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For over 8 years Move.org experts have examined pricing, credentials, and real customer reviews to give you (human) recommendations you can trust. See how we review.
8 min read
Edited ByRebecca EdwardsWith 20+ years in-home services and tech, Alina shares insights from her 15+ moves. She writes for CBSNews, MSN, and more while renovating her country house.
Moving across the country — or internationally — is a huge undertaking, and finding the right long-distance moving company for the job is no small feat. Full-service movers like International Van Lines (IVL) offer professional packing, unpacking, moving, and storage: all of which can make your move exponentially easier.
Though some International Van Lines reviews may be below average, overall, this company excels at what they do.
Transparent pricing
Local and long-distance moving
15% car shipping discount
15% senior discount
30 days free storage
Optional packing services 
Brokers to potentially unreliable third-parties 
Image: International Van Lines
Information is gathered from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
While prices vary depending on the specifics of your move, the company fills its website with International Van Lines cost sample quotes. IVL reps are similarly straightforward about pricing, so you never feel like you’re twisting arms to get a ballpark estimate. We view that as a big trust signal.
In addition to the quotes you can find on the site, we were able to get some quotes from the company.
Prices are correct as of the publish date.
For moves with International Van Lines, the cost varies based on the type and distance of the move. A cross-country move for a three-bedroom home ranges between $9,000 and $13,000, while an in-state move for the same size costs between $6,000 and $8,000. Regional three-bedroom moves fall in the range of $7,500 to $10,000. For local moves, a one-bedroom home typically costs $2,000, a two-bedroom home ranges from $2,800 to $3,500, and a three-bedroom local move is priced between $7,500 and $9,500. These quotes are for a standard move. If you add extras like packing or storage, the price could be more.
Moving is too expensive to pay for services you don’t need. That’s what makes IVL’s optional packing such a big win. While other professional moving companies require you to pay for packing and unpacking, International Van Lines will let you save some cash if you want to add a flair of DIY to your move.
Savings start at around $400—and go upwards of $2,500 if you have a big home. For example, let’s say you have a 1,500-cubic foot home, and IVL quotes you $9,000 to move across the United States. If you pack yourself, that lowers your total to around $7,125—a savings of nearly two grand.
Moving costs estimated based on quotes previously obtained—estimates are not actual quotes. Packing cost data as of 11/19/2024. Actual prices and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
International Van Lines charges various fees for additional services and circumstances. Some of the charges seem a little nitpicky.
For example, you get charged for moving stuff from your home to the truck. Elevator use incurs a one-time fee of $75, while stairs beyond the first flight (10 steps) cost $75 per extra flight. Long carries over 75 feet also cost $75 per additional 75 feet.
Here are some more fees to know about:
IVL can save you hundreds—or even thousands—of dollars with its various discounts. It might seem strange to feature a company’s “discount” as something special, but it’s a bigger win than you might think.
Think about it.
A 15% discount (like IVL's senior discount) doesn’t save you all that much on a jar of spaghetti sauce. But if you apply it to a long-distance move with a big home, the savings become much more noticeable. For example, 15% of an $8,000 move is $1,200. Combine that with the do-it-yourself packing we discussed above, and you could be inching towards a move that’s half off.
Here are the types of discounts that International Van Lines offers:
International Van Lines also has a 15% discount for its car shipping services. That’s nearly $200 when applied to average auto transport costs.
International Van Lines offers all major moving services for local, cross-country, and international moves:
Check out our out-of-state moving tips. We cover everything from picking the right moving company to forwarding your mail.
If you have an odd-sized item like a piano or treadmill and don't know how to protect it during your move, IVL's got you covered. They provide custom crating services that make packing things that won't fit in a cardboard box much easier.
International Van Lines offers one month of free storage with its shipping services. After that, storage fees are $0.65 per cubic foot per month, calculated from the pickup date.
If you want your stuff stored in your new hometown for free, you're out of luck, though. IVL only stores items at your starting location, unless you opt for the SIT (Storage in Transit) option.
With SIT, the company stores your items at a location near your new home, but it's not free. The service costs 50 cents per cubic foot.
So, if you're leaving Washington D.C. for Chicago, you can keep your things in D.C. for up to 30 days for free. But if you need storage in Chicago, you'll need to pay. If you have a 1,200-cubic foot home, your storage costs would be around $600 per month ($0.50 x 1,200 cubic feet).
Data current as of publish date.
International Van Lines offers several customer service options. You can fill out its online form, call its customer support line, or track your shipment using an online tracking tool. That's pretty standard, but IVL goes one big step further.
When you sign up for a move, you get one of International Van Lines' dedicated account managers assigned to you. It’s like a hotel concierge, except the rep has international moving expertise. International Van Lines’s agent can help you with everything from planning your move to getting oriented once you arrive. It's super handy to have one point of contact for all of your moving needs instead of talking to a different customer support agent each time you call.
Plus, IVL goes out of its way to educate you about pricing too. It won’t claim to have rock-bottom rates, nor will it hem and haw when you ask for International Van Lines cost information.
It's important to note, though, that International Van Lines is both a carrier and a broker. This means that you may get IVL movers, or you may get another moving company IVL sets you up with. Typically, customers report more bad experiences with third-party moves. So the great customer service many people receive may not be what you get if you're placed with another moving company.
