Europe's two leading road parcel networks — both strong, but with different coverage and technology strengths.
DPD (owned by La Poste Group) and GLS (General Logistics Systems, owned by Royal Mail Group) are the two largest road-based European parcel networks. Both offer cost-effective, tracked parcel delivery across EU countries using ground transport — making them ideal for non-urgent shipments where cost matters more than speed. From Portugal, both connect to all major European destinations within 3–7 business days. DPD has historically been stronger in France and Western Europe. GLS has particularly strong coverage in Central and Eastern Europe. Both are significantly cheaper than DHL Express or FedEx for EU parcel shipments.
| Criteria | 🔴 DPD | 🟢 GLS |
|---|---|---|
| Western Europe coverage | Excellent — strong in France, Benelux | Good |
| Eastern Europe coverage | Good | Excellent — strong in Poland, CZ, HU |
| Transit time (Portugal–Germany) | 4–5 days | 4–6 days |
| Transit time (Portugal–UK) | 3–5 days | 4–6 days |
| Tracking quality | Excellent — Predict SMS/email | Good — GLS tracking portal |
| Delivery notifications | DPD Predict — 1-hour window | Email/SMS — less precise |
| Max parcel weight | 50 kg | 50 kg |
| Price (EU parcels) | Competitive | Often slightly cheaper |
| Parcel shop network | DPD Pickup — large network | GLS ParcelShops — wide network |
| Saturday delivery | Available in select countries | Available in select countries |
DPD is the better choice if you ship frequently to France, UK or Western Europe and need Predict delivery notifications. GLS is often cheaper for Eastern Europe (Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania) and offers very competitive rates for mid-weight parcels. Compare live rates on Cargosender — for most EU destinations the price difference is small and depends on the specific weight/zone combination.
It depends on the destination and weight. GLS is often slightly cheaper for Eastern Europe and mid-weight parcels. DPD can be cheaper for Western Europe. The best way to compare is to enter your shipment details in Cargosender — both are priced in real time and the cheapest varies by route.
Both DPD and GLS take approximately 4–6 business days from Portugal to Germany by road. DPD is slightly faster on average (4–5 days) due to its more direct routing through its hub in France. Both are ground/road services — for faster delivery, use DHL Express or FedEx (2–3 days).
Yes. Both offer shipment tracking via their websites with scan events at major hubs. DPD's tracking is generally considered more advanced — DPD Predict provides recipients with a 1-hour delivery window notification by SMS or email, which significantly reduces failed first attempts.
Yes. Both DPD and GLS offer UK services from Portugal post-Brexit. UK shipments now require customs declarations, even for road services. Both carriers have customs clearance processes in place. DPD has particularly strong UK coverage through DPD UK (one of the largest parcel networks in Britain).
Both DPD and GLS have strong reliability records across Europe. DPD has a slight edge in customer satisfaction scores due to its Predict notification system reducing failed deliveries. Both are significantly less expensive than DHL Express or FedEx, and both are reliable choices for non-urgent EU e-commerce shipments.
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