How To Ship A Car From America to Europe (our process)

In 2018, we shipped our car from America and drove it around Europe for almost a year. The top question we get is, "how did we do it?" In today's video, Greg interviews Hannah and together we share how to ship a car from America to Europe.
➠ SUBSCRIBE and join the adventure for more videos bit.ly/2lR1m1n
➠ The journey continues on Instagram: / hannahandgreg
Special thanks to @krigermd and @aileen.cerchiara on instagram. I hope you find this video helpful.
➠ Helpful links:
Car shipping companies we used:
www.schumacher...
www.bollore-lo...
www.autoshippe...
pridebaltimore...
Learn more about our car accident in Italy (and more travel mishaps):
• Travel Mishaps I Plans...
Car insurance company we used:
www.tourinsure....
▶︎ Video Segments:
0:00 Introduction
0:28 Video summary
1:16 Question 1: Should I ship my car to Europe from the United States?
1:59 Question 2: What are the best options?
3:46 Our experience picking up and dropping off our car
4:25 Question 3: Where did we ship the car to?
5:13 Question 4: Which companies do we recommend?
6:16 Question 5: Do you need an international driver's license?
7:02 Question 6: Do you need car insurance?
7:28 Question 7: Did we have any issues?
9:17 Question 8: What happened to the car?
10:29 Question 9: What did it cost?
13:40: Bloopers
➠ Who is Tiny Living Big Adventure?
Hi, we're Greg and Hannah. We built a tiny house on wheels so we can continue traveling the world at leisure. You might be wondering, “why not just buy an RV?” Let's just say that most people do the RV thing. Greg and Hannah wanted their story to be a little more memorable. We share videos about tiny living and our travels along the way.
We drove our tiny house on wheels from Florida to Montana bit.ly/3mjJTP6
Catch up on our Tiny House Build videos: bit.ly/2Zr805J
➠ Here's how to know if this channel is for you:
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Do you want to discover if tiny living is right for you?
Have you ever wanted to experience alternative living?
Do you want the freedom to travel the world at your leisure?
If you answered yes to any of these, then you belong to the Tiny Living Big Adventure community!
------------------------------------------------
➠ More ABOUT US
In January 2019, we sold our home in Florida to travel the world together. Since then we've been to 30 countries and 5 continents (with a goal to visit all 7 by 2023). But, the journey doesn't end there. We decided to build a tiny house on wheels giving us the freedom to travel around our home country. Join us, our dog and our baby girl, as we explore tiny living while having big adventures.
#alternativeliving #europeantravel #howto

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

Do you have any more questions for us on how to ship a car from America to Europe??? I (Hannah) would be happy to help.

[@HC-gn2pv]

Do you know how long an American car can stay in Europe? I am thinking to travel around Europe. I might move to another country every 5-6 months in and out Schengen zone. Thank you for helping.

[@HC-gn2pv]

Let us say 2-3 months

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

@@HC-gn2pv We drove freely for 11 months without a problem and went in and out of the Schengen zone. Every country and border crossing is different. If you plan to stay in a country for 5-6 months, I'd check the country regulations. For example, I think you could drive a vehicle in Switzerland for a year until you'd be required to register it. All depends on where you're living and if you have a physical address. It actually wasn't as complicated as I thought it would be. I hope that helps.

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

​@@HC-gn2pv 2-3 months is definitely doable. Anything within 90 days is very reasonable. Once you get into 6 months to a year in one country, that's when you could potential run into country regulations. Still check the countries you want to visit. 😁

[@AnthonyMichael504]

hey- yea- the insurance part - im a little confused about that... did you have to pay for the year? was it a yearly policy and when should I apply for it, before I ship the car over?

[@HC-gn2pv]

It is the only well-detailed no BS video. Best ever.

[@ruppsky8843]

So grateful to watch and learn this from your video. We live in France now and will go back to America this summer. We bought a used BMW XEE225 in France. We like it very much and try to ship it back to SF or Seattle America. We will copy your experience definitely. Thank you so much!

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

So happy you found this helpful. Best of luck shipping your car to Seattle. Since you're from France, that's a great place to ship to/from (as mentioned in the video).

[@cookmaster3626]

Great Info on shipping the car for use in Europe. Some questions. 1. You mentioned after 6 months in Europe you have to register the car in Europe. How did you get around it. 2. You are allowed in Schengen zone for 90 days in a 180 day period. I suppose you stayed in non Schengen after 90 days and restarted Schengen on 181st day right? 3. Going into a totally different continent, what gave you the confidence to take the 2002 Corolla, a relatively older car from the reliability point. I know Corollas are reliable but considering the continuous driving and high mileage you put in you need some confidence that it will be loyal to you. What gave you the confidence to take it, and did it serve you well without any issues. Are you a good DIY person to do basic maintenance etc. Even if you are, there are no Auto zones to buy parts for US model cars. 3. Finally, after going thru all the shipping and associated work and cost, would it have been better to buy a used car or a new car and sell it assuming the loss or delta from resale wont be more than the shipping cost. This would have been much more worry free for all the unknowns... Was a very to the point vlog with no wasted minutes on BS talk and enjoyed and learned a lot from it. Thanks!

[@kcdesignconcepts5216]

I'm glad I stumbled across your video. I plan on spending 4 months in Germany. Next spring I planned on going back and bringing my track prepped E36 BMW to drive on the Nuremberg ring. I've been on many tracks in the US, but have always dreamed of taking it out on the nordschleife. AKA Green hell. And just for prosperity, snap a picture of it in front of BMW headquarters.😄

[@vincentcummings6737]

Re insurance. Were you able to get fully cover ie collision and comprehensive?