Move.org has researched, mystery shopped, and reviewed International Van Lines each year since the late 2010s. Also during that time, we've helped with two different IVL moves.
In my most recent mystery shopping, I went to IVL's website to request a moving quote. I filled out a detailed inventory list and waited to hear back. The company sent me a job number, but never called me to finish the quote process.
Fortunately, the folks we helped move with IVL, got their quotes completed. Things were friendly and fast during one move we helped with. However, the service wasn't perfect. Some items were damaged, and there was a surprise fee.
During the other move, furniture was damaged, there were miscommunications, and the family wasn't able to contact IVL about the arrival of their shipment because the customer service department was closed for the weekend.
IVL’s delivery crew was friendly and professional during one of the moves we helped with.
Image: Move.org
These are pretty common complaints when customers deal with brokered moves. Brokered means IVL sets up another company to move you instead of using their own team.
Customers give International Van Lines pretty good reviews online, though. On Trustpilot, 63% percent of reviewers give the company 4 to 5 stars, as of November 2024. The International Van Lines BBB rating is A+, too (as of December 2024).
The company is getting better at making customers happy, it seems. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, it only received 25 complaints about International Van Lines in 2023. That's almost half from the year before.
International Van Lines is a competitive choice for long-distance moves. It provides services across all 50 states with a Move.org discount, has quotes between $9,000 and $13,000, and requires a 30% deposit.
Other companies present a variety of options: In the examples in the table below, Safeway Moving has deposit requirements of 30–40% and location-specific services but no Move.org discount; Colonial Van Lines offers a fixed $9,000 quote with up to 40% deposit and a discount of up to $500 for Move.org readers.
Comparatively, IVL's estimate starts in the mid-range, but its highest estimate exceeds many competitors. Its 30% deposit is in line with industry standards, and IVL offers a 10% discount for our readers.
Overall, International Van Lines stands out for its nationwide coverage—ensuring that you can book with them no matter where your move takes you.
Data as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. Pricing data collected by requesting ballpark estimates from moving companies.
*Colonial Van Lines serves 40 states for origin and 46 states for destination. **Safeway's coverage varies depending on the type of move.
Yes, International Van Lines (also known as IVL) is a reputable moving company. IVL has been in business for nearly a quarter of a century and is in good standing with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. From transparent pricing to excellent customer service availability, there are good reasons that IVL is a customer favorite.
Yes, IVL has international moving crews that go everywhere in the world, from helping you with a local move to getting you and your things across the pond. International Van Lines is one of our best international movers because it has storage facilities in many countries around the globe.
International Van Lines has several storage options, including long-term storage for cross-country shipments. The company includes 30 days of free storage for those who need somewhere to keep their belongings during a move.
IVL charges an additional fee to move specialty items like treadmills, pianos, and motorcycles. An IVL customer service representative can tell you whether your belongings qualify and how much your costs will be.
International Van Lines offers insurance coverage through a third party. The company also says that your homeowner’s insurance may cover the cost of damage to belongings during your shipment. Inspect your policy to find out the best solution to protect your goods during a move.
International Van Lines has several competitors. Aside from IVL, we recommend North American Van Lines, United Van Lines, Allied Van Lines, and even JK Moving Services, to name a few. For a full list, check out our list of the best international moving companies.
For our International Van Lines review, we dove in a little deeper than most review sites. We've consistently reviewed and researched International Van Lines (IVL) annually since the late 2010s using a combination of hands-on experience and extensive analysis of customer feedback, industry data, and performance metrics. We also talk directly to IVL to better understand its policies, practices, and get any questions answered.
Over the years, we have directly observed IVL’s services during two different moves, providing firsthand insights into their operations. Our research also includes online customer reviews and ratings. To provide further context, we analyzed data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
In late 2024, Move.org adopted an updated, more rigorous editorial strategy. This change included new editorial leadership and in-depth data collection and analysis from a dedicated data analyst. Our new approach is rooted in cutting through the noise to provide readers with honest, unfiltered information and reviews they can rely on. We are committed to bringing expert-backed insights that go beyond surface-level research.
We aim to clarify misleading marketing, uncover real customer experiences, and highlight the best each company offers. We know that moving is a deeply personal experience, and that’s why we’re on a mission to identify the good, the bad, and the ugly so you can find the cross-country mover that meets your unique needs—while avoiding the common pitfalls that can be both financially and emotionally costly. Here’s how we do it:
To learn more about how we evaluate and review cross-country moving companies, read our full methodology.
International Van Lines brings over two decades of experience, a number of discount options to make your move affordable, and flexible add-on services to make them one of our top picks for long-distance moving. While we’ve seen mixed reviews relating to third-party movers, overall, International Van Lines delivers reliable, quality moving services in all 50 states and beyond.
Here’s why we recommend International Van Lines:
While we’ve seen mixed reviews relating to third-party movers, overall, International Van Lines delivers reliable, quality moving services in all 50 states and beyond. We’ve been pleased to see the company double down on customer service, with FMCSA complaints decreasing yearly since 2022—dropping from 49 in 2022 to 17 as of December 2024.1 Even though that’s a tiny percentage of the 20,000 moves IVL does each year, we think it’s important to see how much the company prioritizes delivering a good customer experience.
We recommend IVL for international moves. If you're moving within the continental U.S., check out our top picks below.
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