How Long Does Car Transport Take? Routes and Waiting Time

The stages behind the quoted time

Road travel forms one part of the total. Shared-load waiting, other loading stops and border processing can add time before arrival.

Driver rest and truck operating limits affect daily progress. A planning allowance of around 500–700 km per day, or roughly distance divided by 600 plus handling time, gives an initial estimate for a dedicated journey.

• Shared transport: lower per-car cost, with departure and extra stops determined by the load.
• Dedicated transport: an agreed direct journey without other customers' collections.
• Borders and ferries: allow for queues and schedules outside the carrier's control.
• Weather: snow, pass closures and storms can add days.

Planning estimates for Russian departure routes

These estimates describe a dedicated carrier's road journey; shared transport can also include load waiting.

• Moscow–Saint Petersburg: about 700 km on the M-11, typically 1–2 days.
• Moscow–Tuapse: approximately 1,500 km, typically 2–3 days.
• Moscow–Sochi: approximately 1,600 km, typically 3–4 days, including a slower mountain section.
• Moscow–Crimea: approximately 1,700 km, typically 3–5 days subject to the confirmed freight itinerary and any ferry conditions.

• Moscow Saint Petersburg
• Moscow Sochi
• Moscow Crimea
• Tuapse Moscow

More about the service: Express car transport.

Belarus, Georgia and Armenia

Moscow–Minsk is approximately 700 km with a 1–2 day dedicated road estimate. Confirm the paperwork for the actual vehicle and purpose of the journey.

Moscow–Tbilisi is approximately 2,000 km and 4–5 road days. The Upper Lars crossing can have queues and winter weather closures, making the full schedule longer.

Moscow–Yerevan is approximately 2,300 km with a 5–7 day planning estimate via Georgia and transit documentation. Upper Lars conditions also affect this direction.

Our examples include Porsche 911 from Moscow to Georgia and Mercedes-AMG S63 and BMW M8 from Kazan to Yerevan.

• Moscow Minsk
• Moscow Georgia
• Moscow Yerevan

Europe, Turkey and Qatar

Germany–Moscow can take around two weeks including export and customs procedures. Vehicle-specific restrictions must be checked before quoting.

An alternative arrangement can involve Germany–Istanbul, a ferry to Tuapse and an enclosed carrier to Moscow. The sailing affects timing and is checked for the booking.

Qatar involves a combined land and sea journey; the departure port, sailing and handling determine the schedule, which is quoted for the actual dates.

• Germany Moscow
• Germany Istanbul
• Istanbul Tuapse
• Moscow Qatar

Documents and readiness

Preparing documents before dispatch reduces preventable waiting. The planner gives the exact list for the vehicle and route.

• For a domestic handover: sender and recipient details, vehicle registration or title, keys and representative authority where required.
• For Belarus: confirm vehicle and participant documents and the purpose of movement.
• For Georgia and Armenia: owner identification, original vehicle papers and applicable transit documents.
• For Europe: vehicle papers, purchase evidence, CMR and applicable customs authorisations and declarations.

Reducing avoidable delays

A dedicated van avoids waiting for other customers' cars and additional collections. Smaller enclosed vans may reach addresses unsuitable for a large trailer once access is checked.

For a fixed deadline, agree express dispatch within 24–48 hours after availability is confirmed, planner contact and the arrival date in the contract. GPS tracking and collection and delivery photographs document the journey.

• Send model, addresses and dates together for a calculation.
• Prepare documents in advance, particularly for international transport.
• Choose an accessible loading area.
• Allow for weather-dependent crossings and ferries, especially in winter.