Best Car to ship to Europe from US for extended road trip ?

"it looks like shipping a car from the US East Coast is the best option."

"This vehicle would be bought just for this trip so it does not need to come back."

You don't provide any details on why you conclude this plan is the best option, but having lived over there and had a number of friends who simply bought a car on their arrival - Have you considered buying a new/used car in Europe and reversing your plan? They are expensive but you would be bringing a used car back into the US rather than a new one. Maybe discuss this with a local VW/Fiat/other European car model dealer where you live who could arrange for you to pick the car up at a dealer there and handle titling/tags/payment/insurance/etc details. They might even buy the car back from you.

Shipping an old car across the ocean will probably cost a lot more than the car is worth, so why not buy a used car in Europe instead? Not sure how easy it is to register as a non-resident though.

Buying a new car is also an option. When buying a new Volvo you have the option of picking it up at the factory and drive it around Europe before they ship it to you. https://www.volvocars.com/us/shopping-tools/shop/overseas-delivery I wouldn't be surprised if other car manufacturers have similar programs.

And selling an old car in Europe might not be easy, unless it is a car that has collectors value. You might as well scrap it. Converting a US car to be able to used in Europe will cost a bit.

So in this day and age of shipping issues....................why?
Suggest you peel the onion back several layers by taking a deep dive into finding online expat web sites seeking "vehicles for sale". While you may not be ready to purchase now, the exercise should help provide clarity to the opportunities and workings of the used car market over there. Suggest focusing upon the country you first plan to visit.
I suspect you are a "car guy" capable of working through just about any car issue as long as you have access to tools. My brother in law (Gordie) is also a "car guy on steroids" and I love having access to his expertise. A point to consider, Gordie loves older model cars (as in minimum 15 years cuz they are great value and easier to work on), but had a family disaster on their USA summer road trip in 2010 when the car transmission conked out in the middle of Nevada. In addition to the discomfort incurred by the family (in many ways), the time lost to days of delays and the "mechanics had me by the b$$$$"; the summer of fun trip was deeply impacted.

This forum is a great place to publish your proposed itinerary and seek the experience and expertise of travelers who have plodded before you. Suggest you create a post asking for guidance from travelers who may be able to help define your experience to fulfill your desired journey while minimizing potential travel stress.

Enjoy and good luck!

"Buying a car is not the problem. Registering the vehicle without an address and/or a temporary residence permit is almost impossible in any European country. Without the ability to register the car, driving it around is illegal. The other challenge is to get it insured."

See this link... https://www.adventurism.tv/blog/2021/3/15/8-ways-to-buy-a-car-in-europe-as-a-foreigner-for-travel

Getting insurance on the car while in Europe may be difficult. Check with your current insurance carrier. Also, you will most likely need liability insurance and each country that could be a varying amount.

You really should use trains and rent a car when you need it to go to the countryside. Your plan to bring a car will be a hassle on a lot of fronts.

Some great questions.

It is my understanding that it's very difficult for a non-citizen with a foreign license and no permanent address to purchase and register a vehicle in Europe. If there is a work around for that i'd love to hear it.

Cost to ship a car today from the US East Coast to Spain is around $1500

Yes, selling an old car in Europe is probably more trouble than it's worth but if I identified a North American car with a devoted following across the pond it might impact my decision.

I am very comfortable with older vehicles. my current fleet is 1976 to 2002 and they all run. Acquiring something here and driving it for a year before the trip would make me feel safer than a brand new rental

If i could afford to buy a brand new Volvo in Sweden we would not be having this conversation :-)

Have you read previous threads on this forum about shipping cars to Europe? Ideas and answers may be mentioned there to help you. Use the search feature, the search for shipping a car to Europe. Insurance and licensing are big issues, plus every country has its own traffic laws and rules.

As a wife of a car guy I understand cars guys. He’d rather drive than fly. He takes at least one tool box on US road trips. We’ve stopped along the way more than once to look at and buy Studebaker parts (3 1938 Commanders in various degrees of restoration). Not fun for me.

