester. On top sits a route plan — crossing, corridor, drop-off — and customs, which since the UK left the EU means real paperwork on both sides. We prepare the inventory, the transit declaration and the transfer-of-residence forms where they apply, and we lodge what needs lodging. That part is ours to carry, not yours to learn.
The four corridors we run
Each card is the honest coverage for that route — what’s included as standard, what’s available if you want it, and what we handle on your behalf. No transit-day promises here; those belong in a written quote once we know the load.
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Chatham → France
Route detailThe default first hop off the M2 — quickest to reach, widest range of drop-offs.
Crossing Dover–Calais ferry or the Eurotunnel shuttle from Folkestone.
- Ferry & Eurotunnel Available
- Customs paperwork Handled
- Part-load / consolidation Available
- Storage either end Available
- Full & fragile packing Included
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Chatham → Italy
Route detailThe longest of the four hauls — planned around driver hours and Alpine passes.
Crossing Eurotunnel or Dover ferry, then south through France to the Mont Blanc or Fréjus tunnel.
- Ferry & Eurotunnel Available
- Customs paperwork Handled
- Part-load / consolidation Available
- Storage either end Available
- Full & fragile packing Included
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Chatham → Spain
Route detailA long run down the French Atlantic side — busiest for retirement and lifestyle moves.
Crossing Dover or Eurotunnel, then the French autoroutes to the Pyrenees.
- Ferry & Eurotunnel Available
- Customs paperwork Handled
- Part-load / consolidation Available
- Storage either end Available
- Full & fragile packing Included
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Chatham → Portugal
Route detailThe furthest west — routed across Spain, most often for the Algarve and Lisbon.
Crossing Dover or Eurotunnel, down through France and across Spain.
- Ferry & Eurotunnel Available
- Customs paperwork Handled
- Part-load / consolidation Available
- Storage either end Available
- Full & fragile packing Included
Whole loads, part-loads and sharing the space
A full home usually travels as a dedicated load — your things, one vehicle, straight to the door. If you’re moving less, or you’re not in a hurry, a part-load or a shared load puts your consignment on a vehicle already heading that way and splits the journey’s cost with other moves on the same corridor. Which suits you depends on how much there is and how tightly your dates are fixed; the quote spells out the trade-off rather than deciding it for you.
Storage folds in at either end. Selling in Medway before the overseas place is ready, or arriving before completion abroad — both are common, and both are easier to plan for than to improvise. Say early if you think there’s a gap and we’ll design around it.
Ready to look at a specific country? Start with removals from Chatham to France, Spain, Italy or Portugal.
Moving abroad — the honest answers
What happens with customs now the UK has left the EU?
There’s paperwork on both sides now — an inventory, a transit declaration for the goods crossing the EU, and the returning-resident or transfer-of-residence forms where they apply. We prepare it with you and lodge what needs lodging. It’s a process, not a wall, and it’s the part we handle so you don’t have to learn it.
Do you fill a whole lorry, or can I share the space?
Both. A full home usually takes a dedicated load. If you’re moving less — a flat, part of a house, or you’re not in a rush — a shared or part-load puts your things on a vehicle already heading that way. Your quote will say which suits what you’re sending.
How long will an international move take to arrive?
It depends on the route, the crossing, whether it’s a dedicated or shared load, and customs clearance at the other end. Rather than quote a figure that turns out wrong, your written quote gives you an estimated window and we keep you posted as the load moves.
Which countries do you actually move to?
The four we route regularly are France, Italy, Spain and Portugal. We know those roads, the crossings and the customs steps for each. If you’re asking about somewhere else in Europe, ask anyway — we’ll tell you honestly whether it’s something we can plan properly or not.
Planning a move to Europe?
Tell us where in Medway you’re starting and roughly where in Europe you’re heading. We’ll come back with the route, what customs involves for it, and a written quote.