Art transport: your piece delivered direct, without driving it yourself
A painting, a sculpture, a clock or an auction lot: we collect it, secure it in an enclosed van and drive it straight to the delivery address. You know the price before we drive.
Art and antiques moved, without taking them there yourself
CuraTrans moves art and antiques as a direct run: we collect the piece at the gallery, the auction house, the art dealer or the museum and drive it straight to the delivery address, within the Netherlands and across Europe, including the United Kingdom. Within the Netherlands, within Germany and between the two you pay €1.25 per loaded kilometre, with a minimum of €45 per run. To other countries you get a fixed price upfront, including tolls, vignettes and any crossing. The price is fixed before we drive. We carry packed paintings, sculptures, clocks, ceramics, books, archives, small furniture and complete auction lots.
Straight there, no depot
We drive from the pickup address straight to the delivery address, with no sorting centre or depot in between. A parcel service often will not take the size, or pays out only part of the value after damage, and money does not bring back a unique piece.
Your day stays free
The advice you hear everywhere: take it there yourself. That costs you a day, and abroad it is often not an option. A direct run is taking it there yourself, without sitting behind the wheel.
One price to pass on
Arranging transport for a buyer, a fair or a client? You get one fixed price for the whole run upfront, including the crossing and any overnight stay. Not included in the price: customs charges and import duties on runs outside the EU, and exceptional waiting time at loading or unloading. If that applies to your run, you hear upfront how we charge it.
Art transport for galleries, artists and antique dealers
Your work is where you need it, without driving it yourself or hiring a van. We drive straight there, for a price that is fixed before we leave.
Galleries: your work at the fair and with the buyer
We take the pieces to the fair for the build-up and bring them back to the gallery afterwards. If you sell a work, we drive it straight to the buyer, also abroad. You get the fixed price upfront, so you can pass it on to the buyer.
Artists: from studio to exhibition and back
We collect the work at your studio and take it to the gallery or the exhibition. Afterwards we drive it back, or straight to the buyer if it has sold. You do not have to take a day off for it.
Antique dealers: purchases collected, sales delivered
Bought at an auction or from a private seller, far from your shop? We collect it, also across the border, and bring it to your shop. If a sold piece goes to a client outside the EU, we agree customs with you upfront.
International art transport: six example routes
Across borders too, we collect the piece and drive straight to the delivery address. For runs to countries other than the Netherlands and Germany you get a fixed price for the whole run upfront, including tolls, vignettes and any crossing. The per-kilometre rate applies within the Netherlands and Germany and between the two.
Amsterdam to Cologne
262 km, about 3 hours' drive. Between the Netherlands and Germany you pay €1.25 per loaded kilometre, with a minimum of €45 per run: 262 km × €1.25 = €327.50, fixed before we drive.
Amsterdam to Paris
About 500 km, 6 hours' drive. Fixed price upfront, with the French tolls included.
Amsterdam to Vienna
About 1,150 km, over 11 hours' drive. Fixed price upfront, with tolls and the Austrian vignette included.
Amsterdam to Copenhagen
About 920 km, almost 10 hours' drive. Fixed price upfront, with the Danish bridge toll included.
Amsterdam to Luxembourg
410 km, just under 5 hours' drive. Fixed price upfront for the whole run.
Echt to London
In October we drove an oak cabinet of 250 kg from Echt to London, by train through the Channel Tunnel. A customs agent in Folkestone handled the export and import papers. To the United Kingdom too the crossing is included in the fixed price; customs charges and import duties come on top.
Secured and dry on the way
Enclosed cargo space, your piece secured with blankets and straps. We drive straight from pickup address to delivery address.
Kept informed on the way
Pickup at the agreed time. The driver calls ahead, and our link shows you the status and the delivery time.
Customs agreed upfront
Going to the United Kingdom or Switzerland? We work with your customs agent or arrange it ourselves. Customs charges are paid separately.
Insured with Interpolis
€600,000 cover for carrier's liability. For a high value, we agree before the run how your piece is covered.
How an art transport works, from request to delivery
You tell us what it is
Send us what the piece is, the packed dimensions, the weight and where it is and needs to go. A photo helps. You get a message straight away that your request has arrived.
We think along
Is the piece fragile, restored or not yet packed? Our office contacts you personally, checks whether the packing is good enough and tells you honestly which van fits, or whether an art handler with a climate-controlled van is the better choice.
One fixed price upfront
You get one price for the whole run, from pickup to delivery. Only once you agree do we schedule the run.
Arrangements with everyone involved
We agree the pickup time with the seller, the gallery or the auction house, and the delivery with whoever receives the piece. You do not have to call back and forth yourself.
Documents and route sorted
If the piece leaves the EU, we agree which customs documents are needed, with your own customs agent or through an agent we bring in; you pay the customs charges separately. Meanwhile we plan the route and the crossing.
Collected and secured
The driver calls before arriving, loads the piece and secures it in the enclosed cargo space with blankets and straps.
