Hey, so i have a job sorted now in Zurich and about 2-3 weeks to sort out the move. i think most things are in-place but i was wondering how most people deal with physically moving their stuff over. i have a one bed flat in london with not a lot of furniture and i have an apartment already in Liestal which i can move my stuff to. so the options i was thinking are hire a van in the UK and drive over then drive back. or get the stuff shipped over in a container. i'm guessing that the van option would be cheaper but i haven't looked at the prices yet. anyone else been through this process recently and have any good advice or ideas to share?? much appreciated.

Would your new company not pay for your relocation???

I hired a sprinter van in the UK and drove the stuff over.

My GF's work paid for it (plus a bit extra) as I was a lot cheaper than using a removal company, which they had agreed to do when they hired her.

It cost us about £700 for van hire and tunnel/fuel.

Just need to fill in a customs declaration list for the zoll office (a piece of paper with a list of all your possessions and their value). You can take this to the zoll office after you arrive, which is easier than trying to time your arrival to when the office is open.

Remember to think about departure and arrival times when planning if doing it yourself. How easy is it going to be to park your van near to your apartment for unloading? Even if you leave early morning (7.30am ferry or train from UK) you're not going to get to Zurich until evening so will have to park overnight before you can unload.

Don't plan to do this on a Sunday whatever you do. Sunday is sacred and noise (unloading vans and banging up and down stairs with furniture etc) isn't welcome. Your new neighbours will be very unhappy with you if you disturb their peaceful Sunday.

Make sure you can get hold of your new apartment keys when you arrive.

thanks a lot for the advice. unfortunately i don't think my new company will pay for me to relocate over as its a contract position for only a year.

Cran, can you suggest or recommend a van hire place?? i assume you had to drive it back after the move?? also is there a place i can download the customs declaration form online??

If it's only a year, is it worth bringing stuff over anyway? There is enough second hand stuff advertised on this forum to cover most needs. So just bring over whatver you can fit into a car?

Definitely not worthy...

Cost of moving + transport + hassle + possible damages

Vs selling your furnitures now and buying 2nd hand or ikea one here...


Especially for such a short duration!!!

well although my contract is only 1 year i intend to stay for longer. perhaps 3-4 years. for one thing i don't have a car so i'd have to hire one anyway then i might as well hire a van and i doubt i could find all my musical equipment in a car and i don't really want to sell it so guess the van is the only option.

Leave your stuff in UK, not worth the hassle, and if you may return there, then its there, safe and sound for when you go back.

Whilst it is not massive cheap to furnish a place here, it can be done fairly well.

Stick to securing the essentials, bed, sofa, tv, then build as you go along.

I started out 2 year ago with a shabby free sofa, a few plates, bowls and cutlery, and bought myself a bed from Ikea and TV from Migros. I stuck that out adding bit by bit for 10 months, and then made major upgrade to the daddy of all apartments.

Remember, the forum is your friend. Just as many people leave as they come, and they are all looking to get rid of their furniture etc.

We used a local van hire place http://www.selfdrivecambridge.co.uk/ and got a good deal on weekend rate and mileage, remember to tell them you are leaving the country as they need to give you the vehicle dos and yellow vests... Also check the mileage charges! Yes drove back to the UK with the van.

My GF downloaded the forms (not sure where) and did it all with official forms and stopped at the customs on the way in and made sure we arrived when the offices were open, complete waste of time unless you are in a lorry, and when I came (earlier this year) I didn't bother, I just drove through with all my stuff and then a few days later I cycled to the Zoll office with a list of things and prices that I printed out with excel. They were happy with that.

When you go to the customs offices go to the French desks first and say you need an export stamp (this is a lot easier than trying to get one from the UK, they are used to it and just stamp a card for you). Take this and your list of stuff to the swiss desks.

A google or forum search will probably find the proper forms if you want to get them.

We picked the van up Friday lunchtime, drove overnight, arrived and moved in early Saturday morning, then I drove back Sunday night to get the van back before 9am on the Monday...

Driving at night is easier for traffic and cheaper on tunnel crossings.

Invite a friend from the UK to come and stay for a few days for free- share the driving and then s/he takes the van back?

I too would suggest leaving your furniture in the UK, or sell it and use the cash towards buying stuff here. We have stored ours in a family members spare room, if you only have a one bed flat, you won't need much space. Just bring anything you would really miss, your clothes, etc.
When I moved here to be with my husband, we travelled by train from Manchester to London, Eurostar to Paris, Paris to Basel, then on to Zurich and finally Baden with eight bags between us, a bit of a struggle but also quite an adventure!