Freight forwarding Dijon – transport to and from the Czech Republic

Where Burgundy's wine country begins

Drive south out of Dijon and you are among the vineyards of the Côte de Nuits within minutes; Beaune is about 45 km further on. In 2015 UNESCO listed the Climats, the individual vineyard plots of Burgundy, as World Heritage, and the historic centre of Dijon is part of that listing because the wine trade was regulated from here. With around 162,000 residents, Dijon is the largest city in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté.

The city also has a significant pharmaceutical industry and a long food tradition. Mustard has been made here since the 19th century, today mostly on an industrial scale and from imported seed. Blackcurrant liqueur, the base of the kir aperitif, and gingerbread are local specialities, and the washed-rind Époisses cheese comes from the surrounding countryside.

Typical consignments for Czech buyers

• Wine in cartons or wooden cases, from small domaines and larger merchants.
• Blackcurrant and other fruit liqueurs.
• Mustard in retail jars and catering tubs.
• Gingerbread and confectionery.
• Medicines and medical devices.
• Cheese that needs chilled transport.

Czech wine shops and restaurants often buy from several growers at once. We collect from each domaine separately and consolidate everything on one truck to Czechia. In the opposite direction, Czech machinery, parts, packaging, glass and beverages travel to Burgundy.

Routes, distance and driving bans

There are two ways from Prague. One runs via Rozvadov, Nuremberg and Saarland to Metz and then down the A31 past Nancy. The other goes via Heilbronn and Baden to Mulhouse and along the A36 through Besançon. Both are approximately 950 km, about 1,150 km from Brno. A single driver needs two driving days, so goods collected in Dijon in the morning normally reach Prague on the morning of the third working day. Our Metz page covers the Lorraine end of the A31 corridor.

French motorways charge tolls at toll plazas. Trucks over 7.5 t may not drive in France from Saturday 22:00 to Sunday 22:00 or on the eve of and during public holidays, with extra Saturday restrictions in summer. Germany bans trucks on Sundays and holidays and, in July and August, on Saturdays on selected motorways.

Handling wine, spirits and medicines

Wine suffers in heat and frost alike. A curtainsider parked in the July sun can cook a load, and in January the same trailer can freeze it, so we move wine in temperature-controlled vehicles. Wooden cases of fine wine are never double-stacked unless the shipper agrees.

Wine and liqueurs are excise goods. Under duty suspension they travel with an electronic administrative document issued by the sender, and the Czech consignee must be authorised to receive them. Duty-paid goods use a simplified document, and Czech duty is settled separately. We confirm which procedure applies before the truck is sent.

Medicines move under Good Distribution Practice, either between 15 and 25 °C or chilled at 2 to 8 °C, with a temperature log for the whole journey.

Which option suits your shipment

A few cases of wine or pallets of mustard go on our pallet groupage service, four to six working days to Czechia. A full truck makes sense for a merchant buying for the whole season or for a pharmaceutical run. A van handles urgent restocking. For a price, use the calculator.

Small domaines rarely have a loading dock or a forklift. Tell us in advance so we send a vehicle with a tail lift, and check the cellar's opening hours. During the September harvest growers are busy in the vineyards, so plan collections outside those weeks.