# Self move/driving



## Paul & Kim (Mar 8, 2020)

Hi all, we are looking at hiring a van and doing a self move, has anyone got any experience on this, rough cost, is it cheaper than using removal companies, I know where looking at least 3 day trip in a Luton van, cheers P & K.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Paul & Kim said:


> Hi all, we are looking at hiring a van and doing a self move, has anyone got any experience on this, rough cost, is it cheaper than using removal companies, I know where looking at least 3 day trip in a Luton van, cheers P & K.


Look at https://www.way2gohire.com/home/

They do one way self-drive hire, & full or part load removal service. 

They brought some boxes over to Spain for me 8 years ago. They were already well-established then, & are still going strong, so they must be doing something right!


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## Paul & Kim (Mar 8, 2020)

Thanks very much will have a Ganda, cheers P & K.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

We moved ourselves. We hired a van from Salfords who had a branch in Chelmsford, nearest to us. On the day of the move we picked up the van drove home and started loading. Ours was a 2nd floor flat and with 9ft ceilings that was a lot of stairs to carry stuff down. To make matters worse it was raining.

We had a bit of a snooze since we had booked the tunnel for around midnight. Got to the other side and it was still raining. Set off via Rouen, Le Mans, Tours, Poitiers then we took a wrong turning and ended up at Angoulème. We were exhausted so found a room for the night-still raining! Next morning a bit of sunshine so we headed off via Bordeaux, over the border and into Spain and snow showers, Vittoria Gasteiz, Burgos, Madrid and stopped another night (pre-planned) at Ciudad Real because we wanted to arrive at our new home in daylight so that m-i-l who hadn't been there could see what it was like.

The bad news was that we had a lot of stuff so we had to go back to UK and do it all again but, at least this time it wasn't raining. Of course the van had still to be taken back to UK. By this time we were getting properly organised - we had bought our Spanish car and left it at the airport carpark in Granada. Took the van back to UK and while SWMBO did another couple of months work, i flew back to Spain and picked up the car and got on with the work in the house.

Would we do it again? Not bl**dy likely!!!


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## ccm47 (Oct 15, 2013)

Unlike Baldi: we would do what we did again. It's part of the experience.

Our move was complicated by having 3 horses, and a dog to transport as well as personal items. We moved to our already furnished, ground floor holiday flat in Murcia province. We bought a secondhand horsebox for the horses and their paraphernalia and then put everything else in our car or its attached horse trailer. We travelled in convoy the whole time. 
We came from Portsmouth to Le Havre, Rennes, Belin-Beliet, Pau, Jaca, Zaragoza, Valencia and then to Murcia, overnighting in equestrian centres at Rennes, Belin-Beliet and Zaragoza. Hotels were available but we spent 2 nights in the Luton of the horsebox and 1 night in a centre's gite. The weather was very cold as snow had fallen throughout France up to the day we set off and even Teruel in Spain was thought to have a good layer.
Having animals with us our focus was on comfort for them so drove only 2 hours, or so, at a time before comfort breaks for all (horses stay on the box but need access to fresh hay and water); no more than 60 mph, and avoided motorways where possible as recovery in the event of a breakdown could have been VERY problematic. We also had to time our arrivals to fall in with the riding centres routine before dark.

In the end we did not stay permanently in Spain but went North to France where we and the horses settled into much larger accommodation with ample grass for the horses. They never did work out where that had gone to. Clearly they had not had a bad journey down as they practically self-loaded onto the box to go back, and even showed signs of recognising their surroundings at Zaragoza.

Three tips:
We had equipped ourselves with Bip n'go dongles for when toll motorways were essential. As these are transferable we still use them and whiz through the toll booths with no concern for RHD or LHD.

The plus side of being in a van is that you see around you so much better and can enjoy the views of countryside.

If you are hiring a van for the first time book it for at least half a day before you need to start loading it, you need to be very familiar with the location and operation of all the controls. Give it a good test run beforehand. I used hire cars a lot for work in the UK, one car was delivered half a day early with a nail in the tyre!Fortunatel I spotted it there and then, not at 06.00 when there was NO chance of getting it replaced for at least 3 hours. Once on the French roads your efforts will need to be on observing speed limits and taking the correct lanes, not worrying about where the headlight controls are.


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## Paul & Kim (Mar 8, 2020)

Thanks for that, bit of a nightmare for yous, did you find it cheaper doing it yourself, our plan is too drive from the North east down country and get the ferry too Spain then the drive across Spain on a one way hire.


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## Paul & Kim (Mar 8, 2020)

Thanks for your heads up on your experience doing your journey, it will be the ferry too Spain for us, couldn’t be bothered in the run through France way, not spending as much time on the road.


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## Monkey104 (Aug 24, 2014)

xabiaxica said:


> Look at https://www.way2gohire.com/home/
> 
> They do one way self-drive hire, & full or part load removal service.
> 
> They brought some boxes over to Spain for me 8 years ago. They were already well-established then, & are still going strong, so they must be doing something right!


We used these last year! I was looking at moving myself with one of their vans but also had two dogs and a cat, a car and motorbike!
In the end the logistics were doing my head in and for the little extra cost for them to collect and transport our goods was well worth the cost leaving me to have a relaxing drive through Spain with the pets and wife.


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## Paul & Kim (Mar 8, 2020)

We’ve nee pets, be getting rid of my motor but will be taking my Vespa so can put that in the back of the Luton, jobs a goodn .


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## 95995 (May 16, 2010)

Paul & Kim said:


> Thanks for your heads up on your experience doing your journey, it will be the ferry too Spain for us, couldn’t be bothered in the run through France way, not spending as much time on the road.


Good idea given the COVID-19 situation in France - you never know if Spain might close the border for containment reasons when you are on the way.


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## Paul & Kim (Mar 8, 2020)

Well hopefully by the time we head off on our heals it will be all over, but it’s food for thought lol


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## Barriej (Jul 23, 2012)

We will be moving over in July and driving.
I contacted way2go in early Jan and they had no availability for July. 
Ended up with JHire who are between Southampton and Salisbury. They were recommended to me. 

Ferry from Portsmouth to Santander was £600 including pet friendly cabin. The ferries book up really quickly. 

Van hire one way is about £700

Factor in another £150 for fuel and tolls (we are moving to xirles, inland of Albir)

Driving time non stop is about 9hrs but I have planned 3 stops (I drive around 1000miles a week in the Uk)


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