Golfister

Does anyone know of a "man with van" that travels between the Tavira area and UK regularly who might be able to transport a small box of effects? We are in South Yorkshire.

Thanks.

uplands

I have just bought a villa near Tavira and am seriously thinking about buying a van to ferry stuff back and forth between there and my home in Lincolnshire. I wondered if there would be any difficulties with customs at the various borders that need to be crossed and if they would object to your "little box of effects" on smuggling grounds in that if asked I would have to say I hadn't packed it and didn't know what was in it ??
Anybody done anything like this sucessfully ??

MrBife

Any of the transport larger transport companies with contracts for Tesco, Asda, Morrison etc are currently bringing back Carnations and Strawberries from Chipiona and Huelva respectively. Melons and Peaches follow thereafter. They cost their jobs with the return load empty (the return journey from UK to Portugal/Spain. For that reason its possible to get a cracking deal on a full load from UK to Portugal.

Mrs Bife sends orders of 'small boxes' of groceries from Waitrose on a regular basis and we pay 10 euro for the transport so it's not a business worth buying a van for or considering you might make money from.

If you are stopped and you cant produce correct documents, especially at the arriving port - commercial load not on the manifest then there are fines and possible consequences. Not worth the hassle at all as the commercial freight companies do it almost free already

uplands

Thanks MrBife, that's really useful to know. How are the goods received in Portugal? Does one have to go to a depot somewhere or is delivery to ones house part of the deal?
I wasn't planning to make any money out of it but as I have quite ambitious horticultural plans in Portugal (again not commercial ) a van would be a useful Left hand drive vehicle to have and allow me to get my concrete mixer, rotavator, post digger etc back and forth at will. I have just retired and am savoring the freedom to take a leisurely 4 or 5 days for the trip. The reality may be different because of bureaucracy but in my ignorance it looks like a good plan to me

Campanula

Sounds interesting Mr Bife where do you source this cheap transport