Two removal workers carrying a cardboard box down a narrow cobbled Lisbon street towards an open van

Movers for Almada, Seixal and the Margem Sul.

Why the south bank is its own page

The river is a price, not a distance

Almada is eleven kilometres from central Lisbon and can cost more to reach than somewhere twice as far inland. People here search for the region rather than the town, and they are right to: the crossing is the variable.

The bridge decides the hour

The 25 de Abril in the morning northbound and the late afternoon southbound are the two windows that turn a two-hour job into a four-hour one. A crew that starts at seven and a crew that starts at nine are not doing the same work.

Two crossings, two characters

The 25 de Abril lands you in the middle of Lisbon and queues accordingly. The Vasco da Gama is longer but drops onto the eastern side and often behaves better for anything east of Marvila. Ask which one they intend to use.

Tolls are charged one way

Both crossings are tolled northbound only, so a move from Almada into Lisbon pays and the reverse does not. It is a small line on a big invoice, but it is a line, and it should be in the quote rather than added later.

Route facts

What changes when the move crosses the river

The furniture is the same. Almost everything around it behaves differently, and each of these belongs in the conversation before anyone quotes.

Where the crew is based
A firm based in Almada moving you to Almada is a short day. The same firm from northern Lisbon is paying for two crossings before anything is lifted. Ask where they start from — it is a fair question and it explains a lot of price gaps.
The start time
Loading at eight and crossing at eleven is a different day from crossing at half past eight. On a bridge-crossing move, the schedule is part of the price.
Which municipality applies
Almada, Seixal, Barreiro, Moita and Setúbal are separate authorities, each with its own rules for reserving street space. See the parking permit page — and remember the rules at the other end are the other municipality's.
Buildings are different here
Much of Almada and Seixal is 1970s and 1980s blocks: lifts more often, wider access, easier loading than Alfama. That works in your favour, and a quote that prices your street like the historic centre deserves a question.
Distances stretch quickly
Almada and Cacilhas are close. Setúbal, Sesimbra and the far side of the peninsula are genuinely far, and beyond a certain point the job is priced as long-distance rather than metro.
Storage often sits south
Warehouse space is cheaper on this side, so if your move involves a gap between the two dates, ask whether storing on the south bank changes the price. Often it does.
Planning it

How to brief a cross-river move

Everything that makes a crossing expensive is knowable in advance, which means it can be planned around instead of paid for.

  • Say both addresses at the start. Not the town, the street. A crew hearing Almada assumes something; a crew hearing the street knows whether there is a lift and a loading bay.
  • Ask which bridge, and at what time. If the answer is that they will see on the day, ask what happens to the price if the crossing takes an hour.
  • Avoid the last Friday of the month if you can. Lease dates and bridge traffic peak together, which is the worst possible combination for a job that depends on both.
  • Check whether the firm is based this side. For a move that stays on the south bank, a local company is usually both cheaper and quicker, and there are plenty of them.
  • Mention the ferry only if it is relevant. Cacilhas to Cais do Sodré is excellent for people and useless for wardrobes, but for a genuinely small load some drivers do consider it. Worth a question, not an assumption.
  • Compare a small local firm with a Lisbon one. For a crossing, those two quotes are often further apart than any other comparison in this market, which makes it the single most worthwhile place to ask twice.
What it costs

Published price ranges, and what the crossing adds

The figures below are the same market-wide published numbers used across this site. For a cross-river move, expect to sit above the middle of them, because travel time is labour time.

Per move — what the platforms report

  • Average move in Lisbon€503
  • Full reported spread€25–1,700
  • One van load · a room, not a homeabout €150

Per hour — three published rates

  • Fixando, Lisbon average€48
  • LisboaNaboa€15–25
  • mudancaslisboa.pt · two people€60

Typical range according to public price pages — indication, not a quote. Sources: the Fixando removals price page for Lisboa, the LisboaNaboa hourly rates and the published rate of mudancaslisboa.pt, read in August 2026. The toll and the crossing time are not separately published anywhere; ask for them as a line on the quote. Full detail on the moving costs page.

South bank

Towns on this side of the river

The region searches as a region, which is why this is one page rather than six thin ones. If your town is here, the crossing question applies to you.

AlmadaCacilhasCosta da CaparicaPragalSeixalAmoraCorroiosBarreiroMoitaMontijoPalmelaSetúbalSesimbra

Related: HomeWhat it costsMan with a vanVan parking permit Mudanças Margem SulMudanças LisboaTransportadora

River questions

What people ask about moving across the Tejo

Is it cheaper to hire a company based on the south bank?

For a move that stays on this side, usually yes, because nobody is paying for a crossing before work starts. For a move into Lisbon it is less obvious and worth asking both. This is the one route in the metro area where getting two quotes reliably changes the number.

Which bridge should the van take?

It depends where in Lisbon you are going. The 25 de Abril for anything central or west, the Vasco da Gama for the eastern side and the airport corridor. What matters more than the choice is that somebody has made it before the morning of the move.

Does the toll go on my invoice?

It should be visible one way or another, either named as a line or folded into the travel time. Ask which. It is a small amount, but a quote that cannot explain a toll usually cannot explain the other lines either.

How much time does the crossing really add?

Off-peak, not much beyond the drive itself. At the wrong hour it can add an hour each way, and on an hourly-priced job that is money. This is the strongest argument for a fixed price agreed after a survey on a cross-river move.

Is moving to Setúbal the same as moving to Almada?

No. Almada and Cacilhas are effectively a Lisbon suburb across the water. Setúbal, Sesimbra and Palmela are a longer drive and are usually priced as a regional move, with the crew's return journey in the number.

Can a small van do a cross-river job?

Yes, and for a room's worth of things it often makes sense — but the crossing time applies to a small van exactly as it does to a large one. Look at the man-with-a-van option, and compare it against a fixed price for the whole job.

Both sides of the river

Tell us the two addresses

Street and floor at each end, and the week you have in mind. That is enough for companies on both banks to answer with real numbers.

Two banks, one brief

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