Taking a US car to Europe for holidays (cost, country, pay)

[Hannah7]

Has anyone brought a car for holidays in Europe? We are talking about, say, 3-6 month trip during which renting a car there would come expensive.

Yes, I know Europe has great public transportation, but I'd still want to take my car.

Can somebody give me guidance as to where to start?

There are 2 options I am currently looking at. First is taking the vehicle to Europe and back to America after a few months. And second is taking the vehicle to Europe and selling it there at the end of the journey.

Has anybody done it? If so, please, share some details!

[irman]

Not sure if you have done some homework, about the transportation cost to and from Europe.

Talk to a reliable source about that first.
We moved (lock stock and barrel) to Europe twice and took our 2 cars to Europe the second time.
First time they provided two cars while I worked there, the second time they would only provide one car.
Going to Europe, the cars were part of our household shipment. Coming back only one car was included with the household shipment. One car was left with me, and I returned Stateside, a year later, and then shipped the car with a shipping company who did things like that all the time.
That was in 1996 and the cost (for a Honda Accord) was 900 dollars (give or take a few dollars).
I do not remember any more if I paid for under deck or above deck shipment ...
The car was shipped from Rotterdam-Holland to Port Hueneme-California.

So who knows what the cost might be today. Figure it out and then compare the cost to renting whatever you can get in Europe. I can provide a source for you to talk to (about shipping costs), if you need one. Just Direct Message me.

Another way might be ...
1 - Do you know anybody in Europe who can help you buy a small car and then selling it again after you are done with it ? Buying on one your own would not be that difficult if you have cash on hand ! Add Insurance for the time you are there !!

2 - How about thinking of *European Delivery* on a new car, you can drive there, then bring it back to the States and then selling that car in the States or keep it and sell your old cars ? Shipping back to the USA and local insurance would all be included in your purchase price !!

3 - Have you checked with *Local European* rental companies about long term renting ?

What kind of a car are you thinking of using in Europe. Just a car (like a sedan) or a camper type one, so you can save money on accommodations ?
Your drivers license is valid when you have an international one with you also.
Have you checked on your insurance *back home* ? Will they pay for whatever may happen to you while in Europe ! Do you know what an *Italian Souvenir* is ??

Bringing your *car* and leaving it there to be sold after you leave ...
Who will take care of that ?
Your car *may* not meet the local safety standards and thus hard to sell if even possible !

So many things to still think about ...
Also, you do realise that gasoline in Europe is literally an arm and a leg ?!
So get a diesel fueled engine !!


If you decide to rent long term ...
http://www.autoeurope.com/long-term-car-rental/
https://www.renaultusa.com/
Eurocar TT - spécialiste de la location automobile de long terme Citroën formule achat-rachat en Europe

Short term leasing :
How to Lease a Car Short-Term in Europe

Some final thoughts before I forget !
If you drive a car, and you stay in a hotel, be careful about hotel garages scam ! Uhuh, SCAM !!
Find out about the nightly parking fee at the hotel, and then compare that to a municipal car park and a taxi ride ! Been there done that for over 12 years of European business travel !

Whatever you end up doing, when you get there, remember you are not in the USA.
Read this :
Driving and Rules of the Road in Europe
Make sure you click on the *+ icons*

Haff Phun !!

[elnina]

I would rather buy a car there and sell it by the end of the trip. Cheaper and less headache. Car from the US must meet all European standards.
What car you have in mind? Make/year?
https://www.carfax.eu/article/car-tr...to-europe.html

Also consider this:
http://www.carprousa.com/buy-new-vehicle-pick-overseas

BTW: I rented Ford Mondeo combi for 5 weeks last August @ $11/day. No repairs, no insurance, running on cheap diesel... You should do the math.

Also: do you know how to drive a car in EU? Here are some rules:
https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-ti...ng-europe-tips
And get familiar with traffic fines.

[GymFanatic]

You can buy American cars in Europe.

[Jezer]

An American car wouldn't be legal over here in Europe unless things have changed in the last few years.

One thing that springs to mind is lights.

There's a reason that hardly anyone does it.

[streetway]

It might be a stupid thing I am going to write, but if you are planning to travel across the Europe and sell the car in your final destination remember that you would need to unregister the car in the country where it is currently registered, before you can sell it.

[barneyg]

Originally Posted by Jezer

An American car wouldn't be legal over here in Europe unless things have changed in the last few years.

One thing that springs to mind is lights.

There's a reason that hardly anyone does it.

Not exactly -- you can definitely drive your American car in Europe as a tourist. Importing it would be another matter.

OP -- I agree with the others, you might want to compare the cost of long-term leasing vs. shipping x2 / insurance and other hassles. Buy back programs ("achat-rachat") are popular with North American visitors, in France anyway, not sure how prevalent that method is elsewhere.

Another thing you mentioned is a 3-6 month vacation -- make sure you understand Schengen area rules before you plan too far ahead. Unless you end up staying less than 3 months within the Schengen area, you will likely need to apply in advance for a longer-term tourist visa from one of the countries you will be visiting.

[Rob702]

Originally Posted by barneyg

Not exactly -- you can definitely drive your American car in Europe as a tourist. Importing it would be another matter.

Only if it meets local standards when it comes to safety, insurances and environmental issues.

[Hannah7]

Thanks a lot to everybody for their input! Some questions that came up.

- What car am I planning to use?
I want to drive my big Subaru. I already looked and these cars are very rare and expensive in Europe. Plus I love it.

- What is Italian souvenir? I don’t know

- How is insurance gonna work? Is my American insurance company going to insure me or do I have to get a local insurance in Europe?

- I know gasoline in Europe is expensive. But who cares, I cannot stand diesel cars for some reason.

- Who would take care of selling the car in Europe?
Me. I would have to sell it myself, but to be honest I don’t know all the paperwork that is involved, and taxes that I’d have to pay. What I know, though, this exact model is $25k new in the U.S. and the same one is $32k in Europe.

- Drivers license and visa rules
I am American, but I also have the privilege to a second passport from EU, so I guess I don’t have to worry about any visas. However, I do have only American drivers license so I guess I will have to apply for an international one regardless.

[KuuKulgur]

Too much of a hassle. I take you have a Tribeca. Not worth it. Just buy a car in Europe and after your trip, sell it in the same country you bought it in.