Roadtrip across the pond

[HarpreetSingh]

Evening chaps, chapesse's and everyone inbetween

Many thanks for the warm welcome!! My B7 RS4 is still keeping me smiling (until it inevitably rinses me of my savings no doubt). Some advice from the international trekkers out there please

Looking at planning for an international road trip out in the USA with a few of my friends. Im thinking East to West Coast for now however need to finesse this a little more. Importing and Exporting the car to and from the UK isn't proving to be a headache for me, but more finding an insurance company who is willing to cover a UK registered car on US soil albeit for between 30-40 days. Does anyone have any recommendations?

I've tried Hagerty Insurance as they have American counterparts however they only cover recognised rallies and said my car isn't old enough

Any steer that you could give me would be gratefully received!

[FrazerD]

Nothing in between a “chap” or a “chapesse”.

Getting to your road trip, are you really planning on importing your RS4 to America for a month then import it back? Surely that’s just a huge ball ache. I get the whole experience and it would be unforgettable but for me, it would be an excuse to hire a muscle car of your choice and do it in style, corvette, camaro, charger, viper, mustang.

Cheers

[MikeFish]

Nothing in between a “chap” or a “chapesse”.

Getting to your road trip, are you really planning on importing your RS4 to America for a month then import it back? Surely that’s just a huge ball ache. I get the whole experience and it would be unforgettable but for me, it would be an excuse to hire a muscle car of your choice and do it in style, corvette, camaro, charger, viper, mustang.

Cheers

This sounds like a good idea. Not sure what the charge would be to leave the car at the opposite end of the continent would be though.

[FrazerD]

This sounds like a good idea. Not sure what the charge would be to leave the car at the opposite end of the continent would be though.

I suppose it depends how big the company is. If you managed to get a car like that through a big rental company, wouldn’t be any charge, happens all the time with folk driving between airports.

https://exoticcars.enterprise.com/en/vehicles.html

Cheers

[MikeFish]

I did a a quick search and the usual suspect came up like Hertz and Enterprise so they will have branches across the USA.

[dhali]

I did a road trip this year from Vancouver to Vegas ( just over 1600 miles ) via the Pacific coast highway , Redwood national park , Yosemite national park, San Francisco , Death Valley and onto Vegas . In a mid size Suv and the cost was around £650 and that was with a favourable travel employee discount. Iirc correctly there was a one way rental charge of about £120 included in that .
Btw the rental car was picked up just across the border in Bellingham USA.

[Shoppinit]

Last time I was in the US I came across a heavily modified Transporter T3 in full 4x4 offroad + RV guise. It was German registered. So it must be possible to temporarily import your car there and do all the insurance, etc. First time I have seen a European registered car in North America.

I agree that it would be massively easier just to rent a car.

[535dboy]

I don’t get why you want to take yoUr car - it isn’t exactly fun driving over there !

[alfrs6]

I’ve done Route 66 and Pacific coast highway, but rented a Camaro SS there, doing it in a muscle car does add to the Americana of it all.

I have however looked into doing this with the motorbike, albeit a while ago now, but planned to ship it over for a month then back. There are several companies who take care of just about everything to do with it, some including helping you sort out insurance, you just have to drop it off at airport/port of your choosing. Might be worth doing a google for some bike companies and see if they are aware of any similar types for cars?

[MikeFish]

I’ve done Route 66 and Pacific coast highway, but rented a Camaro SS there, doing it in a muscle car does add to the Americana of it all.

I have however looked into doing this with the motorbike, albeit a while ago now, but planned to ship it over for a month then back. There are several companies who take care of just about everything to do with it, some including helping you sort out insurance, you just have to drop it off at airport/port of your choosing. Might be worth doing a google for some bike companies and see if they are aware of any similar types for cars?

Do you know your signature says you have an RS7?

[alfrs6]

Do you know your signature says you have an RS7?

[HarpreetSingh]

Hi Folks, Merry belated Christmas to you all and hope you all had a good one!

Thanks for the input here, much appreciated although I can see I probably wasn't clear on my original question.

- the importing/exporting of the vehicle to and from the UK and USA isn't an issue. I've shortlisted a number of companies who can do what they need to in terms of customs clearance and ensuring that the car is insured for the transit both ways overseas. IMO the costs aren't really that bad, although I appreciate everyone has a different idea on what costs warrant worthiness of a given roadtrip- different strokes. It's something I've always wanted to do and my personal circumstances permit me to at the moment hence my commitment for making it happen.

-The part I need pointers on are of any known companies in the UK who insure vehicles internationally. (Alfrs6- thanks for the heads up ill do some digging). If anyone has any recommendations/ideas please send them my way, otherwise I'll be looking to contact some overseas insurers to see what can be done.

Thanks all

[R56WUF]

Our of interest what are the rough costs involved in shipping to and from?

[HarpreetSingh]

Our of interest what are the rough costs involved in shipping to and from?

circa £600 to East coast, circa £900 from West Coast- both excluding taxes.

[zappy-chops]

Our of interest what are the rough costs involved in shipping to and from?

circa £600 to East coast, circa £900 from West Coast- both excluding taxes.

Is that going by ship or cargo plane? You'll be without the car for a rather long time if it's going by ship I guess. And how long does customs clearance take at each end? Did you also look into what they will actually do to the car in customs? Let a sniffer dog run around it or will they potentially take it apart in some capacity?

Regarding the insurance, I haven't watched all the YouTube videos yet but "seen through glass" is taking a Porsche 911 around the world and I am sure I saw that one of his videos talks about insurance for the trip. You may get some tips there.