International removals by sea
Whilst moving internationally may be a little more complicated than moving across the street, there aren't many places that we haven't completed a move to. Let Bradshaw Moving Services take the strain and support you with your exciting international move. Our experienced team have moved people all over the globe, and know how to help you have the smoothest move abroad possible.
Moving your home by sea does take longer than a move by road or air, and the most common questions we're asked are how much fits in a shipping container, and how long will it take for my items to arrive.

How large are shipping containers?
Below are the sizes and dimensions of the most commonly used containers to ship household goods and personal effects.
The cubic capacity stated is the maximum. When loading household goods and personal effects allow for a 10% reduction in capacity.
Container size | Length mm | Width mm | Height mm | Capacity in cubic metres |
---|---|---|---|---|
20' General Purpose | 5893 | 2337 | 2388 | 32.9 |
40' General Purpose | 12014 | 2337 | 2388 | 67 |
40' High Cube | 12014 | 2337 | 2667 | 75.8 |
45' High Cube | 13556 | 2352 | 2698 | 86 |


How long is transit time?
The transit times listed below are what we commonly experience, however, shipping lines do alter schedules from time to time without prior notice. It is worth noting that transit times can be impacted by economic fluctuations and adverse weather conditions.
For most ports there are several weekly sailings and transit times and costs can vary. Times shown are door-to-door.
Destination | Shared container | Sole use container |
---|---|---|
Australia | 10 - 12 weeks | 7 - 9 weeks |
Canada - East coast | 6 - 9 weeks | 4 - 5 weeks |
Canada - West coast | 10 - 12 weeks | 5 - 7 weeks |
Far East | 8 -10 weeks | 5 - 6 weeks |
Mediterranean | 6 - 9 weeks | 3 - 5 weeks |
New Zealand | 10 - 12 weeks | 7 - 9 weeks |
South Africa - Cape Town, Durban | 9 - 13 weeks | 5 - 7 weeks |
South Africa - Johannesburg | 9 - 13 weeks | 5 - 7 weeks |
Canary Islands | 8 - 12 weeks | 4 - 5 weeks |
Dubai & UAE | 7 -11 weeks | 4 - 6 weeks |
USA - East coast and Florida | 8 - 12 weeks | 4 - 6 weeks |
USA - West coast - San Francisco/Los Angeles | 9 - 13 weeks | 5 - 7 weeks |
Removal quote appointment booking service
Bradshaw Moving Services can help your move go smoothly. Contact us for a free, no obligation quote, or by calling 0116 289 9011 (Leicester), 0115 965 6555 (Nottingham), or 01283 243001 (Derby & Burton) and speak with one of our removals specialists.
How are our appointments carried out
In the current times you might prefer that we don't visit your house in person to carry out a survey. This is fully understandable and we can just as easily undertake the survey by video call, using whatever method you're comfortable with, usually FaceTime or WhatsApp.
See what our customers think of us...
They were very helpful.
Do you have any comments about our removals crew?
Craig, Brandon & Chris introduced themselves immediately upon arrival and were very friendly throughout the whole day. They were very helpful.
Why did you use us?
Recommendation
Comments regarding your initial enquiry
Even though we were quite late enquiring the staff were all very helpful
Helpful
Why did you choose to get a quote from us and where did you get our contact details?
Used before
How would you rate the way we dealt with your initial enquiry?
10/10
How would you rate the survey that we carried out?
10/10
Why did you choose to move/store with us?
Reliability
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10/10
Would you like to tell us anything about your move team?
Helpful
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How can we improve our service?
None needed
How likely are you to recommend us to your friends / family?
10/10
They moved some challenging objects very well
Do you have any comments about our removals crew?
Worked well as a team, very skillful and strong. They moved some challenging objects very well
Where can we improve our removals day experience?
Not possible
Why did you use us?
You did our previous move
Comments regarding your initial enquiry
Pam Morris was super helpful and swiftly arranged a re-quote after our original move fell through
The value of the personal touch
Do you have any comments about our removals crew?
They were just awesome, courteous and quick, super organised and really personable
Why did you use us?
Because of the personal and friendly, helpful nature of the people dealing with my initial query
Do you have any additional comments or concerns regarding any portion of the service you received?
Just an apology to the removals team for having to drive so far and then wait around as the keys weren't released to me until so late in the afternoon. They were all so understanding
Comments regarding your initial enquiry
Many of the quotes I received were a little cheaper, but were kind of anonymous, based on just people dealing by text only, requiring me to take photos of my contents, etc.
The value of the personal touch provided by Pam and Bradshaws was worth so much more than any amount of money though. At a really fraught time, Pam was really calming and compassionate, guiding me through the stresses of the move
Jonny MorrisUK Quote
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Please note: Our Price Guide tool is intended for moves within the UK Mainland only. If you're moving to or from the UK mainland please speak to one of our friendly team who will be able to provide you with a bespoke quote.
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