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Old 07-17-2008, 05:12 AM
 
82 posts, read 237,606 times
Reputation: 67

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I'm moving to Lafayette in about 4 weeks coming from NH. I have two questions for the group:

1. Has anyone ever made the drive from the East Coast/NE to the Bay Area? I'm considering shipping my stuff but driving the kids/cats/car - just mom, them and hopefully a friend Any advice on the drive, # of days, neat places to stop?

2. I'm shipping my stuff. Probably the equivalent of a 2 bedroom house. Any recommendations on NE based movers that can do this for me? I'm not using PODS or ABF Upack due to the fact that they couldn't deliver the unit to my house up my steep drive.

Thanks!
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Old 07-17-2008, 10:32 AM
 
Location: San Jose, CA
7,688 posts, read 29,107,018 times
Reputation: 3631
My parents used Graebel when they moved from Boston to the Bay Area almost 20 years ago. The moving business is so full of bunk, you wouldn't believe it.. they can get away with murder. But to their credit, they did a fine job.
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Old 07-17-2008, 04:53 PM
 
Location: San Francisco bay area
37 posts, read 90,987 times
Reputation: 18
Hi, I'm making a similar move from Boston to San Francisco... am going to drive with one other person... I mailed some boxes of books and clothing ahead to my new address with instructions to new post office to hold my mail there... and I am giving away/selling pretty much everything else... the moving estimates I got were more than the stuff was worth to me. I had heard good things about Gentle Giant, and they have had a good reputation for local moves in Boston area, recently adding interstate moves. But I didn't want to spend $8K. So, it is the cost of gas and lodging and meals for my move. After several moves in my lifetime, this time I decided to make it simpler.
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Old 07-17-2008, 05:00 PM
 
82 posts, read 237,606 times
Reputation: 67
Hi Joelle...thanks for your response. Coincindentally, I am a Joelle too! Glad to hear that you've heard good things about Gentle Giant. They are supposed to send me a quote tomorrow and I had a really good conversation with them. Hopefully they're affordable. What route are you taking out from Boston? I'm looking at taking I-80 all the way out, though I hear it's quite flat and boring through NE and IA.
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Old 07-18-2008, 12:09 PM
 
655 posts, read 1,980,041 times
Reputation: 375
I used Gentle Giant for a move within Boston some years back, and they were great in-town--no idea how they are long distance though.

Here's another idea, though it only works if you don't have a lot of furniture: Amtrak will ship boxes cross-country. You have to take it to an Amtrak station and pick it up on the other end, but it's quite cheap (I paid $300 to ship a one-bedroom apartment's worth of things from Boston to the Bay Area several years ago). It's still done old-school--you go to the station and pick out a tag with your destination from a wall of hanging tags, and stick it on your pallet--then they load it into the train and away it goes. Takes about a week, often less, to go coast-to-coast. I also know people who've used local movers on either end to shuttle the boxes to and from the train station, too--still ends up being hundreds if not thousands of dollars cheaper than a full move. However, everything you ship with them must be boxed in some way. (You can also ship your boxes that way and then send furniture in a moving truck that you share--several freight and moving companies will let you pay per square foot of space on the truck, or you can partner making the move with someone more informally and just cost-share.)

Just a thought if cost is an issue!
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Old 07-21-2008, 04:03 PM
 
Location: san francisco bay area
300 posts, read 1,848,118 times
Reputation: 165
Quote:
Originally Posted by JCPTNH08 View Post
I'm moving to Lafayette in about 4 weeks coming from NH. I have two questions for the group:

1. Has anyone ever made the drive from the East Coast/NE to the Bay Area? I'm considering shipping my stuff but driving the kids/cats/car - just mom, them and hopefully a friend Any advice on the drive, # of days, neat places to stop?

2. I'm shipping my stuff. Probably the equivalent of a 2 bedroom house. Any recommendations on NE based movers that can do this for me? I'm not using PODS or ABF Upack due to the fact that they couldn't deliver the unit to my house up my steep drive.

Thanks!
I made the drive from Philadelphia to the SF Bay area alone accompanied by my cat in a VW FOX, towing a U-Haul full of plants. It took me six days using Route 80 most of the way. If you want more information on my trip, you can send me personal message and I'll try to answer your questions. Good luck on the trip. It's a long drive, but one worth taking at least once.
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Old 08-01-2008, 09:45 PM
 
7 posts, read 16,197 times
Reputation: 11
Default moving from MA to Sacramento area

Hello,

I'm planning a move from MA to the Sacramento region by the end of August. I was going to use a relocation 'cube' with ABF Freight. It's like a pod but smaller - 6 ft wide x 7 ft deep x 8 ft high. You pack it yourself, and they ship it. When I used one recently, I did not fill it. I was hoping to find somebody who is shipping stuff out west to share the expense. I have my own vehicle and will be driving. A mover who I spoke with suggested taking Interstate 90 west until it merges with Interstate 80. It's supposed to be easier driving than dealing with Interstate 95 and NYC. He also suggested driving at night and sleeping during the day to avoid traffic. Hope that helps, and if you want to share moving expenses, I'm interested in discussing options.
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Old 08-02-2008, 03:15 PM
 
82 posts, read 237,606 times
Reputation: 67
Thanks. I've got my movers arriving this week and will be driving out Saturday. I've decided to just take I80 across, starting out along Lake Erie and then merging onto I80. I hear it's a long boring route, but it's also the most direct.

I cannot wait. We had a very snowy winter here in NH, and now the summer has been mostly rain. I'm looking forward to the sunshine and heat in Lafayette!
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