Moving to Bordeaux from the UK? Gentlevan Removals has run UK to France removals since 2011, and we head to France bi-weekly — so there's rarely a long wait for a slot. Part-loads start from £1,500 and full household moves typically run £3,000–£7,500 depending on your address and how much is coming. Dedicated, shared-load and part-load options are all on the table, plus 2 months FREE UK storage built into every Bordeaux move.
We collect from anywhere in the UK — London, Birmingham, Manchester and everywhere in between — and Bordeaux is a proper southwest haul, roughly 650–750 road miles down the A10 Aquitaine corridor. That distance is exactly why the bi-weekly shared-load is usually the best-value way to ship. The interesting bit is the Bordeaux end: the UNESCO old town, the narrow échoppe streets, the ground-level tram and the city's low-emission zone. We run smaller vehicles to reach restricted addresses, so a tight street is a logistics question, not a problem. Family-run, with 202+ five-star reviews and Move Assured & AIM accreditation. Bordeaux sits inside our wider UK to France removals service, alongside Toulouse, Paris, Lyon and Nice.
Straight answer: most household moves from the UK to Bordeaux land between £3,000 and £7,500 door-to-door, with part-loads from £1,500. Bordeaux sits down in the southwest, around 650–750 road miles from the UK, so distance carries more weight in the price than it does for the northern cities. The other lever is access: a ground-floor flat in La Bastide with easy kerbside parking and a top-floor apartment on the quais with a tiny lift are the same kilometres but very different invoices.
| Move Size | Service Type | Price Range (GBP) |
|---|---|---|
| Part-load (1–2 rooms) | Part-load | £1,500 – £3,200 |
| 1–2 bed flat or studio | Part-load or shared-load | £3,000 – £5,000 |
| 3-bed apartment or house | Shared-load or dedicated | £4,800 – £7,500 |
| 4+ bedrooms / large house | Dedicated vehicle | £7,000 – £8,500+ |
Quotes include UK collection, transport, French customs paperwork, ToR relief support and door delivery in Bordeaux. Parking-suspension application, monte-meubles hire (where needed), packing service, dismantling/reassembly and MoveProtect increased-liability cover are optional add-ons priced at the survey. Standard cover is our restricted liability of £40 per item; MoveProtect raises that protection for higher-value goods. Get an exact figure online — most quotes come back the same working day.
We cross via Dover-Calais (or the Eurotunnel when the schedule suits it), then take the long western run — past Paris and down the A10, the Aquitaine autoroute, through Tours, Poitiers and Angoulême into Bordeaux. The whole journey is around 650–750 road miles from the UK and takes 3–6 working days door-to-door on a dedicated run, with the drive itself spread over two days each way once tachograph rest breaks are built in.
Because the haul is long, a half-empty lorry to Bordeaux is an expensive thing to run. That's why our bi-weekly France service is the value option: we consolidate several Bordeaux and southwest-bound shipments onto one scheduled departure, and you pay for your share of the space rather than the whole vehicle.
Customs clearance happens at the French border. Post-Brexit, every UK to Bordeaux removal needs a customs declaration — but it's familiar territory for us, and household goods clear duty-free under Transfer of Residence relief when the paperwork's right. We put the file together as part of every move.
One Bordeaux-specific timing point: if your address needs a kerbside parking suspension, Bordeaux Métropole usually wants a couple of weeks' notice, and the tram corridors add their own restrictions. We start that application the moment we have your address — don't wait for the move date to be locked in.
We're based in Oxfordshire and head south on the same corridor every run, which makes UK-wide collection straightforward. London to Bordeaux and Birmingham to Bordeaux removals are two of our most-requested southwest routes, but we collect from anywhere in the country — and because we're heading to the crossing anyway, we can often pick up from more than one UK address on the way.
Pop your pickup postcode on the online quote form and we'll fold the UK leg into the price. Doing the reverse trip? See removals from Bordeaux to the UK below — we run both directions on the same service.
