Fréjus tunnel
Piedmont, Turin and the A1 south
The default for the north-west and for most loads heading down towards Florence and Rome.
Northamptonshire → Italy
Removals from Northamptonshire to Italy
Two things shape an Italian move and neither is the distance: how the vehicle crosses the Alps, and whether it can legally stop within reach of your front door.
First decision: how we cross
Chosen when the load is booked and checked again before the vehicle leaves the county.
Mont Blanc tunnel
The Aosta valley, Milan and the lakes
Shorter for Lombardy. Both Alpine tunnels close for weather and maintenance, so neither is ever assumed.
The Ligurian coast
Genoa and the whole west coast
Longer, and never shut for snow. The planned fallback on every winter load.
Second decision: whether we can reach the door
Most Italian towns of any age have a zona a traffico limitato around the historic centre — permit-only, camera-enforced, often with a time window. Driving through one without a permit earns a fine per camera, and the fines arrive months later.
So the delivery address is checked against the local zone before the move is scheduled. Where a permit is available we apply for it; where it is not, we park legally outside and shuttle in. Hilltop villages in Tuscany and Umbria add the other version of the same problem: a track rather than a street.
The customs side
A move from the UK to Italy is an import and is declared as one. Used household goods moving with a genuine residence transfer normally come in without duty, but the relief rests on the documentation being consistent with the load. Ours is built from the survey inventory so the two always agree.
If Italy is the whole move
The network runs a dedicated Italy corridor site at italy-removals.co.uk, which covers the Italian destinations — Rome, Milan, Florence, Venice, Tuscany, Sicily and the rest — in far more depth than a county page sensibly can. If your move is squarely a UK-to-Italy one, start there.
Moving to Italy — the practical questions
How does a load from Northamptonshire reach Italy?
M1 to the M25, down the M20 to the Channel, then through France. From there it is the Fréjus tunnel towards Turin, Mont Blanc into the Aosta valley, or the coast road through Ventimiglia into Liguria — chosen by destination and season.
Do the Alpine tunnels close?
Yes, for weather and maintenance, and the coast road is the standard alternative. It is longer but never shut for snow, which is why it is planned rather than improvised on winter bookings.
Can you deliver into a historic centre?
Not with a large vehicle in most cases. Italian centri storici are usually restricted traffic zones — permit-only, camera-enforced, often with a time window. We check the address against the zone before scheduling and shuttle in where a permit is not available.
What does Italian customs want?
A detailed inventory with values, your codice fiscale, proof of your Italian residence or your application for it, identification, and a declaration that the goods are used personal effects moving with your change of residence.
Do I need a codice fiscale first?
In practice yes — it is the tax reference the import is filed against. An Italian consulate will issue one before you travel, which is easier than arranging it after you arrive.
We have antiques. Anything extra?
Possibly. Italy takes cultural goods seriously and genuinely notable pieces can need documentation beyond an ordinary household inventory. Raise it at survey while the vehicle is still empty.
Planning a move to Italy?
Send both addresses and a rough inventory. We will check the crossing and the delivery access before quoting anything.