Shipping vehicle from US to Europe

[Alanymarce]

...and Cyprus (haven't been there in 5 decades so had to check).

 

[rtexpeditions]

Hi,

We shipped our rig the other way 5 years ago. From Hamburg to Baltimore and back from Baltimore to Hamburg. We shipped RoRo. All supereasy. On the way back there was a small theft. A few pieces of clothing, tire repair kit and a multitool were gone. Silly, but easy to get over. Otherwise, as I said, everything super easy. Would do so again at any time.

Freight rates between Europe and North America are sensationally low. Currently 49 Euro/ 58 USD per cubic meter of space for RoRo. Plus a few port and handling charges and a variable fuel surcharge. It works simply and well. We have two well-known providers here in Germany who also take care of a lot of the handling. We booked at

Motorhome Shipping USA & Canada - SeaBridge

We ship your motorhome to the USA & Canada. Halifax is one of our most popular destinations, followed by Baltimore.

seabridge-tours.de

and it was perfect!

There is also another one where I have heard good experiences from other overlanders, it is:

Caravan Shippers

www.caravan-shippers.com

We got some quotes for shipping in a container at that time also. Was much more expensive.

If you do decide to go with RoRo, I can give you some advice and share some more experiences.

Cheers
Bjoern

RE RORO and theft. I'm wondering the cost of taking all the loose stuff (tools, parts) as excess baggage when I fly to the destination would be less than the difference between the container and RORO. It might make customs clearance easier too as it is accompanied.
Randall

 

[rtexpeditions]

Malta has also left-hand traffic.

I can still remember that on the ferries from continental Europe to the British Island these stickers were sold for masking the headlights because of left-hand traffic. I haven't seen them for a long time. But you can still get them from the automobile clubs like the ADAC. So no big deal.

My van has a dashboard menu item to change the headlights from left to right, so easy.

 

[Alanymarce]

My van has a dashboard menu item to change the headlights from left to right, so easy.

Great idea! I need to check whether we have that.

Having said that, In recent years when we've travelled in RHD countries with our LHD vehicle (and vice versa) we haven't changed anything - we did a test against a wall and it seemed that there wasn't much lateral illumination anyway. I drove my LHD vehicle from Canada in the UK for several years and didn't change the lights. In 2019 in Australia we drove around for nine months in our LHD vehicle without changing the lights and didn't receive any flashing from motorists coming the other way. I guess as a rule we don't drive at night, however we do do this in more populated areas and there was no evidence of a problem. I don't think the offset is as much as it used to be.

I too recall sticking the "correctors" onto my lights years ago,

 

[JOERYNO]

Shipping a vehicle or overlanding rig from the US to Europe involves deciding between RoRo (Roll-on/Roll-off) and container shipping, with major entry ports like Bremerhaven, Rotterdam, or Antwerp often offering the best rates and logistics. Container shipping is generally recommended if you plan to keep personal gear, spares, or camping equipment inside the vehicle safely. Make sure to arrange mandatory third-party cross-border insurance ahead of time, double-check temporary import rules (which usually allow up to 6 months for non-residents), and secure clean title documentation from your lender prior to export. For smooth tracking and handling, work with an experienced international auto freight broker, and consider logistics services like PMPaket to manage paperwork and door-to-door transit details.

 

[rtexpeditions]

Shipping a vehicle or overlanding rig from the US to Europe involves deciding between RoRo (Roll-on/Roll-off) and container shipping, with major entry ports like Bremerhaven, Rotterdam, or Antwerp often offering the best rates and logistics. Container shipping is generally recommended if you plan to keep personal gear, spares, or camping equipment inside the vehicle safely. Make sure to arrange mandatory third-party cross-border insurance ahead of time, double-check temporary import rules (which usually allow up to 6 months for non-residents), and secure clean title documentation from your lender prior to export. For smooth tracking and handling, work with an experienced international auto freight broker, and consider logistics services like PMPaket to manage paperwork and door-to-door transit details.

Check the implications of shipping into Germany (Bremerhaven), as a few overlanders have been hit with import duties as if it were a permanent import. Accounts of shipping into the Netherlands (Rotterdam) seems ok. No report on Belgium (Antwerp).

 

[El-Dracho]

Check the implications of shipping into Germany (Bremerhaven), as a few overlanders have been hit with import duties as if it were a permanent import. Accounts of shipping into the Netherlands (Rotterdam) seems ok. No report on Belgium (Antwerp).

That's interesting. I've never heard of this problem when shipping to Germany. Well, the port you mentioned, Bremerhaven, isn't exactly known for RoRo or shipping of vehicles into. Vehicles tend to go more to and from Emden or Hamburg. Could you tell us a little more about it, please? Any specific examples? Thanks!