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

Little bit different in Europe. I had liability insurance coverage. They had another plan which included full/partial comprehensive, but my car was older than 8 years old at the time, so that wasn’t an option for us.

[@JV-pd8wg]

Hi! I am planning to take my car to europe thanks to you guys! I am using RORO (Newark to Germany). I was told that I can only be in Europe as a tourist for six months by the shipping agent that will help me unload the car in Germany. How did you guys get around the six month limit as tourists? Did you have to leave a deposit of 30% of the vehicle value including freight at customs (refundable when I return). Please advice. I love your channel!

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

Welcome! 🤗 Germany's a fantastic starting point for your journey. Regarding extending your stay with your car, some countries might offer temporary permits for a few extra months if you're shipping your vehicle back home. We were advised about this by French customs. At the 6-month mark, we tried to request an extension at customs in the present country, but it seemed they either didn't understand or weren't concerned. While we got lucky with border crossings rarely checking our papers, I wouldn't risk staying beyond 6 months if you’re unsure. It's an adventure and only do what you’re comfortable doing. Either way, you won’t regret it ☺️

[@Polluticornnn]

She lives on! My work car and she is a good girl and we are so grateful for your gift!!!

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

She has the best new home. SOOOO grateful we were able to do that. ❤️❤️

[@Derly24]

I’d love to tour the Mediterranean countries in a Challenger or Charger RT. Thanks for the video!

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

That sounds like so much fun.

[@bjthedjdutchdude1992]

We shipped our 3 cars with shared container. I think 1 of them went with a stranger car because it had a small transmission problem that needed to be replaced before shipping.

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

Three cars....nice.

[@HealthyLifestyled788]

Thanks for sharing very informative.I from France and been living in the US for 14 years I'm back in France . I'm trying to import some of french products to do business in NY and Fl it was so hard to get information for the shipping

[@paulayala4816]

Great informative video! Thanks for putting together this video you covered all the points I had questions about. I have been toying with the idea of shipping my 1985 Mustang GT to France to attend the 24 hours of Le Mans while also visiting other "closer" countries of Europe. I think in my case it may not make much sense as we would only be in Europe for 2-3 weeks and we could probably get around to the other cities by rail much cheaper, "it just may not be as much fun."

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

Sounds like a great trip! Yeah...it's a lot of logistics to consider and pays off when you go for a longer trip. It only made sense for us if we stayed in Europe for 6 months or more. Also, you can't beat the public transportation in Europe. That's a lot of fun, too. It's something I wish the States had to the caliber of Europe 😀

[@notagainthishurts]

Ford Europe is looking for Mustangs for a Mustang Parade at the 2024. Please DM me if you are interested, I am in talks with some people within Ford Europe.

[@paulayala4816]

@@notagainthishurts You got my attention, what is involved?

[@shaunm5599]

@@notagainthishurts I have a 2020 GT500 in Europe. Please let me know more.

[@ReallyStrongGuy]

@@shaunm5599 What's it like with a GT500 over there? Saw 1 Mustang in a month. Prob gets a lot of attention. Any issues with emissions, parking, etc?

[@matthieukaminski4427]

Hello, I am about to do the same experience for my Audi SUV, something you did not mention was if once arrived in Le Havre, the car had to go to inspections and get a authorization of usage on the EU territory. I see a LOT of information online but kind of overwhelmed.

[@suebowman7258]

Thank you for sharing. My friend plans to ship her car from NYC to Portugal. Did you buy a shipping insurance?

[@hellgasthunter8874]

what can i do if i want to by a car from usa and transfer it to europe

[@helllomaya]

Thanks for the video! Currently planning on shopping from US to EU. What did you guys need for the homologation process? Did you do it yourself or gave a company help?

[@Leooen]

So theres a car that id love to have, dodge demon i live in europe and i only need to know how to order it online if its possible...

[@Argue-Naught]

Guys, you look like a Godsend to me - am in the process of planning something similar to your adventures (European part so far). Am surprised at the lowish number of subscribers and will do my best to promote your channel. One burning question - what is the best way, in your opinion, to get a visa for an extended stay in Europe, since the regular stay of no more than 90 days within 180 days regulation is an obvious impediment. To clarify - my wife and I are US Citizens. Please let us know and share, if you don't mind and have time to respond. In any case - a million thanks for the material you have already posted. Best of luck to y'all Alex

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

I appreciate this comment SO MUCH! Thank you! The KZbin algorithm has always been interesting 😅We're in it for the long game so expect more from us. On that note of visas....that is something currently at the top of mind. Within the next few years, we're looking to establish some type of long-term residency in Europe. specifically is one country for more than 3 months. Got a few ideas. Currently the BEST option (with no visas) while complying with the Scheghan law, the UK is the best option to reset those 90 days. As a tourist, you can stay in the UK for 6 months. Ireland may be apart of the EU, but it is not in the Schengen area so you can stay there longer, too. That's what we did. Exploring visa options in Portugal and Spain first and when I have enough to share, I plan to share it on this channel. 👍

[@Celeste-.-marie]

Honestly shocked at how affordable that actually is! In a few years we want to move to Europe and spend around 3 months in each country. We have a fairly new vehicle and would hate to sell it. Its a 2021 rav4 that we plan to pay off before we go. We are bringing a cat so this would really help us when moving country to country also. We dont know how long we will be there though and would hate to have a time limit on shipping the car back to the US.