Dave,
I have relatives and friends in Germany and they really love older American pickup trucks. They were here for a visit in 2009 and fell in love with my mom’s 1990’s Chevy pickup. I’m not sure how well this will work for your travel plans, but I think it would be easier to sell at the end of your trip.
Vanessa

Have you considered Volvo Overseas Delivery ? They offer an assortment of new vehicles at reduced prices, two round trip airline tickets to the factory in Gothenburg, an attractive licensing and insurance package for up to 6 months, plus concierge service to help plan a European itinerary. It's a one-stop shop that takes the headaches out of trying to do as you propose, and is a great deal all around. The package also includes free shipping back to the US ... from Sweden. Other European departure ports are available for a rather modest cost.
Can google Volvo Overseas Delivery to see if it might be of interest.
As I recall Mercedes and BMW offer overseas delivery as well, though their terms aren't nearly as generous as Volvo.

Insuring a car without a European address will need expensive, specialist cover. You may get better answers on an expat forum rather than this holiday forum.

I doubt you will be able to sell the car without registering it in Europe, which again will need a European address.

I presume you are planning on being in the Schengen Zone less than 90 days?

"We’ve stopped along the way more than once to look at and buy Studebaker parts (3 1938 Commanders in various degrees of restoration). Not fun for me."

I'm not that kind of car guy :-)

But we travel all over the US in 20 year old vehicles.

Yes, i did research this before posting this question.

I want to drive from Athens to Estonia and so far the best and cheapest option is to ship my car.

Yes, there is a risk of a catastrophic failure but there's contingencies. On a European trip it would be easy enough to shift the plan, leave the car and make a side trip by train while the mechanic replaces a transmission.

THat's why I want to choose a vehicle that's supported in both markets. It gets trickier with newer vehicles as the emissions and electronics are different and the diagnostic equipment is not compatible.

I understand the concerns with renting a car, but Leasing a car is a viable option in that there are fewer restrictions on where you can go and what you can do, since you in essence "own" the car. The shipping cost would go a long way toward the lease cost, and no hassles with shipping, picking up, undergoing initial inspection, potential mechanical issues with an older car, and then the red tape of trying to sell a vehicle in a foreign country. You may have a better selection of vehicles, maybe something roomier to accommodate adults and kids with luggage.

As for Car company programs that you buy there and have shipped home, Volvo is about the only company still doing that, BMW, Mercedes, and VW only produce cars for North America in North America. You can not buy a European car less than 25 years old and import to the US for daily driving unless it is made for the NA market.

Funny, I have often considered the opposite. Buying a vintage car in Europe, driving it around and having it shipped back here.

Oh, and I drove a 55 Studebaker Commander for nearly 20 years..... Excellent car. My current backup car is an English 73 Jensen Interceptor III (which by the way is for sale).

Seek out a classic VW Campervan - preferably one that has spent its life in a dry climate so is rust free.

There's a demand for camper vans so you should be able to sell it once your adventure is over. Plus it would look cool.

If you can find your way around the paperwork - it's your money, your choice.

We had friends who shipped their old Toyota Corolla to Saudi Arabia while they lived there for two years, then drove from Saudi Arabia to Ireland at the end before shipping it back to the US. I think it's a good idea because you won't have to convert it to EU standards (under one year), and yes, it would be hard for you to buy a used vehicle without an address, license from an EU country, etc. Renting would be more expensive. You're correct on all counts. However, you could not legally sell it as a running vehicle at the end.
You have to verify if you could sell it for parts

According to reports in an ex-pat group, East Coast shipments are doing ok. People waiting for their household good from the West Coast are reporting delays.

Try Toyota, VW or any European brand. There are fewer Hondas or Korean cars.

EDIT: Only two months--forget about it and lease. You might be waiting for the ship to unload it for two months. I thought this was for a year. If the car can't go into some of the countries you want to enter, find a local agency to help you hire a car and driver for those places. We had private car, driver, and guides in Georgia and Armenia.

