Has anybody here moved across states? Any major tips you can share? I have two pets I'd probably make the 19 hour drive with and I'm thinking about shipping my stuff. I'm in the beginning stages of figuring this out but I just don't even know where to start. I know there are so many aspects of this move I haven't considered or thought of. Literally any advice, cautions, warnings, or tips appreciated.

I have these same questions! I have two cats so traveling with them might be extra tricky

UPS has delivered 14 boxes of my stuff from coast to coast in 5 days with no issues twice.

Sell all your furniture and buy new stuff at new location. Some furniture stores (west elm) give discounts if you are moving to the area but call the store in that city directly and do the sale that way.

I moved here from the midwest. I put everything in my car and shipped it across the country on a truck. They got everything here safely with nothing broken. This was the cheapest option at like 1k. I would try to just fly with your pets that was what was easiest for me. Depends on how big/what kinds of pets you have. I moved here with nothing, so if you have a lot of furniture getting something like a pod could be the best option even if its more expensive.

I’ve done cross country driving moves twice with two cats! Once, I sold all of my big stuff and shipped everything else (12 boxes -a little over $1000). The second time I wanted to keep my furniture and stuff and hired movers (big mistake, waiting nearly 2 months for my stuff to arrive). My friends moving a bunch of stuff with the best experience got uhaul pods or similar services and then hired task rabbits to load and unload.

With the cats, they were in their carriers in the back seat all day, first day they were given kids Benedryl on the advice of my vet, especially because it was an 11 hour day. They only got antsy at the 10th hour, which honestly was fair. Every other day, tried to max out at 8 hours.

Happy to answer more specific questions - DM me!

I traveled with my boxer dog in a Hertz van. from Miami to SD. Definitely doable.

We jus relocated from New York to SD! We travelled by plane with our cat 🐱 he was not the most excited but it all went good

I shipped my car, my stuff, and everything cross country. I flew my friend and my two cats cross country. I brought my friend because he put one cat in his carrier under his seat and I put one under my seat. That way they didn’t have to go in the luggage bin. If your pets are small enough that’s easier. They met me in my new city with my car which I had previously packed with everything I needed for the first few days before the movers got there. Have the movers pack up for you. It costs a bit more but totally worth it! They show up one day and pack and come the next day and load up the truck. I’ll never pack myself again!

Yes. Why would you bring stuff? Sell all but your essential items and just move. Don’t overcomplicate it. Shipping stuff is for when you have a wife and 3 kids.

My husband and I moved from Michigan to San Diego 8 years ago. We used a POD for our household items (highly recommended this route) and shipped my vehicle. I will say, the vehicle shipper I initially chose was a no show, so that complicated things, so be sure to do your research there. It made the whole process a lot more annoying. The replacement company was more expensive but did a good job. Worth it to avoid the hassle in my opinion. Be prepared for vehicle shipping take awhile if you go this route. We drove my husband’s vehicle out here with two huskies, and I highly recommend Bring Fido for finding pet friendly lodging and meals along the way. We took our time so we could give the dogs (and us) ample breaks and the opportunity to visit some areas more in depth. I hope any of things context helps you in your process. Safe travels!

Yes, I moved from NJ to CA. Thank God it was before the airlines went crazy and stopped recognizing emotional support animals, so I was able to bring my dog. But totally support you doing the drive. Never let your pets go under the plane. Another piece of advice: hire a highly rated moving company, not worth being cheap with movers, I learned the hard way. The movers I used to move cross country that I loved were United Van Lines

I did. I moved from the midwest. I used a pod to move all my stuff and local movers to help.

My wife and I moved across the country last year. From Washington DC to San Diego. We drove one car and shipped the other car. Shipping the car was reasonably priced. For the actual move, we didn’t hire a cross-country moving company because those are super expensive. We used PODS. Had one delivered to our place, hired a couple of movers to help us load all the stuff into the pod, and then had the pod shipped to our destination. I highly recommend them. Their customer service is great and easy to work with. When we arrived, we stayed in a fully furnished apartment for about a month until we got the lay of the land and then found a more permanent residence.

Yes, I moved from NJ to CA. Thank God it was before the airlines went crazy and stopped recognizing emotional support animals, so I was able to bring my dog. But totally support you doing the drive. Never let your pets go under the plane. Another piece of advice: hire a highly rated moving company, not worth being cheap with movers, I learned the hard way. The movers I used to move cross country that I loved were United Van Lines

Moved from VA to CA. Advice, ship clothing and non essentials using UPS or some other service. Importing items stay in car. I for one will never ship a car again unless a friend owns the trucking company. I had damage and items stolen when shipped on those trucking websites. Cost for everything was under $3k, company paid $5k to move me so I used $2k of that for a security deposit on my new place.