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

It really is affordable depending on your situation. In your case it is definitely a viable option. Newer vehicle the better and a rav4 (we currently have one on lease) is small enough to get you through narrow roads in Europe. Big tip: get a license plate also for the front. When it comes to shipping the car back, I booked that later in the trip. Just paid initially for the one way. Excited for you! What an adventure.

[@LS430VIP]

UK person here. Rav4s are sold across Europe, so maintenance, dealerships and daily driving should not be an issue. Sounds like you could be in each country for a while. If so, most European countries have a limit on how long you can have a foreign car in the country before you need to re-register it as a resident car in that country with the government (DMV you call it?), which would incur import charges, taxes and paperwork. For UK for example, that is six months, although there are some exemptions.

[@BeijingerinCanada]

Thanks guys that was super helpful

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

Awesome! Glad it was helpful. 😀

[@TravelGalactic7]

I know you were sort of joking at the end, but why would you not take your truck? would it cost more to ship? or is it just too big for some of the roads there?

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

I haven’t looked into the price to ship, but the main reason is it would be way too big to drive on European roads. This car that is considered compact in America was much larger compared to the average European car. I’d only drive that truck on the autobahn in Germany. 😄

[@surfreadjumpsleep]

Did anyone ever ask you for your documentation when driving around in Europe? I'm curious because officially your car is allowed to stay for 6 months. And so how do they know when you arrived? I wonder if your car's VIN was added to a database upon arrival in Europe. If they know when you arrived, then I guess they could be strict about when you need to leave. And if there isn't an official way to extend it.. I wonder how that works. Thank you!

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

Not really. The only reason we got stopped at a few border crossings is because they didn't see a license plate on the front. When we said we were from the States and we were traveling for tourism, they were like "oh ok" then sent us on our way. I will say this. We crossed into some countries that didn't even have a border crossing (missing stamps in our passport). Technically, it would be hard to track. Legally, yes you can stay for six months in the EU, but it's not as rigid. Now if we stayed in France, yes, we would've needed to eventually register the car there. Every country is different though.

[@surfreadjumpsleep]

@@TinyLivingBigAdventure Well for now my ex-girlfriend is keeping the camper in her name. So I'm going solo to Morocco. I'm thinking about just taking the plates off my truck here in the States and bring them along with me. I might just try and see what would happen if I get on the ferry in Italy with them. I've done that trip before and I remember the port was so chaotic, seemed like anything would pass. If something goes wrong I'll just tell them that y'all said it would be OK. ;-). Congrats on the kid!

[@em5759]

they changed countries in less than 6 months

[@Top_g80comp]

Fantastic informative video 💯🤘❤️

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

Thank you! Glad it was helpful :)

[@nabeelkamal6503]

Planning to take my Cadillac Escalade ESV to Moldova to be with my wife. Any recommendation if I can be on the ship with my car so I drive directly out of the Port? Looking at Istanbul Turkey port, or Durres Albania port. Thanks. Taking my two babies Shih Tzu (dogs) with me.

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

Hi there! I looked into this option, but I don't think there's a way to be on the ship with the vehicle (especially an overseas voyage). Vehicles are shipped via a cargo ship. Now riding a ferry is completely different. Not sure if that's an option based on where you're from.

[@O-G-zd4gb]

Please give some information about Carnet de Passage, for travelling through the countries in Europe

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

Got a carnet for temporary admission in France upon import. Paid duty taxes, too.

[@coconutmacaroon4907]

I bought a car in Ireland, traveled Europe and sold it afterwards. I believe this option is cheaper but I'm not sure if its available in all of the countries and the car was right hand drive. There are ferries that one must take to get to mainland Europe. The car was a van type and I slept in it most nights. I plan on doing it again in the future.

[@MrPland1992]

How did you get it registered or handle the paperwork? I’ve seen cars dirt cheap(under $1,000) over there. I’d like to travel a few months and give it away when I’m down. In the USA you can just get insurance and a temp tag and you’re good. Do not even need any proof of ownership.

[@coconutmacaroon4907]

@@MrPland1992 Hello yes. Ok I bought my car in N Ireland but this should work anywhere in the UK and probably in the Republic. It has been about 6 years since I did it but let me share the details. You will need an address. I had a friend who let me use their's. If I remember correctly it is to receive your final paperwork, but I do know you need an address. The difficult thing for me was insurance. I couldn't get insured by any local company but I'm a veteran and got insured by USAA. I think because they probably deal with military that live outside the US. Since my trip I checked with my insurance company here and they said they could cover me, so I would do that before you go to build in redundancy. I highly recommend the experience and hope to do it again. I got loads of advice if you want to know more but that's how you get legal. As for Europe my trip was prior to Brexit but I would think the experience is still similar.

[@jmza2157]

I’m shipping my Honda S2000 back to its birth place. From California to Japan for my 6 month trip. Only problem I heard Japanese authorities are really cautious and won’t hesitate to stop foreign vehicles. To see if everything is in order and not stolen, or any sketchy stuff. Lol a Japanese vehicle that’s left hand drive (when normally it’s RHD) and California plates it’s gonna catch attention when they catch it. Tho the car should blend in.

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

Japan is an amazing place. We'd love how precise the Japanese are and love their culture. As long as you have all the required paperwork in order, you should be fine. Best of luck!

[@vincentcummings6737]

Did you require a temporary import permit, if so how long is it good for?

