Drive or transport your car — the real cost nobody calculates
"Why would I pay for transport when I can just drive it myself?"
It's the most common question. And the answer isn't obvious, because almost nobody includes all the costs in the equation.
The real costs of driving
When you drive your car from A to B, the cost isn't just fuel. There are costs you see and costs you don't:
Visible costs
- Fuel: 0.07 - 0.10 €/km for an average car (7L/100km at ~1.50 €/L diesel)
- Tolls: vary hugely by route (Paris-Lyon: ~35 €; Milan-Rome: ~45 €)
- Food and stops: 15-30 € per long trip
- Accommodation: 60-120 € if the distance requires an overnight stay
Hidden costs (but they exist)
- Tyre wear: ~0.02 €/km
- Brake wear: ~0.01 €/km
- Oil and general maintenance: ~0.03 €/km
- Depreciation per km: ~0.05-0.10 €/km (a 20,000 € car loses ~10,000 € over 100,000 km)
Real total per kilometre: 0.18 - 0.28 €/km including everything
The cost nobody counts: your time
If you earn 15 €/hour net and a trip takes 6 hours, that's 90 € in time you could be working. At 25 €/hour, that's 150 €.
This is subjective — if you enjoy driving, time doesn't "count". But if you're moving house and have 40 things to do, those 6 hours are gold.
The complete formula
Real cost of driving = (distance × 0.23 €/km) + tolls + food + accommodation + (hours × your hourly rate)
London - Edinburgh (~660 km)
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Fuel (7L/100km × 1.50 €) | 69 € |
| Tolls | 0 € (no motorway tolls in UK) |
| Vehicle wear (0.06 €/km) | 40 € |
| Food/stops | 15 € |
| Subtotal without time | 124 € |
| Time (7h × 20 €/h) | 140 € |
| Total with time | 264 € |
A shared car transport costs 300-500 €. The real gap is not that big.
Paris - Berlin (~1,050 km)
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Fuel | 110 € |
| Tolls (France + Belgium) | 50 € |
| Vehicle wear | 63 € |
| Food | 25 € |
| Subtotal without time | 248 € |
| Time (10h × 20 €/h) | 200 € |
| Total with time | 448 € |
Shared transport Paris-Berlin: 450-700 €. Driving yourself costs about the same.
Munich - Lisbon (~2,400 km)
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Fuel | 252 € |
| Tolls (France + Spain) | 90 € |
| Vehicle wear | 144 € |
| Food (2 days) | 50 € |
| Accommodation (1 night) | 80 € |
| Subtotal without time | 616 € |
| Time (22h × 20 €/h) | 440 € |
| Total with time | 1,056 € |
Shared transport: 700-1,100 €. Driving yourself is the same or more expensive.
When driving makes sense
- Short distances (under 300 km): almost always cheaper to drive
- Your time has no opportunity cost: you're on holiday, you enjoy driving
- You're travelling anyway: you need to get to the destination regardless
- The car is low-value: depreciation per km matters less on a 3,000 € car
When transport makes sense
- Long distances (over 800 km): wear and time start exceeding transport cost
- High-value cars: depreciation per km weighs more
- Your time is worth money: every hour driving is an hour not earning
- You can't drive: no time, medical reasons, no valid licence at destination
- Moving house: you've got enough going on without 10 hours of driving
The crossover point
Based on the calculations above, transport starts to make sense between 600 and 900 km, depending on how you value your time, the value of your car, tolls on the route, and whether you need accommodation.
Below 500 km, driving almost always wins. Above 1,000 km, transport almost always wins. In between, it depends on your situation.
Summary
The question isn't "how much does transport cost?" but "how much does it really cost to drive it myself?". When you include all costs — not just fuel — the difference is much smaller than it seems. And past a certain distance, transport is actually cheaper. If you want to know exactly how much it would cost, you can get free quotes and compare in minutes.