Are there any transatlantic car ferries from Europe to North/South America?
Can I drive onto a ferry from anywhere in Europe and drive off in America either north or south?
It is something that me and my partner have wanted to do but we are unsure if this is even possible?
We live in the UK and would drive into Europe to board a ferry and then would like to off load on the other side of the Atlantic. Preferable in the USA but would be more than happy to drive north if there was no links to the USA/Canada from UK/Europe.
Best Answer
Although there is such a thing as a cruise ferry, they are not equipped for the rough conditions and long distances of transoceanic voyages. I do not think Cunard is set up to accept your car as checked baggage, though it might be possible to arrange freighter travel with your car, if you are flexible enough.
You can ship your car separately, of course. You can use containerized shipping, where the car is packed in a shipping container and loaded onto a freighter, or arrange for RORO (roll-on-roll-off) shipping, where it would be driven onto and off of the ship— but you would not drive it on and off yourself. You would drive it to the port in Europe, then pick it up from the port once it arrives in the U.S. As such, you would need to research which companies operate out of which ports— a freighter leaving from Rotterdam and arriving in Los Angeles/Long Beach won't do much for your holiday from Naples to Montreal.
There seems to be enough of a market that the cost is reasonable, under 2000 USD or so between Europe to North America, each way, when you consider not only the freight cost but loading and unloading fees, port taxes, document processing (Bill of Lading, etc.), and so on. (By comparison, it costs around $1500 to ship a car by car carrier from coast to coast within the US, maybe less now that fuel prices are low). But that does not mean it is easy, as there are various legal requirements and restrictions.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has a guide on Temporarily importing a vehicle, car or engine into the U.S. which links to other government sites for obtaining customs bonds and getting NHTSA safety certification. Transport Canada similarly provides an overview of entering Canada with foreign-owned vehicles and a related FAQ.
As it is complicated, you can also hire a professional service to handle the logistics; try a search on freight forwarders or forwarding agents in your area.
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Is there a car ferry across the Atlantic?
There is no car ferry across the Atlantic. You can ship your car with a shipping company and I do, from time to time see European vehicles on our roads with European licence plates on them, so this is not unheard of. I would investigate how your insurance coverage would work if you chose to ship your vehicle.Is there a ferry to Europe from North America?
A transatlantic journey on the QM2 isn't a cruise, it's a crossing, and many people use the QM2 as their preferred mode of transport between Europe & the United States.Can you drive a car from Europe to America?
Since the passage of the Imported Vehicle Safety Compliance Act in 1988, car enthusiasts in the United States have been able to import any car from a foreign country as long as it's at least 25 years old.Can you get a ferry from UK to America?
Ferries.co.uk presents a wide range of Ferries to United States with various ferry operators from all the primary ferry ports as well as some you may have not yet come across. Ferries.co.uk can currently offer journeys to 12 ports from United States with a choice of numerous destinations.Luxury Greek Ferry? LUX DELUXE Room on Minoan Lines’ Festos Palace
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Answer 2
You can ship your car to North America, but there are not ferries.
Quite a few people send their campers from Europe to the Americas, then enjoy several trips to explore different parts. They store their vehicle in self storage places, then return the next vacation to explore more.
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