Pallets between the United Kingdom and France cross the Channel in trailers: mostly on the Dover–Calais and Dover–Dunkirk ferries or through the Channel Tunnel, sometimes from Portsmouth to Normandy or across the North Sea. The carrier’s network picks the crossing and the online price includes it. Since Brexit, customs declarations must be ready before the lorry reaches the port.
How freight crosses from the UK to mainland Europe
Road freight between the United Kingdom and France crosses the Channel in a trailer, either on a ferry or on a shuttle train through the Channel Tunnel. Groupage pallets ride inside those trailers; part and full loads are the trailers themselves. Since Brexit, every crossing between Great Britain and France also passes a customs border.
| Collection region in the UK | Crossings commonly used | French landing area |
|---|---|---|
| London, Kent, Essex and the South East | Dover–Calais, Dover–Dunkirk, Channel Tunnel | Hauts-de-France |
| The Midlands and East Anglia | Dover Strait crossings | Hauts-de-France |
| The South West and Wales | Dover Strait, or Portsmouth to Normandy | Hauts-de-France or Normandy |
| The North of England and Scotland | Dover Strait or North Sea routes | Hauts-de-France, or Belgium and the Netherlands |
The Dover Strait: Dover–Calais, Dover–Dunkirk and the Channel Tunnel
Most lorry traffic between Great Britain and the Continent uses the Dover Strait: the ferries from Dover to Calais and Dunkirk, and the freight shuttles through the Channel Tunnel from Folkestone to Calais. These are the shortest crossings and land in the Hauts-de-France, close to the motorways to Paris, Belgium and the east.
The western Channel: Portsmouth, Poole and Plymouth to Normandy and Brittany
Longer crossings link the south coast of England to Normandy and Brittany: Portsmouth to Caen, Le Havre, Cherbourg and Saint-Malo, Poole to Cherbourg, and Plymouth to Roscoff. They can suit consignments from the South West and Wales bound for the west of France, avoiding the long road leg round to Dover.
The North Sea routes to Belgium and the Netherlands
From the north of England and Scotland, freight can also cross the North Sea from the Humber or the Thames to Belgium and the Netherlands, then reach France by road. Which crossing a pallet takes is decided by the carrier’s network, not by the shipper: the price you see already includes it.
Customs at the border: declarations before the lorry reaches the port
Since Brexit, the export declaration in the UK and the import declaration in France must be ready before the lorry reaches the port or the tunnel, or the pallet is held. That is why customs clearance, whose charges are not included in the online price, should be arranged with a customs agent before collection.
To Paris and the Île-de-France
The Paris region is a major destination for British pallets in France: distribution platforms, the Rungis wholesale market and the logistics belt around Roissy and Gennevilliers. It is reached from the Dover Strait with a single motorway leg. The delivery end is the challenge: booked slots, restricted daytime access and sites that expect an appointment.
The north of France, Belgium and Luxembourg
The Hauts-de-France sit at the French end of the Dover Strait, close to Belgium; a UK pallet bound for Belgium or Luxembourg itself is quoted on request. Our team is based in Lille, which is why these are the corridors where the French leg is simplest to organise and easiest to follow up when a delivery needs attention.
Normandy, Brittany and the Loire
Normandy, Brittany and the Loire are served either from the western Channel ports or by road from the Dover Strait. The west of France buys British food, packaging and industrial supplies and sells back agricultural machinery, boat equipment and food products, so these corridors run both ways, with long rural last-mile deliveries.
Lyon, Grenoble and the south-east
The Midlands and the North send automotive parts, engineering components and consumer goods to the industrial and logistics parks around Lyon and Grenoble, and buy machinery and components in return. From the Channel ports, the pallets take a long motorway leg down the Rhône corridor, often through a regional platform.
Toulouse, Bordeaux and the south-west
The south-west runs in both directions. Aerospace and engineering suppliers in Bristol and Wales deliver into the Toulouse cluster, and British buyers collect food and drink from producers around Bordeaux. These are long corridors from the Channel, with a trunk leg across France before the regional delivery.
Marseille and the Mediterranean coast
Marseille, Montpellier and the Côte d’Azur are the furthest French destinations from the Channel, reached down the Rhône valley after the longest road leg. Marine equipment, food ingredients and consumer goods make up much of the flow, and the coast is also where shipments from Gibraltar arrive after crossing Spain.
From Ireland: direct sailings and no customs
Ireland reaches France on direct sailings from Rosslare and Dublin to Cherbourg and Dunkirk, with a seasonal Cork–Roscoff option. These routes keep the goods inside the EU, so a pallet between Ireland and France needs no customs formalities in either direction, and Irish pallets are priced online just like British ones.
Gibraltar and Malta
Gibraltar is priced online in 30 seconds: pallets are collected there and driven through Spain into France, with compulsory customs formalities and clearance charges not included. Malta is not covered by the online price: describe the shipment in a quote request and a member of our team replies with a firm price in under 2 working hours.
What shapes the delivery time on each corridor
Three things shape the delivery time: the crossing and its customs checks, the length of the road leg from the landing port to the regional platform, and the delivery conditions at the consignee. It varies by country, region and season and is never guaranteed; for a fixed date, request a quote for a dedicated vehicle.
| Corridor from the UK | What lengthens the journey |
|---|---|
| North of France, Belgium, Luxembourg | Customs clearance at the crossing |
| Paris and the Île-de-France | Booked slots, vehicle restrictions |
| Normandy, Brittany, the Loire | Rural last-mile deliveries |
| Lyon, Grenoble, the south-east | Long road leg, regional platform |
| Toulouse, Bordeaux, the south-west | Long road leg across France |
| Marseille and the Mediterranean coast | Longest road leg from the Channel |
Get the price for your corridor
Knowing your corridor tells you which crossing your goods are likely to use, which French region they land in and what the delivery end will ask for. Enter the postcodes and your pallets in the calculator: the ex-VAT price of 1 to 3 pallets appears in 30 seconds, and anything larger is quoted in under 2 working hours.
FAQ
- Which crossing do you use from the UK to France?
- The carrier’s network chooses it for each shipment, and the online price already includes it. Most groupage pallets cross the Dover Strait, on the Dover–Calais or Dover–Dunkirk ferries or through the Channel Tunnel; western Channel routes from Portsmouth serve Normandy and Brittany, and North Sea routes serve Belgium and the Netherlands.
- Do customs checks hold up a pallet from the UK?
- They can, if the declarations are not ready. Since Brexit, the export declaration in the UK and the import declaration in France must be in place before the lorry reaches the port or the tunnel; otherwise the pallet is held. Arrange them with a customs agent before collection; their charges are not included in the online price.
- Can you collect in France and deliver to the UK?
- Yes. Choose “From France” in the calculator: the pallet is collected at your supplier, anywhere in mainland France except Corsica, on average within 24 hours if you book before 4 pm French time, then crosses the Channel to your site. Into the United Kingdom, plan an import declaration with your customs agent.
- Do you serve Ireland and Gibraltar?
- Yes, both are priced online in 30 seconds, in both directions. Between Ireland and France, direct sailings keep the goods inside the EU and no customs formalities apply. From Gibraltar, pallets are driven through Spain into France, with compulsory customs formalities and clearance charges not included. Malta, by contrast, is priced on request.
- Is the delivery time guaranteed?
- No. The delivery time depends on the crossing, customs clearance, the length of the road leg in France and the conditions at the delivery site; it varies by country and region and is never guaranteed. For a delivery on a fixed date, request a quote: a dedicated vehicle gives control that groupage cannot promise.