"However, you could not legally sell it as a running vehicle at the end. You have to verify if you could sell it for parts"

Selling at the end is not a critical part of the plan but it might influence the selection.

Selling at the end is not a critical part of the plan but it might influence the selection.

I would not dismiss the idea that you may have to pay a scrap yard to take it off your hands.

A 20-30+ yr old car built to US standards ( e.g., a Volvo 240) may be wanted only for its metal, after the glass, upholstery etc have been removed and the fluids disposed of in a eco-friendly way.

The zero (or negative) return on your car investment should be factored into calculating your 'transportation' cost.

How many children? How big a car will you need?

Do look into leasing. I don't know what you were expecting to pay to purchase, ship and insure a car. And for leasing you might have to be more flexible with your pick up and return. As example I looked at Auto Europe leasing for next year May 1 to Aug 1 pick up and return Munich airport and you could have a with automatic transmission a small SUV for about $3000 total or a minivan for about $3500 total. You get a brand new car with insurance and road service. Various companies offer them, but we have used Auto Europe to book. We have one from Renault for a month next summer.

From my confirmation documents we are permitted to drive it in Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus (only Greek part), Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the Vatican. For that price even if you had a country or two you were not permitted to drive you could park the car and take the train and come back and get it.

Auto Europe customer service has been very helpful with my questions. AutoEurope.com or their long term department phone is 1-800-223-5555.

We were in a similar situation years ago. We’d been driving a our car for 20 years, needed to go to Europe for 7 months and thought it we would buy a new car when we got back to the states. We thought about shipping our old Volvo over, leasing a car, buying a used car, etc. In the end, after a lot of number crunching, we realized could buy a new Volvo from our US dealer for less that it would cost us to buy one at home and pick it up at any number of locations in Europe. This deal included (and still does) a free ticket to Gothenburg, a night at the beginning and end of the trip in a hotel, ferry transportation from and to Sweden to the continent, insurance, shipping cost for sending the car back to the US when we were finished in Europe. It also included having the car prepared for US regulations prior to shipping it back. A bonus for us was that it was classified as a used car in California when it came back to us so we didn’t have to pay any sales tax. We retired “old Volvo” at that point after 20 years and drove ‘new Volvo” for the next 20 years. Crunch the numbers if you are thinking of replacing either of your older cars to see if this might work for your family.

This is fun, perhaps it would help if i laid out what this trip would look like in my head.

For $6000 or so i can get a decent Ford Explorer. I ship it over in the Spring and we fly over the first day of summer. Wife and I are retired, the boys are 12 & 14 when this trip happens. We're taking two full months.

Insurance would just be minimum liability.

4000 miles at 17 mpg with current fuel prices is around $1500

So shipping, and fuel is $4500 and we can go anywhere we want, camp, cook out of the car, explore outdoor places etc, And we can drive into Turkey or Russia if we feel like it.

In all likelihood the car will make the whole trip with no problems but if it has a major failure or gets wrecked It's not the end of the world.

The Explorer is just an example, we put a lot of miles on one and it's a good fit. for us.

I think you need to stop looking at it in your head, and start figuring out the minutiae on paper. Nail down the insurance costs, and know the requirements for each country. Find out exactly what import paper work is needed. Determine the storage costs of the vehicle if a miracle occurs and your vehicle arrives before you do. Find out what extra charges for window tags or vignettes needed to drive in the areas you plan to visit. Turkey and Russia? Spur of the moment decisions to drive there? Without visas? In the current political situation, with children?

And what happens at the end of the trip and you don't have an immediate sale on the vehicle?

This seems to be approaching an idée fixe for you, so I'm not sure any of our suggestions would be helpful. But FWIW, when we shipped our car over before our move to Germany, there were a lot of hoops to jump through to prepare it, and it was weeks late on delivery. And that was years before the current delivery chain problems with cargo ships.

I don't know if you mentioned whether or not you have looked into leasing options. You really should before you proceed further.

Really, this conversation is not about "is this a good idea", this conversation is about, "what car sold in North America is the best choice for service and/or resale when i execute what may be a really bad idea and ship it to Europe for a family vacation"

Doesn't anybody want to talk about cars?

