Driving a car yourself can look cheaper than paying a transporter, until you add up everything the trip really costs. Fuel is only the start. This is an honest comparison of the two options, so you can decide which makes sense for your move.

The real costs of driving it yourself

The sticker price of driving is often thought of as just fuel, but a long cross-border trip carries far more than that. Before you set off, it is worth listing what you will actually spend:

• Fuel: the largest obvious cost, and higher for big or thirsty vehicles.
• Tolls and vignettes: motorway tolls in France, Italy or Spain, and vignette stickers for Austria, Switzerland and others, add up quickly.
• Hotels: most long journeys need at least one overnight stop.
• Meals and breaks: food and coffee on the road for a day or two.
• Your time: one or more days you could have spent working or at home.

None of these appear on a transporter quote, but they are all real money out of your pocket on a self-drive.

A worked comparison

Take a 1,500 km move, for example a car bought in northern Europe and heading south. On an open transporter this typically falls in the region of 900 to 1,280 euros ex VAT, and you do nothing but wait for delivery.

Driving it yourself, an illustrative tally might look like this: fuel of perhaps 130 to 200 euros, tolls and vignettes of 60 to 150 euros, one or two nights in a hotel at 80 to 220 euros, and meals of 40 to 80 euros. That is roughly 310 to 650 euros before you count your own time, two days off work, and the wear you are putting on the car. The gap narrows fast, and for many people the transporter wins once time and hassle are included. These are illustrative ranges, so get a free quote for your exact route.

The hidden costs: time, wear and risk

The figures above leave out three things that are easy to forget. First, time: two days of driving is two days you are not earning or doing anything else, and that has a value even if it never shows on a receipt.

Second, wear and depreciation. Every long kilometre adds mileage, tyre and brake wear, and reduces the car’s value, which matters most for a new, low-mileage or classic vehicle. Third, risk: motorway stone chips, tiredness and unfamiliar roads all raise the chance of a knock. A carrier’s insurance covers your vehicle while it is in transit, as we explain on our why choose us page.

The one-way problem

Self-driving is simplest when you are moving somewhere and staying. It gets awkward when the trip is one way: if you drive a newly bought car home, how do you get back to collect it in the first place, or return a hire car? Flights, trains and extra nights can wipe out any saving. A transporter removes that headache entirely.

When driving still makes sense

Driving yourself can be the right call in a few cases. If the distance is short, the car is reliable and not precious, and you would enjoy the trip anyway, the sums may favour driving. It also suits people with time to spare who want to combine the move with a bit of travel.

A short hop to a neighbouring region, a hardy runabout you know inside out, or a scenic route you have always fancied driving can all tip the balance towards getting behind the wheel. If you would have taken the days off anyway, the trip costs you far less in practice.

When a transporter wins

A transporter tends to come out ahead when the distance is long, when the car is valuable, new, classic or a non-runner, when the move is one way, or simply when your time is worth more than the effort. It is also the safer choice in winter or across difficult routes. If that sounds like your situation, our car transport service covers doors across Europe, and you can compare typical routes on our routes hub. It also spares you the fatigue of long motorway stints and the stress of driving an unfamiliar or freshly bought car home through several countries.

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