How long does road freight from the UK to Europe take?
From the Midlands, a full load reaches near-continent destinations such as France, Belgium, the Netherlands and western Germany in one to two days, southern Germany and northern Italy in about three, Spain and Poland in three to four, and the furthest EU countries in five to six. Groupage usually adds one to three days.
Road freight is the quickest and most flexible way to move goods between the UK and continental Europe. Transit time depends on the distance, whether you book a dedicated lorry or share space on a groupage service, how the trailer crosses the Channel, and whether the customs paperwork is ready.
Typical transit times from the UK
| Destination | Full load (FTL) | Groupage (pallets) |
|---|---|---|
| Northern France, Belgium | 1–2 days | 2–4 days |
| Paris | 1–2 days | 2–4 days |
| Netherlands | 1–2 days | 2–4 days |
| Western Germany (Cologne, Düsseldorf) | 1–2 days | 3–4 days |
| Southern Germany (Munich, Stuttgart) | 2–3 days | 3–5 days |
| Northern Italy (Milan, Turin) | 3 days | 4–6 days |
| Spain (Barcelona, Madrid) | 3–4 days | 4–6 days |
| Poland, Czech Republic | 3–4 days | 4–6 days |
| Denmark, Sweden | 3–5 days | 4–7 days |
| Romania, Bulgaria, Greece | 5–6 days | 6–9 days |
Typical times with customs documents ready before collection. Weekends, public holidays, driving bans and border queues can add time.
Full load or groupage?
A full truck load (FTL) is a dedicated trailer that goes straight from collection to delivery. It's the fastest option and usually the most cost-effective once you have around 10–12 pallets or more.
Groupage (or part load) means your pallets share a trailer with other customers' goods. It's cheaper for smaller shipments, but goods are usually collected to a hub, consolidated, and sorted again at the other end, which adds a day or more at each stage. Many groupage services run on fixed weekly departure days.
Accompanied or unaccompanied?
Accompanied freight travels with its driver, usually via Dover–Calais, Dover–Dunkirk or the Channel Tunnel. It's the fastest way across. Unaccompanied trailers travel without a driver on longer ferry routes, for example from the Humber or the Thames to Rotterdam or Zeebrugge, and are collected by another driver on arrival. That's often cheaper and avoids driver hours on the UK side, but it takes longer. Read accompanied vs unaccompanied freight for more.
Worked example: Birmingham to Munich
- Collection in Birmingham
- Monday morning
- Export declaration and GMR in place, Channel crossing
- Monday afternoon or evening
- Driving through France, Belgium and Germany
- Tuesday
- Delivery in Munich
- Wednesday morning
- Collection to delivery
- about 2 days
With a single driver, EU driving-hours rules (normally a maximum of 9 hours' driving a day, extendable to 10 hours twice a week) set the pace. A double-manned vehicle can cut longer journeys by up to a day, at extra cost.
What slows European deliveries down
- Customs paperwork that isn't ready, or doesn't match the goods, at either side of the border
- Channel crossing queues, especially in summer, at Christmas and during disruption. Biometric checks under the EU's Entry/Exit System, which began in October 2025, can add time at Dover and the Channel Tunnel at busy times
- Weekend and holiday driving bans for heavy goods vehicles in countries including France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Austria
- Driver hours, which limit how far a single driver can go each day
- Delivery bookings at the receiving warehouse, which may only accept goods at set times
- Weather, such as storms in the Channel and winter conditions in the Alps
Imports from Europe to the UK
The same transit times apply in reverse. The difference is that UK import controls, safety and security declarations and, for food and plant goods, border checks need to be in place before the lorry reaches the UK. See do I need customs for UK–EU freight?.
Choosing the right service for speed and cost
| Service | Speed | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dedicated full load, accompanied | Fastest | Highest per pallet for small loads | Urgent or high-value loads, 10+ pallets |
| Full load, unaccompanied trailer | Medium | Lower | Regular full loads where a day or so doesn't matter |
| Part load (shared, direct) | Fast to medium | Medium | Around 4–12 pallets that need to move quickly |
| Groupage (hub to hub) | Slowest | Lowest for small shipments | One to a few pallets, flexible timings |
How we can help
Our team has a European ferry and road background, so we know the crossings and the hauliers. We arrange full loads, part loads and groupage between the UK and Europe, with customs handled on both sides. Find out more about our European road and ferry freight service, or our Turkey to UK freight service.
Written by the 365 Freight team · Last reviewed . General guidance only, so check the specifics for your shipment.