The primary focus of this forum is 'travel', not cars, so the tendency is to discuss the concept rather than car makes.

However with the request to focus on 'cars', I would suggest Benz, VW, Audi, as those most likely to have re-sale appeal.

And if you want specific suggestions, knowing how many people you need to transport is helpful

I shipped my 1985 Mercedes-Benz from Germany to the USA in 1985 and it cost almost $1000.
I have no idea what it would cost to ship a car these days, but no way would I do this. As others have pointed out, insurance and registration issues may be an issue.

Crossing borders in Europe for a rental car can be very expensive if you drop the rental in another country, but if you bring it back to the original, is there a problem.
Also, as others pointed out, use a combination of rail and auto rental seems the best option. Further, there are places in Eastern Europe that I would not want to drive (Ukraine).

what car sold in North America is the best choice for service and/or
resale when i execute what may be a really bad idea and ship it to
Europe for a family vacation

This is as mentioned a travel forum, not a car forum. But I'll try to give my view on it.

• Make sure it is a car that has been sold in Europe. A model that was never sold on the continent will have a very low resale value since finding spare parts will be tricky. Unless is it something rare.
• A car made by a European company might be easier to sell than a car made by a US or Japanese company.
• Don't get one that is too big. A large gas-guzzling SUV will be harder to sell in Europe for several reasons.
  • Fuel is more expensive in Europe.
  • European cities, streets and parking lots are smaller so a large car means more faff.
• Make sure the car is reasonably easy to convert to European standards so that a prospective buyer can register it in Europe. If you plan to sell it it might be easier if you do a few of those conversions yourself. And e.g. having the speedometer showing km/h will help you as well.
• Changing the lights is also something that might be as easy as buying new lights and replacing them yourself. If you are unlucky it might require rewiring or software updates. Might be worth looking up.

"The primary focus of this forum is 'travel', not cars, so the tendency is to discuss the concept rather than car makes."

Well that makes sense. I just figured someone else may have explored this idea.

Probably not an American-made car. It could be older, something like a Volvo 240 if i found the right one.

And if the car fails Europe road worthiness tests, you do what?

And when you are told you can't register the car without a permanent residence permit you'll do what?

And find it difficult to get insurance without a permeant residence....

And then their is the importation and exportation of the car between the EU and other European states.

For example you can't drive a car from the EU across a Swiss border without exporting it from the EU and importing into Switzerland.

@ Dave

I will talk cars with you, setting aside cost.

Ramblin’s suggestion of the VW Camper is an astute one, not the cheapest as they have a huge worldwide following and have been appreciating for at least around the last 20 years. Have mates who are VW fans and own and trade them and talk nothing else.

The ones from the flower power era were overwhelmingly underpowered with a 1200/1300 cc motor which is air cooled and tough as old boots. Struggles to get up to 110 kph but will tour along at around 80/90 kph all day on a flat road. Later models with 1600/1800 cc are adequate and for a while a 2000 cc. Carbies were usually Solex. After market Webber’s improve things. Any half decent weekend mechanic can fix most things. I find them simple to work on. Metric tools of course. My sources suggest that in Europe parts, mechanics and other repairs are like Chicken Man, they are everywhere.

If inclined, you have time to find a half decent one and make it right. Constant supply of parts in South America. Such is their following: I would proffer that selling in Europe would not be difficult but doubt, in the circumstances, that you would get best sale price. No idea about the legalistic jurisdictions of such a transaction.

In Australia, early on Ford Explorers were up against Toyota FJ series Landcruiser, Landrover Defenders and 2 door Range Rovers. Mostly purchased as 4wd vehicles for work in the outback. Do not know much about older Explorers as they appear to have not managed the rural and remote locations well. The Toyota’s, Defenders and Rangie’s are sort after, and monies spent on preserving them. No idea about Explorer’s acceptance in Europe.

You have time, so join a local Ford club and pick their brains. The car clubs I belong to are affiliated with European and USA clubs. Members are pleased to share experiences and search out information.