Bordeaux curves along the left bank of the Garonne in a great crescent — the famous Port de la Lune, the "Port of the Moon" — and it's the largest urban UNESCO World Heritage area anywhere. Each quarter has its own feel, and its own access reality for a removal vehicle. These are the patterns we plan around at the survey:
The medieval heart behind Place de la Bourse — narrow stone lanes, the Porte Cailhau, and the pedestrian grid around Rue Sainte-Catherine, the longest pedestrian shopping street in Europe. Beautiful, and the tightest access in the city.
Almost always a parking suspension and a smaller vehicle for the final approach.
The old wine-merchants' quarter by the river — now bohemian-chic, full of antique dealers, the Sunday quay market and handsome 18th-century houses. Streets are narrow and one-way in places.
Lovely to move into; needs careful parking planning and sometimes the small van.
The grand centre — the golden triangle of the Grand Théâtre, Cours de l'Intendance and Allées de Tourny, all honey-coloured stone facades and elegant apartments. Prestige addresses, often upper-floor.
This is classic monte-meubles territory: small original lifts, tall ceilings, big furniture.
Vibrant, multicultural and full of life around the Marché des Capucins — the "belly of Bordeaux" — and the soaring Basilique Saint-Michel. Tight, characterful streets.
Busy market streets mean timing the vehicle carefully; we plan around the morning trade.
Quieter, residential, hugely popular with families — long terraces of the classic Bordeaux échoppe, the single-storey stone house with a narrow front and a small courtyard garden behind.
The access challenge here is internal: narrow doors and long corridors rather than stairs.
Leafy, bourgeois and family-favoured to the west — bigger houses, gardens, driveways and good schools. The settled choice for many relocating families.
Generally the easiest delivery days: room to park, space to work.
Across the river and on the up — the Darwin eco-district, new-build apartments and the best skyline views back over the old town. Modern, regenerating, well connected by tram.
New construction usually means generous lifts and easy loading access.
The former docklands around the Cité du Vin, plus Pessac, Talence, Mérignac and Bègles — a mix of sleek new flats and proper suburban houses across Bordeaux Métropole.
Modern blocks and suburban homes are typically the most straightforward to deliver to.
A few things make a Bordeaux move different from a flat, modern-suburb drop. Get them right and the day flows. Get them wrong and the lorry circles while the load waits. This is where running France regularly — and owning smaller vehicles — pays off.
The Saint-Pierre and Saint-Michel old quarters, the pedestrian grid around Sainte-Catherine and the narrow one-way Chartrons lanes simply aren't built for a large lorry. We run smaller transhipment vans precisely for these last-leg approaches.
The load travels down to Bordeaux in the big vehicle, then we shuttle it into the tight address with a small one. To you it's seamless; behind the scenes it's two vehicles working together.
Give us the street name at the quote and we'll size the access plan before the day, not on it.
The échoppe is the city's signature house: a single-storey (sometimes one-and-a-half) stone terrace with a narrow frontage, a long central corridor and a small garden or courtyard at the back. No rear vehicle access, and doorways that test a big wardrobe.
We've moved enough of them to know the drill — protective corridor runners, the right sack-truck lines, and dismantling the pieces that won't turn the corner whole.
A couple of photos of the hallway and front door at booking and we'll plan the carry in advance.
Bordeaux's tram runs at ground level through the historic core on a special power supply with no overhead wires — which keeps the heritage views clean but means trams and pedestrian quais limit where and when a lorry can stop.
For most central addresses we apply for a temporary parking authorisation (arrêté de voirie) from Bordeaux Métropole to reserve kerb space. It needs a couple of weeks' notice and a small fee.
The sooner we have your address, the easier this is to line up with your collection date.
For the grand upper-floor apartments of the Triangle d'Or and the quais, where the original lift is small or stops short, we use a monte-meubles — an external hoist raised up the facade to the right window. Faster and safer than a long stair carry.
Bordeaux Métropole also runs a low-emission zone (ZFE) where older diesel goods vehicles face restrictions and a Crit'Air sticker is required. Our European-route vehicles carry the right classification.
