Shipping a vehicle from the U.S. to Europe

[stickshifter]

Hi folks,

I'm looking for information on shipping a vehicle from the U.S. to Europe, such as a recommended company, estimated cost, and your overall experience.

The idea is to ship a 1997 Tacoma from the US to Europe, drive it for 6-7 months while based in Slovenia, and then sell it in Europe before coming back to the U.S.

Other options include (1) buying a 2023 Grenadier in Europe (if any are available) and shipping it back to the U.S. after 6 months (still trying to figure out if that would clear customs), (2) buying some other vehicle in Europe, and selling it in Europe after driving it for 6 months, or (3) finding a long-term rental vehicle for the 6-7 months we are living in Europe.

I'm in the info-gathering stage, so any advice / suggestions welcome.

Thanks!

 

[globalgregors]

Hi folks,

I'm looking for information on shipping a vehicle from the U.S. to Europe, such as a recommended company, estimated cost, and your overall experience.

The idea is to ship a 1997 Tacoma from the US to Europe, drive it for 6-7 months while based in Slovenia, and then sell it in Europe before coming back to the U.S.

Other options include (1) buying a 2023 Grenadier in Europe (if any are available) and shipping it back to the U.S. after 6 months (still trying to figure out if that would clear customs), (2) buying some other vehicle in Europe, and selling it in Europe after driving it for 6 months, or (3) finding a long-term rental vehicle for the 6-7 months we are living in Europe.

I'm in the info-gathering stage, so any advice / suggestions welcome.

Thanks!

You can get a quote on the Autoshippers International website, these are who we used between the UK and the US.
The service was RORO between Southampton and New York, and apart from a delay due to storms couldn’t have been easier.

We were using Temporary Import Permits (TIP) which specifically prohibit selling the vehicle, so unfortunately I can’t offer a view on importing a vehicle for sale in the EU; or indeed overseas purchase as in the first of your other options.

The complexity in your Tacoma idea is the local sale, if you return the vehicle to the US you could proceed using a TIP.
In this case your expenses will include shipping in both directions plus EU 3rd party insurance.

Depending on your talent for flipping cars, the likely lowest cost option of these is to buy/sell a local vehicle.

 

[stickshifter]

You can get a quote on the Autoshippers International website, these are who we used between the UK and the US.

We were using Temporary Import Permits (TIP) which specifically prohibit selling the vehicle, so unfortunately I can’t offer a view on importing a vehicle for sale in the EU; or indeed overseas purchase as in the first of your other options.

The complexity in your Tacoma idea is the local sale, if you return the vehicle to the US you could proceed using a TIP.
In this case your expenses will include shipping in both directions plus EU 3rd party insurance.

Depending on your talent for flipping cars, the likely lowest cost option of these is to buy/sell a local vehicle.

Yeah, flipping a used vehicle was our first idea, and we assumed the least complicated.

EDIT: Did you have to pay any weird taxes when you brought a vehicle in on a TIP, or just the shipping cost, and the cost of some sort of temporary registration?

Thanks!

 

[globalgregors]

Yeah, flipping a used vehicle was our first idea, and we assumed the least complicated.

EDIT: Did you have to pay any weird taxes when you brought a vehicle in on a TIP, or just the shipping cost, and the cost of some sort of temporary registration?

Thanks!

No weird taxes, these sort of things crop up really when you’re importing a vehicle for sale.

For land entry into any country, the basic imposts can include quarantine/customs charges, road taxes and 3rd party (personal injury) insurance. The TIP otherwise is basically acknowledging that your vehicle is registered and compliant in your home country; even if it might not meet local regulations.

For port entry there are additional handling charges which are normally rolled into the estimate provided by shipping agents, along with the freight charge itself. These differ based on whether you select RORO or containerised or palletised transport. This could include pallet/container rental; vehicle handling onto the vessel or through bonded storage; or holding in the freight providers facility.

I don’t recall any road tax for Slovenia, but in any case these are not large amounts (~€20).

Some countries have exceptional and rather costly or inconvenient imposts: Egypt rental plates; Australia biohazard washdown; Japan no additional goods other than the bare vehicle. None of these apply for the EU or (at least as far as I recall) Slovenia though.

 

[stickshifter]

No weird taxes, these sort of things crop up really when you’re importing a vehicle for sale.

For land entry into any country, the basic imposts can include quarantine/customs charges, road taxes and 3rd party (personal injury) insurance. The TIP otherwise is basically acknowledging that your vehicle is registered and compliant in your home country; even if it might not meet local regulations.

For port entry there are additional handling charges which are normally rolled into the estimate provided by shipping agents, along with the freight charge itself. These differ based on whether you select RORO or containerised or palletised transport. This could include pallet/container rental; vehicle handling onto the vessel or through bonded storage; or holding in the freight providers facility.

I don’t recall any road tax for Slovenia, but in any case these are not large amounts (~€20).

Some countries have exceptional and rather costly or inconvenient imposts: Egypt rental plates; Australia biohazard washdown; Japan no additional goods other than the bare vehicle. None of these apply for the EU or (at least as far as I recall) Slovenia though.

Thanks for taking the time to reply. This was helpful. Also got back a quote from a shipping company, and its not going to make sense to ship a vehicle there and back (I had hoped to sell the vehicle there, and not ship it back, but that opens a new set of costs). We will buy a vehicle there, and sell it before returning stateside. Thanks again!

 

[globalgregors]

Thanks for taking the time to reply. This was helpful. Also got back a quote from a shipping company, and its not going to make sense to ship a vehicle there and back (I had hoped to sell the vehicle there, and not ship it back, but that opens a new set of costs). We will buy a vehicle there, and sell it before returning stateside. Thanks again!

No worries, sounds like a fun six months. Hopefully over summer!

 

[stickshifter]

No worries, sounds like a fun six months. Hopefully over summer!

Yes - January through the end of July. So we hope to get in some good skiing, some spring mountaineering, and then summer rock climbing and swimming in the lakes!