I know this question has been asked to death but I am concerned with possible new rules thanks to Brexit.
I am looking to permanently move my things from Manchester to Lucerne around October/November in a Sprinter/Luton one way. I am aware that I will need to fill out a form or another as I would have been in CH for 2yrs (B-Permit, EU citizen) and a bit, by the time of the move.
I am moving a studio flat worth of things from the UK (approx 8m3. Biggest items are 5-seat sofa couch and a 55inch TV).
I saw that some people have used SIXT on the forum (will be giving them a ring tomorrow). Are there any other companies you'd recommend? What did you pay per day? I'd like to only drive one way (my dad will be doing the driving and is used to driving international journeys but I don't want to stress him out with driving back an empty van). I also saw that some had a mileage fee when the first 100 miles have been used for example.
I hope you can help me further or even point out recent posts I have missed. I'd like to hear about quotes, charges, and experiences. Most posts were a decade old and I'd rather have some up to date information.
I moved from London last year and used the company called My Safe Removals. They are London-based but do international removals too.
They were very good, easy to deal with and I think they use a contractor who does regular trips between UK and Europe.
I had a similar volume of things to be moved and paid around £1,200 in total. This included labour and materials to pack everything so you could definitely negotiate on price.
Worth keeping in mind if, and it’s a big “IF” you find a rental company in the UK who will allow a 1 way rental to Switzerland you are basically going to pay them to drive it back for you. A right-hand drive, UK registered vehicle is useless to the rental company in Europe so it will have to get back to Blighty somehow. If you are fixed on doing this with a rental van, consider also doing it in the other direction. Rent a Swiss vehicle, drive it empty to the UK, fill it, drive back and return locally. You could even advertise your empty leg journey here on EF you might find some people who would contribute to your expenses.
Alternatively – and I’m not condoning this but it happens: buy a £500 Ford Transit in the UK, don’t send off the V5 change of owner slip. Insure it for a few days with cuvva.com drive over, unload and then in the middle of the night take it to a remote car park, remove the plates and forget about it. Or be nice and call one of the many eastern european dealers and offer it them for CHF 50.
I have a LHD sprinter 316 in the UK that I need to move down here at some point in the next few months. if the timing works you could bring it down to me. you would need a non CH resident (your dad?) to drive it once in switzerland though as its UK registered.
cost wise, if you paid the diesel and whatever it costs to insure you, i'd be more than happy. i'd want you to bring it down to Como after but thats only a couple of hours.
its a powerful auto with cruise and stuff so much nicer to drive a long journey than a rental van.
Manchester to Lucerne? I wouldn't want to do it. As others have said, if you can find it,a one-way rental will be stupid expensive. I don't see how Brexit would make a difference unless there would be a problem with insurance. You (your Dad) *might* also need a so-called international license.
Hopefully covid restrictions would be out of the way by then.
Your Dad would also need to get back home so another expense.
You perhaps should consider selling all your stuff in the UK and just buy new things here.
A tenant of mine moved from Switzerland to Holland, rented a van and paid a one way fee of CHF800. From the UK it will be a lot more as you also have the channel crossing to contend with.
You also risk a lockdown and border closure. In that case the van will be stuck and you'll be paying a daily fee on it.
Don't buy a van and dump it as someone suggested. It will be traced back to the seller and then to you. You'll have police and customs all over you. You could risk losing your permit over something like that.
My advice is pay a company as someone has suggested.
I would like to thank you all for your advice and suggestions!! I am unable to thank your posts individually, as I don't have the privileges yet.
I made some phone calls and got some quotes back. I don't want to deal with the paperwork and whatnot. I also thought about the furniture and things and have decided to sell them or give them away. My mum, bless her, offered to buy my more expensive things off me, so that I would have money to replace them. Whatever I can't or don't want to sell, I shall keep in my room at my parents' house. Everything else, I will take with me via flights, bit by bit.
Thank you all for your suggestions and I hope that this thread maybe also helps someone else out in future!