Shipping your car to Florida for the winter: a snowbird's guide
Every fall, thousands of cars head south to Florida, and every spring they head back. How to book, what it costs, and how to avoid peak-season delays.
Each fall, a wave of cars heads south from the Northeast and Midwest to Florida, Arizona and Texas. In spring, they head back north. If you're a snowbird, timing your booking well saves money and stress.
When demand peaks
- Southbound: heaviest from October through December.
- Northbound: heaviest from March through May.
During these windows, trucks heading the busy direction fill up, and prices on those routes rise. The opposite direction is often cheaper because carriers need loads to bring the truck back.
What it has cost
New York to Florida is one of the most-reviewed routes on our site. Reviewers paid about $752 on average (44 reviews), and Florida to New York about $833 (56 reviews). Most of those reviews are from 2015 to 2017, so plan for higher prices today. See current route pages: New York to Florida and Florida to New York.
Booking tips
- Book three to four weeks ahead in peak season.
- Be flexible by a few days. It's often the single biggest saving.
- Ask whether the price is firm and what happens if no carrier accepts it.
- Plan your arrival so someone can receive the car, or arrange where the driver can meet you.
- Prepare the car for months away: see how to prepare your car for transport.
Coming back in spring
Book your return trip early too. If you'll be traveling, arrange for someone you trust to hand over the car and sign the bill of lading, and tell the company who that is.
Compare companies that run these routes: companies in Florida or get quotes.