Regards
Ron

I was stunned to see a shiny new Ford Mustang parked one day in Italy this fall - maybe it was in the hill town Spoleto. Unless there’s a Ford dealer in Italy selling Euro-spec Mustangs alongside Ford Puma cars, the owner must have pulled some kind of strings to get it there.

Italy sure has a lot of Jeep vehicles, but they’re not the ubiquitous Wranglers, Grand Cherokees, or CJ’s plying the roads and, very occasionally, off-roads in Colorado. A German at the next table one night said he had a Jeep, liked its performance, and preferred the look to everything else.

Big, loud, Harley-Davidson motorcycles were abundant, too, in Rome - quite a contrast from all the Vespas and other scooters.

We're taking two full months.

all of this for a short 2 month trip? And you will visit how many countries?

I would have thought for all this trouble you were talking about at least a full year.

And the trip is at least a year out?

By the way, seeing your fuel estimate, will your car run on the new E10 petrol mandatory now in Europe? There have been stories here that the additional alcohol has been eating through the rubber components of the fuel system on older cars,

The workaround suggested by governments is that if your car isn't approved for anything more than E5 (the previous standard) you should use super premium fuel, available at many but not most petrol stations. These are pretty much most cars older than about 10 years old. Expect E5 to to run quite a lot more expensive.

good luck

all of this for a short 2 month trip? And you will visit how many countries?

But we're americans, we hardly know what vacation is. Two month is really long.

The dream Road trip is Croatia to Estonia but that's just a place holder as the plan evolves.

By the way, seeing your fuel estimate, will your car run on the new E10 petrol mandatory now in Europe?

We've been E10 &E15 here for years. It's not a problem. Just something for old car guys to complain about.

I would wait till i get there and buy a nice Lada or Trabant or even a Dacia? (since you say you will start in Croatia that should be possible). Drive it to Estonia and leave it at the airport when you leave.

"The primary focus of this forum is 'travel', not cars, so the tendency is to discuss the concept rather than car makes."

Cars are for travel. Makes perfect sense here.

I would also budget about $15 a day to park the car. The average price is going to be closer to 25 euro, but if you get creative where you park it, you can do better on average. Thats $900

With sight seeing you probably have about a 2000 mile trip. At 20mpg you will need 100 gallons. So that’s $600 in fuel. Lets throw in $200 in repairs and maybe another $100 in tolls, then the parking and you are at $1800 plus $2000 for shipping and another $500 loss on the sale. Hmmmmm $5,200.00….. Still, sounds like a blast.

A nice Lada or Trabant. Funny man James.

I drove across Romania in a Dacia some years back. It was "serviceable"

But if it were me I would pick up a nice UAZ 452. Very reliable, spacious, not expensive and many readily available in Eastern Europe. You couldnt do wrong. Sort of a hippie van for .... well, no one really. But I love them. https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/b/uaz-suv-taiga-village-generalka-altai-krai-russia-altai-region-russia-september-uaz-suv-taiga-village-217756085.jpg

The original ozymoron in my book.

So your total is $10500 so far. Don't forget to add in the cost for insurance, road permits etc. And there may be import/customs
cost. I'm sure a long term lease would be much cheaper. And a lot less headaches.bunch o

No, the $4500 number includes the return shipping.

For $10K you can hire a car and driver as you go. Or this (sitting in Croatia) is an option https://www.theparking.eu/used-cars-detail/dacia-logan/dacia-logan-1-4-2007-god/S8OXFDV4.html

Older cars are becoming a non-starter in many European countries due to low-emisssion zones. In France, pre-2005 or so vehicles are banned from most major metro areas whenever there is an air pollution alert, which happens regularly enough to be a concern - you can legally get stuck for a day or 2, or pay a triple-digit fine.
It is not a concern if you stick to more rural areas, but it is yet another hassle to keep in mind... For two months, just look into leasing!

Also, do adjust your wilderness expectations. Millions of Europeans used to cross the Atlantic every year to experience "true" wilderness in the US & Canada. There are, of course, stunning natural features here, but "wild" they typically aren't.