[@k.musitano4754]

What about which documents you need for the car ? When you ship

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

The shipping company can definitely help with all the requirements as there might be changes since we shipped our car. Documents on my end was the Title and license.

[@junaidconstruction3621]

did u guys pullout the carnet de passage?

[@djfar3al288]

Great Video! Thank you! I do have a question, I noticed the corolla had window tint which in Florida I am sure is perfectly legal but in Europe they are pretty strict. Did you have any issues? Did you have to make any modifications to the vehicle to make sure it was European Compliant? Also does the 500 euro fee that was charged in France when you picked up the vehicle vary depending on the size of the engine of the vehicle?

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

Glad you enjoyed and found it helpful! Window tint in Florida is a must and ours was just above the legal limit in Florida, too 😄 It did cross my mind that maybe it would be an issue in Europe. Fortunately, we never ran into any issues. What I did do is make sure the front passenger windows were rolled down when we crossed a patrolled border crossing. They were happy to see our faces. No modifications were needed. In general, we didn't find a lot of law enforcement on the roads. A lot is handled by cameras. Just follow the speed limits and be a great driver :). I'm not 100% sure the fee was related to engine size. That is a question I would ask the shipping company. I hope this was helpful.

[@djfar3al288]

@@TinyLivingBigAdventure Thank you for the reply!

[@thedavishometeam4948]

You didn't mention it in the video, but did any of the shipping companies talk to you about requirement to post a bond with some government (Schengan, CDP or country) to ensure you took the car back to the US?

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

Hmm, I actually don’t remember. I remember sharing with the shipping company in the US that we were going to bring the car back, but it wasn’t of any concern to them at the time. Maybe that’s changed. Also, it depends on the country too. Some are more strict than others.

[@SamuelMonteiro16]

Great information, I want to drive a nice car like an m3 or 911 through Europe. What challenges did you face on the road (outside not having a front plate) and how'd you get into the accident just curious. Thanks

[@donnakarr9143]

Thank you very much for this video! I’ve wanted to travel Europe with my vehicle but didn’t know how to start the process. I have watched several videos that are titled “how we our vehicle or our experience shipping”. They really said a lot of nothing and I felt 🤷‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️ Your video is the only one that give exact info on vehicle shipping, receiving, insurance, pros, cons etc, etc. Great Job!👍

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

We appreciate your feedback. Thank you! Glad you found it useful. 😁

[@fasalbro8557]

Do you have the shipping company name please?

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

@@fasalbro8557 All shipping companies we used are in the description 👍

[@ReallyStrongGuy]

Did any country check your vehicle's emmissions? 10 months in Europe sounds like a blast! Would love to try it.

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

Never did. We did, however, avoid driving the car in Paris and Lyon, France. They required an emissions sticker on the dash. It was a blast 😀

[@ReallyStrongGuy]

@@TinyLivingBigAdventure That's great info. Thank you! Can't wait to take "Quicksilver" to the Autobahn and Nurburgring. Will look into the details so my next questions will be very specific. Thanks again!

[@Mountain_Tactical]

Thank you so much for making this video. It is definitely helpful and informative. I’m moving to Montenegro and was planning on living there since I’ve purchased a flat on the coast. I have brand new Subaru and I want to take it with me. To me, I’m assuming the insurance should be the most important.

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

Glad it was helpful! Yes, since it's a brand new vehicle I'd look into what insurance the shipping company can offer. Best of luck on your move to Montenegro. Would love to visit.

[@alinaquock8010]

Did you have to send the original title to the shipping company?

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

Yes and we got it back when we picked up the car 👍

[@lauram3281]

Perhaps it’s better if you can buy an inexpensive car there? I know this video was about shipping your car but I’m curious how your worked out the lodging part for 10 months?

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

Definitely an option in Europe unlike the States. Lodging was actually quite simple. We changed location/country every 2-4 weeks and stayed in Airbnbs. Airbnb favors long-term stays depending on where you want to go. 🤗

[@youtub3ian728]

American cars have red light signaling, and the rear signaling is on the same spot as the brake. Also, these vehicles do not have a headlight adjustment system or a fog lamp. In order to be registered and drive on public roads, such a car must have this system changed. How did you solve this problem when you went to Europe ?

[@robtastic84]

Your cost section didn't mention anything about taxes, every other freight forwarder said that I would have to pay import taxes on the vehicle to get it into Europe. Do you know what regulations or paperwork allowed you not to pay taxes on the car?

[@alexrul-pi6cl]

If you own the car and it is in your name, you don't have to pay taxes. There are plenty of companies that will ship vehicles from the US to Poland for free. You just have to get volunteers to cross the boarder for you. Special paperwork is required on the Polish side in Przemysl.

[@cedriccottage2070]

You could have bought more mileage similar car in UK for less than the shopping cost you. Not mentioning the time etc

[@cosimo7731]

I’m looking to ship my car to italy this summer. I have so many concerns. I know i have to pay roughly 30% of the cars value at the port at time of pick up. I don’t know if i need the ownership of the car translated into italian or any other document. License plate, registering the car in italy and so on. I plan to keep the car there for recreational use as i have a summer home there

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

I would look into the Italian translation. From my experience with the international driver's License, it seemed like Italy and Spain wanted to see it in their language. Were we ever stopped when we drove there? No, but check that out. For the registration, you may have a grace period and may not have to do it right away. I'd check that out too. Good luck. Makes sense to have your vehicle there for rec use during the summer. 😁

[@henrybrar]

So what about Carnet?

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

Got a carnet for temporary admission in France upon import.

