Import freight guides
Looking for a carrier to import goods from Spain, Portugal, France or Italy?
If you are importing goods from southern Europe to the Czech Republic for the first time, you need to pin down three things: how much will be shipped, who pays for transport under the delivery terms, and when the goods will be ready for collection at your supplier. This site gives you plain-language guides to every step of an import, plus checklists to pass on to your supplier. We can also arrange the carrier for you – the calculator shows an indicative price, and a binding quote follows within 30 minutes during office hours.
- Collection countries: Spain, Portugal, France, Italy
- Delivery: anywhere in the Czech Republic
- Shipment size: from 1 pallet to a full truck (33 pallets)
- Experience: international forwarding since 2011, 500+ contracted carriers
- Quote: within 30 minutes during office hours
Indicative import price
Where to start if this is your first import
Most first-import headaches happen before the truck even leaves: the supplier doesn’t know who is booking the vehicle, the warehouse isn’t expecting a driver, the pallets can’t be stacked, or the invoice is missing details. That is why our guides are arranged in the order you will need them.
Need a carrier from a particular country?
Every country has its own distances, warehouse habits and typical goods. The country pages tell you what to ask your supplier there.
Five questions to answer before you ask for a quote
- Who pays for transport? Check the Incoterms rule in your order or the supplier’s offer. If it says EXW or FCA, booking the transport is up to you.
- How much is being shipped? Number of pallets, their footprint and height, and the total weight. Without these, nobody can price the job accurately.
- Can the pallets be stacked? Stackable goods take up less floor space and often cost less to move.
- When will the goods be ready? The date from which a driver can turn up, and the warehouse opening hours.
- Where and how will they be unloaded? Loading dock, forklift, or a vehicle with a hydraulic tail lift.
Once you have the answers, a quote request takes a few minutes. If one is missing, that’s fine – we will ask and sort it out with your supplier ourselves.
Typical full-truck transit times
| Collection country | Full truck to the Czech Republic | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Italy | 1–3 days | quickest from the north, longest from the south |
| France | 1–3 days | Alsace and Paris shorter, the south longer |
| Spain | 2–4 days | Madrid–Prague approx. 2,250 km |
| Portugal | 4–5 days | route runs through Spain and France |
A few pallets on groupage take longer – the vehicle stops for other shippers and consignees along the way.
Your supplier offers to arrange transport. Should you accept?
Sometimes, yes. If the supplier sells on DAP terms with freight built into the price, there is nothing for you to do – getting the goods to your warehouse is their responsibility. It is still worth comparing how much more the goods cost “delivered” than “ex works” (EXW), and asking exactly when they will leave. Suppliers often hold small orders until they can fill a vehicle, so the date may be looser than you expect. If you need the goods by a particular day, booking the transport yourself gives you control over timing.
What we do for you
We are a freight forwarder. We don’t own trucks – we book the vehicle with one of the more than 500 contracted carriers we have worked with since 2011. The advantage for you: instead of picking an unknown name off a freight exchange, you have a single accountable partner for the whole move.
- We suggest the right type of service and vehicle for your goods.
- We agree the collection slot directly with your supplier – in English, German or Czech.
- Our dispatcher follows the shipment and gets in touch if anything is running late.
- After delivery you receive the signed CMR consignment note and our invoice.
Get an indicative price in the calculator. If you would rather talk through what to ask for first, call or email us – we are happy to advise even if you end up using another carrier.