And if the car fails Europe road worthiness tests, you do what? And
when you are told you can't register the car without a permanent
residence permit you'll do what?

That might be easier with an older car. I don't know the exact limits in all countries, but in Sweden a car that is older than 30 years is in general easier to import. But the buyer would have to formally import the car an register it in Europe.

For example you can't drive a car from the EU across a Swiss border
without exporting it from the EU and importing into Switzerland.

As a non-Swiss resident on temporary visit you can.

Unless there’s a Ford dealer in Italy selling Euro-spec Mustangs
alongside Ford Puma cars, the owner must have pulled some kind of
strings to get it there.

Mustangs are sold in Europe.

Older cars are becoming a non-starter in many European countries due
to low-emisssion zones. In France, pre-2005 or so vehicles are banned
from most major metro areas whenever there is an air pollution alert,
which happens regularly enough to be a concern - you can legally get
stuck for a day or 2, or pay a triple-digit fine.

And most major German towns and cities those rules are permant and you need an Umweltplakette to drive anywhere near the centre. Not that driving to city centres is a good idea, park somewhere on the outskirts and take a bus/tram/metro to the centre.

Also, do adjust your wilderness expectations. There are, of course,
stunning natural features here, but "wild" they typically aren't.

It depends on where you're looking. There are many tourist in Sweden every year that come for the wilderness and for a trip through Eastern Europe I'm sure you can find a bit of wilderness in e.g. Ukraine.

Good stuff here.

I'll look at leasing but family road trips are hard on cars.

We're more interested in the less popular Euro destinations. The dream road trip is Croatia to Estonia.

Dave, how ever you pull it off, its a great idea

Ok, so I know a fair amount about this, I work in Logistics.

I'm going to leave the car guys advice alone, about what vehicle would be best (one MADE in Europe), European emissions, etc, and just concentrate on 'shipping'.

Your quote does not include duty & taxes; also, if your car does NOT meet emissions, etc., and is in storage, you will pay for that, on TOP of your ocean freight. It's possible that depending on what the vehicle needs, you can't get, and it will be seized by the Importing Customs authority.

If you WANT to do this, your best bet is to move it to Spain on what is called a Carnet - you won't have to pay duty, etc., but the car must return to the US in identical condition, and it will take a forwarder on both sides that knows what they're doing ($$$).

Now, you want to go to Eastern Europe - outside of the Schengen zone? What's it going to take to get across the border with that vehicle? I can tell you that a Carnet is not accepted everywhere.

Frankly, my advice is always to lease/rent there, unless you are seriously loaded. If you are, I can provide you with a contact in NJ that handles movement of Italian luxury cars from the US back to Italy for the 'season' (this is a thing, much like yachting).

Buy a couple of Harley Davidson motorcycles, I bet those have good resale in Europe.

This thread reminds me...my dad bought a 1968 Mustang for us (the 3 kids) to drive until we bought our first cars ourselves. This was in the mid 1980s. We each took our turn having it as our own car until we had saved up to buy something else. I bought my first Volvo, a 1980 GL, in 1990 and gave the car back to my dad. I am the youngest, so he drove it for many years himself, then sold it to a guy who had a business buying old American "classic" cars and exporting them to Sweden. I hope our old Mustang made some Swede very happy! And yes, my dad is the greatest.

I'll look at leasing but family road trips are hard on cars.

ha ha ha. I have to tell a story on myself. We leased a Citroen minivan through AutoEurope when we arrived in Europe a year and a half ago. Drove it for 5 months, a good half of that on tiny Swiss roads with endless hairpin turns, lined with unforgiving stone walls. When I turned that poor car in, there was not one panel of it untouched by those stone walls. It was a humiliating mess for a driver (me) with an unblemished driving record at home. I also didn't wash it or vacuum it during that time. Not one word was said, not one dime extra was charged. Comprehensive insurance on those leases means comprehensive.

Lease a car, have a great time, drop it off when you're done. Stress and costs lower, fun just as high.