[@kimtaewoo9069]

Great video. I have question. 1. where did you sleep during the travles 2. what do you think a trailer and sleeping in it

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

During our travels we booked Airbnbs and stayed there. Regarding the trailer, we actually built and traveled in a tiny house on wheels around America. But not in Europe, yet. 🤗

[@kimtaewoo9069]

@@TinyLivingBigAdventure Thank you. I hope you have great days~

[@67buzzo]

Wish you had expanded a little bit more on insurance..

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

I’m considering doing a follow-up video and could go into a bit more detail on this. 😊

[@MotoTouringWorldWide]

Great video, thank you. Quick question, the radio in your car. Did you replace the radio so the radio stations that ended in even numbers worked?

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

Hi there! Glad you enjoyed it. We didn't replace the radio and really didn't use it. We sometimes turned it on for fun to see what stations would pick up 😀

[@realhawaii5o]

I wonder if you have any idea about the inverse process. Being Portuguese I have been considering doing a Coast to Coast of North America in my own vehicle.

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

From the East coast to the West coast of North America? Where would you be shipping from?

[@BarlitosC]

Hi, did you have to put down a deposit at customs to bring the vehicle into the EU? Thanks

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

No deposit. Just paid a duty fee.

[@mattpackwood6737]

You can't use Ro-Ro to ship an electric car. They insist you use a container instead.

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

Ro-Ro, might be cheaper, but not every car meets the criteria. There could be a reason why. I’d run that by several companies before making a decision.

[@williamduncan7401]

Sell car, buy new car. Also I assume your US car displays mph, so that's then also fixed.

[@SOURCEOFFICIELLE]

did you get an ATA Carnet in Le Havre ? or how did you bypass import taxes since it was a temporary import

[@robtastic84]

I'm also looking to an answer for this, every freight forwarder I talked to said I'd have to pay taxes.

[@SOURCEOFFICIELLE]

@@robtastic84 Send to a different country than France, spain is much easier

[@robtastic84]

Just wondering why you didn't include the tax portion in your video seems like it would be a huge cost up to 25% of the cars value

[@SOURCEOFFICIELLE]

@@robtastic84 not my video bro, just a spectator like you

[@mohamedtaher70]

You guys are great . How long can you keep the car in Europe ?how were you able to stay in Europe for 10 month as US citizen ? Thank you

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

It depends. If you cross into different countries and don't stay too long, you could keep the car in Europe for a while. To answer your next question, we were able to stay as U.S citizens because we worked within the scheghan law. If you haven't yet, look that up. To sum it up, we stayed in scheghan countries for 90 days, then left the schengen zone for 90 days. Then, you can enter schengen countries for another 90 days.

[@MrTeslaX]

Woow this woman is amazing!!

[@iordaniskioumourtzoglou4921]

I have a question about the car insurance please. Do I have to keep my US insurance for example I'm using Geico here? or just an international insurance from Europe is fine?

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

This can be tricky and depends on your situation. I'd factor it into the total cost to make sure it's worth it to do what we did. We had to keep our US policy and the numbers still worked in our favor. Every state has different laws. If it's registered in the US, then you likely need to maintain at least the minimum required insurance coverage in the state of registration, regardless of where you're currently living or driving. What you could possibly do is reduce the amount of coverage needed for miles driven in a certain time period. Or perhaps change the policy to a comprehensive only. However, I'd talk to Geico and get their advice. I hope this was helpful 🤗

[@iordaniskioumourtzoglou4921]

@@TinyLivingBigAdventure ok thank you!!

[@o.nestorreyes9246]

was regular "gas" available everywhere? or is it all diesel?

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

Regular was available pretty much everywhere. The tricky part was unlike the US where we measure in gallons, the EU measures in litres.

[@kenclark5257]

Hi thank you for your video I was just wondering what kind of document did they ask you the company before they ship your car what’s necessary thank you have a good day

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

Typical things like a copy of the car title. To make sure you have everything, the shipping company will be able to to provide the most recent info in case anything has changed from when we shipped our car.

[@elizabethelisha101]

Did you have to submit your title to the shipping company?

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

Yes 🙌 They gave it back when we picked up the car.

[@williamchen1843]

Thank you very much for this detail video! it provided a lot of information. I am planning to do the same in middle of next year, but I have a question, how were you deal with the registration and insurance in your state? I called the DMV in my state (NJ) and my insurance what I plan to do, they all said I have to cancel the state registration, return the plate and insurance, but I know we need the US license plate to drive in Europe, correct? Can you share you experience? Thanks!

[@williamchen1843]

Do you have any commenrt to my question? Thks!

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

Yes. That is correct. We surrendered our license. The tag office credited our registration and applied it when we registered for a new plate upon coming back to the states. We weren’t obligated to return the plate. That allowed us to drive in Europe with the surrendered plate. It’s only when we got back to the states where it would be illegal to drive with a canceled plate. I arranged it so when we arrived in the port in Brooklyn NYC, my mom mailed us our new plate. 😀

[@williamchen1843]

@@TinyLivingBigAdventure That is great information, thank you so much!!

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

@@williamchen1843 Glad I could help!

[@fordexpeditionrecoverys2594]

Hi thanks for the beautiful video, is it true that once a car gets shipped out of the USA the title gets salvaged so when you return it and you decide to sell it, you can't sell it for its going value Thanks alot

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

I'm not sure. We traveled for leisure and never traded it in. Maybe it applies to certain situations. Our vehicle was a bit older and paid off. We sold it to a friend and easily transferred the title .

