Use double-walled boxes, not single-walled. Supermarket boxes are single-walled and were designed for one trip from the warehouse to the shelf. Double-walled removal boxes are designed to be stacked loaded. The difference in a cross-Channel lorry that hits French motorway road surfaces for six hours is significant.

Heavy items (books, tools, kitchenware) go in small boxes. Light items (bedding, towels, clothing) go in large boxes. This sounds obvious but the most common packing mistake is large boxes full of heavy things that the crew physically cannot lift safely without the contents shifting.

Wrap fragile items in packing paper first, then bubble wrap. Newsprint transfers ink. Pack glasses vertically, not horizontally — they’re stronger on their edge than on their side.

Label every box on the side, not the top — boxes get stacked and you can’t read the top. Include the destination room in French as well as English (cuisine, salon, chambre, salle de bains) so the crew at the French end can place boxes without you directing every single one. Note fragile items on all four sides, not just one.

Keep one clearly marked “open first” box with everything you’ll need in the first 24 hours: kettle, mugs, toilet paper, phone charger, a change of clothes, basic tools for assembling beds. Pack it last so it comes off the lorry first.

French customs prohibits fresh food, plants, soil, and certain animal products. Empty the fridge completely. Frozen food won’t survive the journey regardless of how well it’s packed. Decant cleaning products into sealed bags inside the box — pressure changes in transit can pop lids. Flammable liquids (petrol, paint thinner, certain aerosols) cannot travel by road freight at all.