Cost of moving from Munich to Vilnius

Question

I am trying to figure out the expected cost for a move from Munich to Vilnius. Unfortunately, the moving companies where I inquired would not give me a quote without knowing exact dates, if they replied at all. At this time I am just trying to get a rough cost estimate.

Key facts and figures are:

• 1600 km distance
• Within the European Union/Schengen area, no customs clearance needed
• Moving from a 60 m² ground floor apartment into a 2-floor house
• Steps in front of the entrance on either side; staircase inside the new house
• Just below 30 m³ of goods to transport, including a kitchen with appliances, washing machine and tumble dryer; should fit into a 7.5-ton truck
• I will disassemble furniture and pack items myself (at the most, I would have the company dismantle the kitchen closets)

How much can I expect this to cost if I request a company to do this? Does anyone have experience with a move of comparable distance within the EU, and can share what it cost them? Or does anyone have a clue where can I get a rough estimate?

Research done so far:

If I were to rent a truck and drive it myself (I have a license for up to 7.5t), my estimate would be:

• € 80/day for the truck, € 0.50 for each km in excess of 100 km/day
• € 850 for fuel (3200 km round-trip, 20 l/100 km, € 1.30/l)
• € 200 for overnight accommodation
• € 60 to establish a temporary no-parking zone in front of the house
• € 1.80 for a big cardboard box (0.1 m³), € 0.80 for a small one (0.025 m³)
• € 500 if I need to make an additional round-trip in my car (e.g. to pick up the truck and return it at the “wrong” end)

Assuming I need the truck for up to 16 days (one weekend per one-way trip, plus time to load/unload), need cardboard boxes for one third of the volume and do one extra round-trip by car, I would end up in the neighborhood of € 4000. (The minimum rental period, i.e. the round-trip duration of 4 days, would shave some € 400 off the total.)

If moving with a company, I expect differences to be:

• Additional costs for a driver/co-driver for the truck (including overnight accommodation)
• Additional costs for staff to assist with loading/unloading the truck
• Different cost calculation basis for the truck (e.g. hourly rate for the truck with 1–2 people to load it, fixed price per km of distance which includes the drivers and fuel)

Answer 1

There is no replacement for a quote. Why not guess a possible date? You're not committing to anything and there will still be a lot to discuss after you get a quote.

A few observations based on an international move inside the EU a couple of years ago:

• I got quotes between €1500 and €3000+ for a move with a shorter distance (<1000 km) and a rather small volume (13 m³ compared to your 30 m³) but a much more comprehensive service.
• One big factor is whether you want direct transport (your stuff doesn't leave the truck and arrives within a day or two) or “groupage” (potential 2-3 weeks delay). The prices I got were for groupage.
• The price is going to change based on the level of service. I had the movers take care of packing everything (I put away a few valuables, the rest was still on the shelves or in the cupboards when the team arrived and they disassambled the furniture).
• Don't forget you can also contract movers in your country of destination, they will typically work with partners in the other country/a local crew.

Answer 2

Cheaper option than renting a truck would be to rent a moving container. Company will bring container, put it in front of your house, you pack stuff in (or hire someone to pack), then company picks the container and delivers it few days or weeks later in front of your new place to unpack. Usually they can even store it (for a price) if your new place is not ready yet. UPack is brand name for such service in USA, google will find you local shipping experts.

This way, you do most of the work yourself, and let pros to drive the truck, while you drive your car to the new place.