Reachable on the way
From pickup we send you a link with the status and the expected delivery time. You can call or email us day and night, and we let you know about key moments, such as the border crossing, ourselves.
Delivered to the right person
The driver delivers the piece to the person you named.
What does art transport cost?
Within the Netherlands and Germany you pay from €1.25 per loaded kilometre, meaning the distance between the pickup and delivery address, with a minimum of €45 per run. A run of 100 loaded kilometres comes to €125 excluding VAT. We do not charge the empty return. For runs to other countries you get a fixed price for the whole run upfront, including tolls, vignettes and any crossing. The price is fixed before we drive.
The United Kingdom has its own, higher rate, because the crossing and extra costs on the way are added. There too you get one fixed price upfront, including the crossing and any overnight stay. Customs charges and import duties are not included in our price; you pay those separately.
Within the Netherlands and Germany, at least €45 per run. To other countries: fixed price including tolls and any crossing. You hear the price before we drive.
- Fixed price, known upfront
- 1 euro pallet, maximum 500 kg
- Pay in advance: 10% discount
- Otherwise: payment within 8 days net
Prices exclude VAT. Not included in the price: customs charges and import duties on runs outside the EU, and exceptional waiting time at loading or unloading. If that applies to your run, you hear upfront how we charge it.
What fits in the van?
- Enclosed, dry cargo space of 160 x 117 x 110 cm (length x width x height).
- Up to about 500 kg, or 1 euro pallet.
- Is your shipment larger? Then we use a larger van. Send the dimensions with your request, so we know which van fits.
Frequently asked questions
Here you will find answers to the questions customers ask us most often.
What does art transport cost?
Within the Netherlands and Germany from €1.25 per loaded kilometre, at least €45 per run, to other countries a fixed price including tolls, vignettes and any crossing, and the price is fixed before we drive. Send us the route and the dimensions and you get one fixed price for the whole run, also when a crossing or overnight stay is needed. Not included in the price: customs charges and import duties on runs outside the EU, and exceptional waiting time at loading or unloading. If that applies to your run, you hear upfront how we charge it.
How do I get a large painting moved abroad?
Have it packed by the gallery, the auction house or a packer, and send us the packed dimensions and the weight. If it does not fit in our standard van, we use a larger van. We drive it straight to the delivery address, also outside the Netherlands, for one price that is fixed before we drive. If it leaves the EU, we agree upfront who handles customs.
Is my artwork insured during transport?
CuraTrans is insured with Interpolis for carrier's liability, with a sum insured of €600,000. By law that liability is limited per kilogram, unless a value is declared upfront. If your piece is of high value, state it in your request. We then agree before the run how it is covered, so you know where you stand.
Do you also pack the piece?
No, we do not pack or build crates. Usually the auction house, the gallery or the seller packs it, otherwise a professional packer. We secure the packed piece with blankets and straps. Not sure the packing is good enough? Send us a photo and we will take a look.
Can you collect an auction purchase, also abroad?
Yes. Was your lot marked for collection only, or is your business far from the auction house? Give us the lot number, the collection details and the proof of payment. We make the appointment with the auction house and drive it to you. In September, for example, we collected ten antique lots from an auction house in Goes and took them to London.
What about customs to the United Kingdom or Switzerland?
Outside the EU you need an export declaration and an import declaration in the country of arrival. You choose how that is handled. If you work with your own customs agent, we coordinate everything with them. If you want us to arrange it, we will. Before departure it is clear which documents are needed and who does what. Customs charges are not included in our price; you pay those separately. In October, for example, we took an oak cabinet from Echt to London.
Is a shared run cheaper?
Groupage is often cheaper per piece: your piece shares the vehicle with other shipments and goes via a depot, so it takes longer. If you are in no hurry and the piece can take a knock, that is a fine choice. If it is fragile or has to arrive at a set time, with us you pay for a run straight from the pickup to the delivery address.
Is the van climate-controlled?
No. The cargo space is enclosed and dry, without climate control. If your work needs a fixed temperature or humidity, an art handler with a climate-controlled van is the right choice. The same goes for a piece that needs a custom crate or two people to lift it. We tell you that straight away.
Do you also drive for private individuals?
No, we only do art transport for businesses: galleries, auction houses, art and antique dealers, museums and artists with their own business. If you buy at an auction as a private buyer, the auction house or gallery often arranges the transport, and we are happy to drive for them.
Do you also do art transport in my region?
Yes, we move art and antiques across the Netherlands and Europe. For more per region, see our pages on Gelderland and Limburg and, in Germany, on Düsseldorf, Cologne and the Lower Rhine and Ruhr area.
Still have questions?
We are here for you.
Can't find your question? Give us a quick call or message, and you will get a fast, clear answer.
Call +31 85 085 1923Need a painting or antique moved?
Tell us what it is, the dimensions and the route. You get the price before we plan anything.