[@unoduetrem540]

How long did it take to ship the vehicle? Specifically, did it take long for the shipper to fill your crate with other cars before heading to Europe? I’m terms of the company, all I have read is bad reviews for Schumacher and Shipoverseas, interested to hear if your experience with the former was positive.

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

From what I remember it took about 3 weeks to fill the crate. That's the big downside to a shared container. But once it ships, pretty smooth sailing from there. That took about 3 weeks. I remember the ratings weren't outstanding with Schumacher, but the reason I went with them is the communication was solid from the beginning and they answered all my questions (which was a lot). Not sure if the experience would be the same, but perhaps there are more companies with better ratings that could do a great job.

[@villa2387]

Thanks for the video. Two questions: 1) You didnt need a european licence plate? And 2) No issues with the lights? (turning signal in US might be red instead of orange in Europe).

[@laszlomarkcsiki9002]

You would not get a European licence plate until you pay custom duties and import tax to the EU and Register the vehicle to a country with in the EU, but to do that you need to prove you live in a EU country to be able to register it under your own name, if you keep it on American plates then turn signals and other things like reflectors on the bumpers will not mater until you register the vehical, your are only legally allowed to own a foreign plate vehicle in a country for maximum of 6 months out of a calendar year, after 6 months you need to register it or take it back to it's original country.

[@surfreadjumpsleep]

Easy enough to change the plastic covers on a light.

[@temax]

@@laszlomarkcsiki9002 No, you don't need to prove anything. You just register it, and that's it.

[@travelbastards3870]

thank you so much

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

Welcome 😊

[@fasalbro8557]

What is the shipping companies website please ?

[@DjiLover]

Question to you guys and I hope you see it. My vehicle is arriving at Le Havre in a couple of weeks and I am wondering if you had to contact the french customs yourself to get the ATA carnet or whatever you got for the temporary import, or the receiving agents handled that for you. My vehicle is going to be handled by Bollore which is exactly the same service you used. Please share your experience with this and thank you very much.

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

Hi there! That's awesome you're using the same port and service provider we used! 😃 To answer your question: We had to handle the customs process ourselves for the temporary import, but that was our unique situation. Our car was delayed, and we were scheduled to leave France soon, so we were advised to manage the customs paperwork in person. We took the paperwork to Bollore and then went to the shipping yard to collect our vehicle. If we hadn't been on a tight schedule, Bollore would have taken care of all the customs procedures, and our car would have been delivered directly to our Airbnb. Despite the complexity and the language barrier (as most people spoke only French), we managed to get it done. I hope this was helpful.

[@DjiLover]

@TinyLivingBigAdventure Thank you so much. Did you have to go to the customs office at the port of le havre and get clearance from them? Any idea what you took with you? I am assuming the title, registration, and the passports? When I contacted Bollore, they provided and email and said contact customs for vehicle clearance. The title was shipped to bollore via FedEx, so I am guessing I have to pick up the papers from Bollore first, then go to customs, get clearance, then return to pick up the vehicle. Any idea how much time it took with customs? Are we talking hours, days? Thanks you very much, this is extremely helpful.

[@danicg4221]

Can this be done the other way around? Like if I want to ship a new car from Europe to America?

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

Yes. I'm sure the forms are slightly different from country to country, but the process is similar. I'd discuss the details with the shipping company of your choosing if you decide to do this. I've seen cars driving around America with an EU license plate. Earlier last year, I saw an RV with a license plate from Deutschland.

[@danicg4221]

@@TinyLivingBigAdventure great! Thanks for the advise 😀

[@oxirosmusic]

I’m planning to send my car as a change of residence when I move back to Spain in a couple of years, therefore I’d have to make the modifications to pass the technical inspection in Spain…wish me luck! I think I’m exempt from all the car certifications

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

Yes. Good luck with that 😀

[@SensiiNips_]

Did you ever consider buying a used car in Europe? Selling it when you were done ?

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

We sure did and would do it next time. 😀Perhaps with a motor home? Our car was paid off so that’s why we did it this way.

[@ellmiller2013]

How much did it cost to ship from the US to Europe?

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

I shared the cost at timestamp 10:29. 😎

[@bunnysnake1013]

I know this was a year ago but did you guys have a visa? How did you stay in Europe consecutive months like that?

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

No visa required. To keep my answer short. You can legally travel in Schengen countries (most Western European countries) for 90 days. Then you have to leave for 90 days. Then it resets. We spent 90 days in, then spent 90 days in UK/Ireland (non- Schengen), the then went back in for another 90.

[@bunnysnake1013]

@@TinyLivingBigAdventure ah I see thanks brexit 😂

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

@@bunnysnake1013 Oh yes. Worked great for us and there is so much see in the UK 😁

[@Mrsdstry]

@@TinyLivingBigAdventurehow easy was it to adapt to drive on the left side of the road?😅

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

@@Mrsdstry At every round-about in the UK and Ireland, I muttered to myself, "on the left...on the left" 🤣🤣

[@stanislavschaefer3233]

If you travel to German, your state-local driver's license is valid for 90 days in the country (you don't need an international license). The license plate is a must on the front of your vehicle because of the cameras on the highways. They do not use police for people who speed. They have cameras in random locations on the interstate and in cities that take a picture of your vehicle if it is traveling above the speed limit. In France, the camera can also take photos of the car from behind, but most of them take a picture from the front. If don't have a license plate on the front of the car, the police will not allow you to drive on the road until you have one. You can also have your vehicle impounded.

