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Road To Lisbon

Posted by on

Hello,

I have a ambitious plan but I am unsure to as wether it may be possible..

I would like to drive to Lisbon from the UK in a an old golf that I have a purchased. The route I would love to pursue would be get the ferry from Portsmouth to north of Spain; Bilbao, then follow the coast all the way down to Lisbon. Here comes my obstacle & ambitious idea, I would like to get rid of my car and fly home from Lisbon. Ideally I would like to give it away to someone as a nice gesture, but other options as scrapping it, if possible, would also be useful. Is this possible or am I just dreaming?

Any feedback, experience or knowhow to put me along the right path would be gratefully appreciated.

Thanks!

Posted by
16893 posts

I'll assume that a scrap yard or dealer will take it off your hands for cheap and give you proper paperwork. But note that it would be illegal to just abandon a car. It might be easier to return it to the place of purchase.

From http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/car-leasing: Although Americans rarely consider this budget option, it’s possible to buy a used car for your trip and sell it when you’re done. The most common places to buy cars are Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, and US military bases. In London, check Craigslist, the used-car market on Market Road (Tube: Caledonian Road), and look in London periodicals such as Loot.com, which lists used cars (as well as jobs, flats, cheap flights, and travel partners).

Posted by
8889 posts

The car will (presumably) be registered in the UK, with British number plates. There is a bit of paperwork to do when you scrap a car. Make sure you know what that is before you leave. A Portuguese scrap dealer will know how to do the Portuguese paperwork, but not the British. You don't want the British Authorities thinking you still own the car and chasing you for tax!

Posted by
552 posts

Maybe,... choose a global charity, like Unicef, with a tangible office in Lisbon. See if you can donate the car to them through their London office, with proper UK paperwork, yet with the stipulation that you will leave if at the Lisbon office at the specified date.

Dare to dream, dude!

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