Both are routine for us — and both are exactly what catches out movers who don't run France often.
Six steps, refined over a decade-and-a-half of European runs:
Optional extras include piano transport, professional dismantling and reassembly of beds and wardrobes, art and antique crating, and short-term UK storage if your dates slip. Whatever you need — just ask.
Family-run since 2011, which means one point of contact from quote to delivery. We answer the phone and the email ourselves; no call centres, no handoffs.
2 months FREE storage in our containerised Oxfordshire facility is included on every Bordeaux move — for when the chain doesn't quite line up.
We're not the cheapest mover on the UK-Bordeaux corridor, and we won't pretend to be. What we offer is a known quantity: the same point of contact from quote to delivery, the same crew on your move, our own vehicles (not subcontracted), and a real feel for what goes wrong on a Bordeaux move day. Here's what tends to matter to clients:
The southwest consolidation advantage. France is one of our two busiest European corridors, and Bordeaux is our gateway to the whole southwest. We run France-bound vehicles bi-weekly, often combining a Bordeaux delivery with drops across the Gironde, into the Dordogne and Bergerac wine country, or down towards the Landes and the Basque coast. That's why shared-load pricing to Bordeaux stays competitive despite the distance — and why a part-load slot is rarely far away.
Picking your quarter is one of the bigger decisions you'll make before the move itself — it shapes your commute, the kids' schools, your weekends and the home your budget reaches. Bordeaux's character shifts noticeably from one neighbourhood to the next, so the right area depends on what you're after.
Broadly: the Triangle d'Or, Saint-Pierre and Chartrons suit those who want a central, walkable, café-terrace life in the heart of the old stone city. Saint-Genès, Nansouty and Caudéran are where families settle for échoppes, houses and good schools. La Bastide and the regenerating right bank draw a younger, design-minded crowd after newer flats and river views, while Pessac and Talence work well for anyone near the university. For a wider regional view, our guide to the best places to live in France for English speakers covers the southwest and several other regions in detail.
On cost of living, Bordeaux's prices climbed sharply after the high-speed LGV line cut the Paris journey to just over two hours — it's now one of the pricier French cities outside the capital, though still well below Paris and with a far gentler pace. Rents swing a lot by quarter: the same one-bedroom flat in the Triangle d'Or and out in Bègles can be a different budget entirely. The TBM network (tram, bus and the V³ bikes) means most central residents skip the car altogether, and the markets, Atlantic oysters and — naturally — the wine are superb value. Sites like Numbeo are handy for ballpark monthly comparisons before you commit.
Health insurance is mandatory for residents and forms part of your residency requirements — most arrivals enrol in the public Sécurité Sociale system and add a top-up mutuelle. If you're moving for retirement, our guide on retiring to France from the UK walks through healthcare, pensions and the visa route. And if you're not sure how long you can stay without a visa, see how long you can live in France on the 90/180-day rule.
Since Brexit, every UK to Bordeaux removal goes through a French customs declaration. The good news: it's well-trodden ground for us, and household goods clear duty-free under Transfer of Residence relief if the paperwork's in order. The catch: getting it in order takes a few weeks of lead time, particularly the residence side. So start early.
These are what French customs will look at on entry. We prepare or guide you through every one:
Restricted and prohibited items follow standard EU rules — alcohol and tobacco are limited, fresh food and most plants are out, and prescription medicines need their prescription. Our blog on the customs allowance between France and the UK covers the personal-goods side.
ToR relief is what keeps your household goods clear of French import duty and TVA. The qualifying conditions are simple but specific:
The relief is claimed at the customs declaration alongside your inventory. Vehicles follow stricter rules (the car normally must be in your name for 6+ months, with separate French registration steps). Worth a separate conversation if you're shipping one.
Heading back to the UK? The reverse relief is ToR1, applied for through HMRC before goods land. We handle that for Bordeaux to UK return moves as standard.