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

Loved driving in Germany. Great info. Thank you so much for sharing! I think we got lucky, honestly. I'd put a plate on the front in a heartbeat if there is a next time.

[@Progressive.G]

Which video discusses the car accident?

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

Video link in description 😉

[@em5759]

why you were not buying a car you could get pretty nice car for spent money, especiallly found a car what probably would be nice sale hit in us. possibly....

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

You are definitely right. We learned more about it as we traveled through Europe. On our radar for next time.

[@djilalihamoum]

Awesome adventure, did u guys pay any fee or taxes for your car to pick it up in france ? Thx

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

We paid 500 euros in duty tax when we picked up our car in France. 👍

[@bingruchen27]

hi thanks for the video! one question is that did u guys ever have a european license plate or u used the Florida license plate the whole time??

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

We used our Florida plate the whole time.

[@bingruchen27]

@@TinyLivingBigAdventure thank you for replying. But, is that allowed like isn't that weird for the local police? Also, did u get have to ship this car back to the US for sure, but what if you guys find a job there and decide to stay? 🙏

[@sharineisenia5492]

Is shipping to zug switzerland possible???

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

Hey there. This is from the company we used: www.schumachercargo.com/ch/car-shipping-to-switzerland.html Looks like you'd need to use one of the major European ports then truck it to Switzerland. I hope this helps! 🙂

[@nwgardner]

Thank you for making the time for this video. Super timely and educational as I am preparing to visit the EU for 3 months. Were there any import or duty taxes that you paid when you picked your vehicle up?

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

Glad you found it helpful. We paid 500 euros in duty taxes on import. Also know as a destination charge. Could vary a bit depending on the country you choose to temporarily import. I found France very reasonable.

[@MuzzaHukka]

A new vehicle from outside of Europe being imported brand new into either the UK or continental Europe will typically get taxed with between 5% import duties at the lower end to bring a vehicle into Switzerland and typically between 17 and 21% in EU countries. A vehicle that is temporarily driven from Turkey which is not an EU member state into Greece doesn't have to pay anything to cross the land border but cars being shipped by boat usually have fees that you have to pay to the docks for releasing your vehicle but these are not import duties and these would typically be paid even if it were a European car that was registered and text in Europe being sent back to Europe from the US... If you own a vehicle for 6 months and have driven it for 5000km or more (5k miles in the UK), you can bring it with you when you move to Europe without paying taxes. You might need to drill ugly holes in the side of the mirrors to add EU-compliant lights but if it's a more popular car like a BMW then you can typically borrow EU specification tail lights to do the matriculation (so there is a test that you do once every 12 or 6 months depending on the age of the vehicle after it has been imported and there's a very thorough inspection that the government would do when you bring an on the EU spec vehicle into Europe for permanent registration for the first time... You don't have to mutilate your car, you can borrow someone else's EU headlights and pass that one-off examination and then put your US lights back in there)

[@Jp-tw5mm]

did you have to pay taxes to be able to bring the car and drive it there ? or any kind of permit ?

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

We were only required to pay the tax duty fee which at the time was 500 euros. No permit. We just signed an agreement that if we stayed in France we would have to register the vehicle "eventually." But, of course, we didn't stay and left to drive around the EU.

[@Cheeseburgerperson141]

I want to visit France or Netherlands and bring my ws6 trans am there one day

[@shaunm5599]

Enjoy paying 12 dollars per gallon and speed cameras every 2-3 miles. The Netherlands is by far the worst care country in Europe.

[@ckchouk]

You did not have to pay French duties and taxes to get your car in France?

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

We paid 500 euros. Every country is different and I found France's duties/taxes were reasonable compared to other countries.

[@ckchouk]

@@TinyLivingBigAdventure how is that amount calculated, is it based on car value or just a flat rate?

[@msoufi3667]

U could buy a car in europ veyr cheap for 500 or 2000 all works good and drive it there

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

While it was so much fun and worth it shipping our own car, we'd totally do what you're suggesting next time around. 😀

[@msoufi3667]

@TinyLivingBigAdventure I actually looking right now to ship car to Spain and then drive it to Algeria via ferry in Almeria. And I am not sure if I can drive it normally when I ship it and then fly to it

[@msoufi3667]

@@TinyLivingBigAdventure and I think we can't buy car I just asked and they told me I must write it on someone else who lives their and they give me permission to use it. So it risky to buy unless u trust the person to put it on their name

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

@@msoufi3667 There are companies that you can work with in which they hold the "title" and then you agree to sell it back to them. This is popular in Germany.

[@neecosse]

Would it have been possible to sell the car in Europe at the end of your trip? Or for parts, etc?

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

Great question. We definitely considered it over shipping the car back. We did pop into a Toyota dealership in Italy and asked them. They looked at it then said they couldn't. Although, it's possible we could've if we continued to explore other places. You never know until you're in that kind of situation, right?

[@janrosenbaum9382]

You could sell it, but in this case it wouldnt be worth much. There are custom fees, taxes, the car has to be transformed to European standards (especially lights etc- depends on the car...) So just transferring to Euro standards is 1000 Bucks easy. Even if you do all this for a 20 year old Corolla, you still face the parts problem. Very often US models are very different from the Euro ones, so everything has to be imported. There are exceptions... If you bring desireable Cars like a V8 Mustang, Camaro, Challenger, there are bigger chances as these are enthusiasts cars. You could try to sell in countries with American military presence like Germany or some parts of Italy, they know how to deal with the whole process... If you bring an old car, be aware that brand dealerships will not buy them due to Warranty laws. If the dealership wants to resell a 20 year old car to a private person, they have to ad a 12 month warranty on the vehicle. They understanably wont do this so it would only be good for export to Eastern Europe or Africa. Its just not worth it.

