Car camping on transatlantic ship
I am curious about the most economic way to travel to and through Europe and was thinking to load camping gear in a hatchback and put it on a ferry to somewhere in Europe (e.g. Lisbon) together with us inside. Because if we made the trip last over a month, it would make more sense to ship our vehicle (I heard it's around $1000 each way) than to rent it there and we could camp out of it most of the time.
Generally, is this feasible or is it just a bats**t crazy idea? Or somewhere in between.
Best Answer
You will most likely not be allowed to travel in the car, because it will be shipped on a cargo vessel.
You also do not want to do this; because on a cargo vessel you do not have the luxury of a ferry where there is room to walk around, facilities, etc.
To my knowledge, there are no ferries across the Atlantic. Your choices are cruise ships (where they don't carry vehicles) or cargo ships (which don't allow you to camp inside cars).
So, you'll end up handing over your car to a shipper - which will give you an estimated date of arrival of your vehicle at the destination. You'll have to pay for insurance to cover the time your vehicle is with the logistics company/handler.
You may then have to pay for clearance of customs; any insurance (to be able to drive the car in Europe - which will not be a token amount), and then finally be able to drive the vehicle.
Keep in mind gasoline prices vary wildly between US and Europe - you may end up spending more than anticipated in fuel.
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Is a transatlantic crossing rough?
Issues: Ocean crossings always encounter the roughest waters because there are no nearby landmasses to provide shelter. Avoid: The winter months are the most intense, with transatlantic cruises hitting very rough seas from November through February, and Pacific cruises from February through April.Can you take 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.How much does it cost to cross the Atlantic by ship?
Cunard's Queen Mary 2 makes regular transatlantic repositioning trips from New York to the United Kingdom, Germany and France. Itineraries range from seven-day, one-way trips to 27-day round trips, and prices range from $800 to $2,500 per person, depending on the itinerary and time of year.How do you get across the Atlantic without flying?
You need a ship of some sort to get from Europe to the United States without flying, Many cruise ships cross the Atlantic. However, if you avoid flying for environmental reasons, you should note that cruises and ferries cause a lot more CO2 emissions than flights.Transatlantic travel on container ship Germany-USA
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Answer 2
If you are mechanically inclined and would feel comfortable doing so, you could purchase a used vehicle in a private sale wherever you decide to land, likely for a lot less than the cost to ship your car. Scour the local classified ads on the Internet, though as always, watch out for scams.
My father was able to do this with a Volkswagon bus back in the 1970's; apparently it required a quart of oil with every fuel stop.
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