Bordeaux has quietly become one of the most sought-after cities in France — twenty years of riverside regeneration, a fast line to Paris, the Atlantic an hour west and wine country in every other direction. The people we move tend to be choosing it for one of three reasons.
Beyond the famous wine-and-spirits trade, Bordeaux has a strong aerospace and defence cluster around Mérignac, plus growing tech, digital and tourism sectors. The high-speed LGV puts Paris just over two hours away by train.
That Paris link is a big part of why the city boomed — and why it now draws professionals who want a slower base without losing the capital.
This is the headline draw. Mild Atlantic climate, the beaches and surf of Arcachon, Cap Ferret and Lacanau within an hour, the Dune du Pilat down the road, and world-famous wine on the doorstep. Hard to argue with.
For a dual-living setup or a smaller first move, the part-load service is often the right fit.
The southwest has one of France's longest-standing British communities — the Dordogne especially — so many movers are joining family or friends already settled in the region, with Bordeaux as the city anchor.
Family relocations often land in summer to line up with the September school year.
Useful resources:
Most full household moves from the UK to Bordeaux come in between £3,000 and £7,500 door-to-door, with part-loads from £1,500. Bordeaux is a long western-France haul — roughly 650 to 750 road miles depending on where in the UK we collect — so the distance is a real part of the figure, which is why our bi-weekly shared-load run is usually the best value. The other big lever is the address itself: a modern flat in Bacalan with kerbside parking and a narrow échoppe in Saint-Michel with a tight corridor are the same distance but very different days. We survey before quoting, so the price you are quoted is the price you pay.
A dedicated van runs door-to-door in 3 to 6 working days via Dover-Calais or the Eurotunnel and then the A10 Aquitaine corridor through Tours, Poitiers and Angoulême. The drive itself is roughly two days each way once tachograph rest breaks are built in. Shared-load and part-load shipments travel on our scheduled bi-weekly France run, which adds a little time for consolidation but is the most cost-effective option. You get a firm collection window at booking and an updated delivery window once the French customs file is cleared.
Yes. We collect from anywhere in the UK for a Bordeaux move — London to Bordeaux and Birmingham to Bordeaux removals are among our most common southwest-France routes, along with Manchester, Leeds, Bristol and the South East. Because we are Oxfordshire-based and head south on the same corridor, we can often combine collections from more than one UK address on the way to the crossing. Tell us your pickup postcode on the quote form and we will factor the UK leg into the price.
Not always with the big lorry, which is exactly why we run smaller transhipment vehicles for the final approach. The Saint-Pierre and Saint-Michel quarters are tight medieval streets, much of the centre around Rue Sainte-Catherine is pedestrianised, and the classic Bordeaux échoppe — the single-storey stone terraced house — often has a narrow frontage and a long internal corridor rather than rear access. We bring the load to Bordeaux in the large vehicle, then shuttle it into restricted addresses with a smaller van. Tell us the street at the quote and we size the access plan correctly.
For most central Bordeaux addresses, yes. A temporary parking authorisation (arrêté de voirie / autorisation d'occupation temporaire) from Bordeaux Métropole reserves a length of kerb for the removal vehicle for a half-day or full day, and there is a small fee. It usually needs a couple of weeks' notice. The tram corridors and the pedestrian zone around Sainte-Catherine and Place de la Bourse have extra timing restrictions on top. We make the application on your behalf once we have the Bordeaux address — the earlier the better.
The grand stone apartment buildings of the Triangle d'Or and along the quais often have a small original lift or none above the first floor. For those we use a monte-meubles — an external furniture hoist raised up the facade to the right window or balcony. It is the standard French solution and we coordinate the hoist, operator and parking reservation together. Stair carries are fine for boxes and lighter items but become impractical above the third floor. Send a photo of the facade when you book and we will tell you within a day whether a hoist is needed.
It can. Bordeaux Métropole operates a Zone à Faibles Émissions (ZFE) in which older diesel goods vehicles face restrictions and a Crit'Air sticker is required. Our European-route vehicles carry the appropriate Crit'Air classification and we plan the entry timing around the rules, and for the strictest central streets we use a smaller compliant van for the final leg. It is rarely something the customer needs to worry about — but it catches out movers who do not run France regularly.
