Common questions, plainly answered.

Both are valid routes from Dartford. The Eurotunnel runs from Folkestone (via M25 → M20); the ferry runs from Dover (via M25 → A2 / M2). Each has its own scheduling, load constraints, and pricing profile; ferries sometimes suit larger loads or particular timing windows. We price both options at the survey and you choose. Neither has a guaranteed transit time — both are scheduled services subject to operator conditions, weather, and customs processing.

Dartford sits at the QE2 Bridge and Dartford Tunnel crossing of the Thames — the main M25 Thames crossing. From the catchment, vehicles can route southbound on the M25 to the M20 (for the Eurotunnel at Folkestone), to the A2 / M2 (for Dover ferries), or to other onward south-coast routes. Multiple crossing options is a real Dartford characteristic. We do not claim transit times; the routes themselves are the geographic fact.

It depends on the destination, the load size, and the timing window. Sea-leg routing (e.g. Portsmouth → Bilbao or Santander; or onward UK-Spanish-port options) skips the long French road leg but adds a sea crossing with its own scheduling. We price both road-only and sea-leg routes at the survey when both apply to your destination.

Often the answer is "not the main lorry but a smaller transfer vehicle yes". We do a remote access check on the destination side at the survey, and plan a transfer to a smaller van for the final leg of delivery if needed. Common scenario across southern Italian villages, Madeira mountain villages, Galician rural towns, and inland Spanish villages.

The move planning is the same — survey-led, named inventory, customs paperwork handled. The destination choice is what shifts: we weight our corridors to working-family destinations (working Costa Blanca, working Algarve, Pas-de-Calais towns, working southern Italian villages) rather than premium villa-belt destinations. The corridor weighting is on each country page. We are upfront about the working-family register; if you are moving to Marbella villas or Quinta do Lago, sister sites in our network are a better fit.

Well ahead of the move date — particularly for summer-window moves to Iberia and the Mediterranean, which are the busy season. The more lead time you give us, the more we can optimise the routing and the crew. Last-minute moves are sometimes possible but limit the options.

Yes. Standard international-removals cover is included with the basic quote; an additional itemised cover is available for items of higher value (instruments, art, jewellery, family heirlooms). We walk through what each level covers at the survey, in plain language.

A customs broker on the destination side files the import paperwork on your behalf. For Portugal that includes the certificado de bagagem for returning-resident and second-home-to-primary classifications; for Italy, Spain, and France the equivalent residency-status declarations. We coordinate end-to-end and provide the UK-side evidence the broker needs.

Yes. We offer short-term UK-side storage at separately quoted rates if the destination property is not yet ready, or if the move timing requires a gap. Long-term storage is available on request.

Get in touch as soon as you know. We try to absorb timing changes where we can. Long-distance bookings have crew, vehicle, ferry-slot, and destination-side dependencies that sometimes lock in well ahead, so the earlier we know, the more we can flex.

Promptly — usually within a working day or two. The first reply acknowledges the move and asks for the additional information we need to put together a written quote.

Dartford Removals is a town-origin operator for the NW Kent / DA-postcode catchment. We work with the Bexley, Crayford, and Gravesend edges. For moves originating elsewhere we will refer you to a more appropriate operator in our network — Bexley Removals for the directly adjacent DA-postcode catchment with a more professional-technical register, Maidstone for mid-Kent M20-corridor, Kent Removals Ltd for broader Garden-of-England route-cluster moves, Sevenoaks for West-Kent old-money established-rural, Canterbury for East-Kent heritage-considered.

We are. Dartford and Bexley sit in essentially the same operational catchment (the DA-postcode area). Bexley Removals is the technical-detailed register on a petrol-blue palette, suited to households who prefer a more professional / engineering tone. Dartford Removals is the practical-Kent-direct register on a yellow-cream palette, suited to working-family households who prefer a direct, no-nonsense tone. Same crews, same customs brokers, same service — different brand register. Pick the one whose register fits your household.

We do not move firearms, hazardous materials (paints, fuels, gas cylinders), perishable food, plants subject to import restriction, or items requiring special permission. Certain antiquities need CITES paperwork that adds complexity; we raise those at the survey.

The vehicle side is a separate quote (different customs paperwork, different transport mode), but yes — we coordinate household moves with vehicle transport regularly. We can quote both together or refer the vehicle side to a specialist partner depending on your destination.