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

@@janrosenbaum9382 💯 agree!! Not worth the cost. We definitely went all in with shipping the car. That car brought us so much value before the trip that I remember telling myself, if something happened to it in Europe, I would be okay with it. The car had a great run 😁 We ended up gifted it to a family member and they fixed the door. It's still running today.

[@Spiritualwarfare587]

With that cost u can buy a car in europe

[@joegenshlea4605]

Thanks for the video. The car insurance can probably be deducted from the total cost as you'd have to buy car insurance for a rental. Also, did you consider just buying a usedToyota Corolla in Europe, driving it around then selling it before you returned? I would think this would have been the most economical method.

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

I read about it before and then discovered how common it is to buy/sell a car after we were already in Europe 😂 Maybe we'll do it the next time. However, we like to do things a little unconventional. Produces some great memories and stories to tell. ☺️

[@thedavishometeam4948]

@@TinyLivingBigAdventure Interesting that you mention this. Everything I've read says it's neigh on to impossible to buy a car in Europe if you can't show/prove residency. Any places you recommend to look into this further

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

@@thedavishometeam4948 Since I haven't done this yet, I can't say it's impossible or not. However, from the research I've gathered, there are third party companies that do a buy/buy back agreement. That's what I'd do if we decide to do this in the future. The company owns the title and you leverage that. Similar to leasing a car in the states. I'd check Germany first then check out France. I hope that makes sense.

[@ibanezyamato7885]

Great! But I only stayed for a month and paid 1200 dollars for an Audi for a month.

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

In that case, not worth it to ship your vehicle 🙂

[@ibanezyamato7885]

@@TinyLivingBigAdventure yes but I found out I can take my Sienna to Turkey and stay there for 2 years legally. Maybe next year I will do that. Great video by the way

[@mobilelegendsmoskov893]

As a German the way you said Schumacher made me vomit! Ty!

[@dunkafa]

What about you just buy a car there. Way cheaper and less headache...

[@wanderingronin305]

The Schumacher guy is saying shipping car to France is hard and they want too much documents and get keeps trying to convince me to send it to rotterdam. Is he lieing?

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

It's possible France has changed or adapted their requirements since we shipped our car there. Have you contacted other car shippers? I'd get a second or third opinion and compare if you haven't already.

[@wanderingronin305]

@@TinyLivingBigAdventure What port in France did you use?

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

@@wanderingronin305 Le Havre.

[@al_easy7035]

I’m surprised you would ship such a cheap and wrecked car back to the states? Why not sell it in Europe. I’m considering shipping my car to Europe so we can use it for a few months and would not pay to ship it back.

[@mamatuja]

You would be better off if you bought a car in Europe used it for 10 months and sold it there also. Perhaps🤔

[@chifineart]

So basically, I need to marry a person named Hanna in order to get my car to Europe. Got it. ;-)

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

Haha....that's great 😂

[@chifineart]

@@TinyLivingBigAdventure I'm actually looking into transporting my Defender from the US to Iceland for a few months so your video is helpful. Appreciate the time you took to create this!

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

@@chifineart Anytime. Glad we could help! Good luck in Iceland. Beautiful country.

[@mihapersa]

why didn't you just buy a car in europe? it would be easier and cheaper. you would sell it to a car dealer before you returned home. and you would get most of the money back

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

Great point. The main reason we decided to ship our own car was because it was already paid off. During our time overseas, like you said, we did discover it is more common to buy and sell vehicles in Europe. Definitely considered this and perhaps will do this if we decide to do a European RV trip in the future. :)

[@unoduetrem540]

It’s far more expensive to buy the same vehicles in Europe, especially ones that were produced outside of the EU, due to VAT and other taxes. Cars are in some countries 50-60% more expensive. Also, in Europe you don’t have a unified carfax to check the vehicle and cannot check if the mileage is true. And above all where do you register it? You don’t have European residency.

[@HC-gn2pv]

@@unoduetrem540 Good info same as my research result. Glad to know that smart no BS people exist.

[@calengr1]

@@unoduetrem540 dont Americans get the VAT/sales tax back in a rebate and the Euro dealers or even the OEM will handle the paperwork....... I really think that buying the car with a plan to ship back to the USA would be cheaper..... plus one gets a new car, free airline tickets. But it does limit one to certain makes/models etc

[@unoduetrem540]

@@calengr1 I believe that you are referring to the European Delivery program that some German manufacturers have. That is a cool experience but not something they are talking about here. You cannot buy a car in Europe unless you have residency, the ED is a very short term exception, and most people that ship vehicles travel longer than 15 days.

[@adamhani7616]

Don't do that ,you will need a coc certificate of conformity,euro norme ,and you need to homology the car it cost you more than 5k 😂

[@mega-hb4re]

Why would you ship that pile of crap 💩, should’ve buy a cheap car there instead.

[@TinyLivingBigAdventure]

The pile of 💩 you’re referring to was paid off and it just made sense financially for us to ship it there and back. If we do a jot like this again in the future, we’d pursue the buy/sell option in Europe 😉

[@sfgcggf2900]

@@TinyLivingBigAdventure

[@helllomaya]

Thanks for the video! Currently planning on shopping from US to EU. What did you guys need for the homologation process? Did you do it yourself or gave a company help?