The core file is a valued inventory in French (we prepare and translate it), a passport copy, your French residence proof (long-stay visa, titre de séjour, or a signed Bordeaux tenancy or property document), and proof you are leaving the UK (an HMRC P85 helps). For Transfer of Residence relief — which clears household goods of French import duty and TVA — you need to be establishing genuine residence, have owned the goods for at least 6 months, and import them within 12 months of taking up residence. We bundle all of this into every UK to Bordeaux move.
A dedicated vehicle goes from your UK door straight to your Bordeaux door — your dates, your van, no detours. Shared-load consolidates several customers heading to France on the same bi-weekly run and splits the haul cost, often 30 to 50% cheaper than dedicated and especially worthwhile over the longer southwest distance. Part-load suits smaller shipments that do not fill a household — a one-bedroom flat, a studio, a holiday-home top-up — billed by the cubic feet your goods actually occupy, from £1,500.
Yes — 2 months of UK storage is included on every UK-Bordeaux and Bordeaux-UK move. It is genuinely useful when the dates do not line up: a UK sale that slips, a French lease handover, a visa still in process, or a parking slot that does not match your collection date. Storage is at our secure containerised facility in Oxfordshire, with no penalty if you need an extra week or two.
Yes. Bordeaux is our gateway to the whole southwest, so as well as the city and Bordeaux Métropole — Pessac, Talence, Mérignac, Bègles, Le Bouscat — we deliver across the Gironde and into the Dordogne, Lot-et-Garonne, the Charente and down towards the Landes and the Basque coast. The Dordogne in particular has a long-established British community, and we often combine a Bordeaux delivery with nearby drops in Bergerac, Périgueux or the wine-country villages.
Yes. Removals from Bordeaux to the UK use the same corridor in reverse — collection in Bordeaux, customs export through France, the ferry or tunnel crossing, then delivery anywhere in the UK. The UK side uses ToR1 (HMRC's Transfer of Residence relief), which we apply for on your behalf before the goods arrive. Return-move quotes with collection in Bordeaux and delivery in the UK go through the same online form.
Heading to Bordeaux, or coming back to the UK — we run both directions on our bi-weekly France service.
Call us on +44 7861 930529
Most quotes come back the same working day. No call centres, no pressure, no fine print.
We deliver across the city, Bordeaux Métropole and the wider Gironde and southwest. The most-requested areas on our route sheet:
Don't see your destination? We quote for anywhere in and around Bordeaux and the southwest — just ask. We also serve the wider France network, including Toulouse, Paris, Lyon and Nice, plus the corridor through the Dordogne, the Landes and down to the Basque coast.
Wherever you're heading, the same team that surveys the move runs it through to delivery. Belongings get high-quality export wrapping, GPS-tracked transport, and door-to-door handling — same as we'd want for our own family.
France is one of our two most-travelled European corridors (alongside Spain). We've run it since 2011, which means we've seen most of what Bordeaux throws at a removal day — the échoppe corridor that won't take a wardrobe whole, the Chartrons one-way that needs the small van, the quayside lift that's 5cm too narrow.
Experience doesn't make those things stop happening. It does mean we've got a Plan B ready when they do.
A shared-load Bordeaux run carries several customers' belongings in one France-bound vehicle — several separate long-haul trips avoided, which is meaningful diesel saved over a 1,300-mile-plus round trip. We use reusable blankets and recyclable boxes wherever the move format allows.
Over the longer southwest distance, shared-load is usually the cheapest option and the lowest-carbon one. Win-win, when the dates allow.
Recurring themes from France-route reviews: how cleanly the customs paperwork was handled, the smaller van turning up for a tight old-town address, the careful carry through a narrow échoppe hallway, and the crew respecting both the new home and the building's other residents. We're proud of those — and of the quiet moves where nothing dramatic happened at all.
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