For the ultimate American road trip, you want a native V8, a retractable roof and California license plate, because that looks best in the picture. But secretly it would be extremely cool to brave Route 66 in your own car. Is that possible? And what does it cost to make a road trip through America in your own car?
If you want to rent a Ford Mustang convertible in San Francisco, for example, you will pay at least 2,200 euros for a month. At the counter they will then be happy to sell you extra insurance. And then you still have a chance that it is not a V8 or that you will get an ‘or similar’. Then you suddenly have a BMW 4-series convertible. Nothing wrong with that, but not what you want for the maximum American experience.
Can you drive your own car in America?
According to the Geneva Convention, cars that are allowed here on public roads can also drive in America and Canada. Officially, your car must be MOT inspected and have a valid license plate. You are also not allowed to be in the US for more than a year with a foreign car. It is also recommended to bring an international driver’s license.
What does it cost to ship your car to America?
We asked Marlog Car Handling for a quote for a medium sized car. You bring your car to the warehouse in Roosendaal, after which the company takes care of the rest. After six to eight weeks, your car will be waiting for you in the port of Oakland – with a view of the Golden Gate Bridge. The perfect starting point for your road trip. At the end of the ride you can return it in New York.
Shipping the car to California by sea freight costs 1,550 euros. In addition, 460 euros for import documentation, 70 to 600 euros deposit for customs, 530 euros for unloading the car and another 230 to 330 euros for the port. Because you do not import the car, you do not pay any import duty, but you do pay 0.125 percent of the value of your car as a Harbor Maintenance Fee.
So keep in mind that you will have to pay an extra 2,000 euros for all operations in the port. Fortunately, returning to the Netherlands is a lot cheaper. If you return the car in New York, the sea trip costs just under 900 euros. In the Netherlands, the port still charges 395 euros for handling costs, 95 euros for customs clearance and a further 65 euros for administration.
Your Dutch car insurance in America
It pays to check the policy, but there is a good chance that your car is not insured in America. It is quite a task to get in touch with American insurers, but luckily we came up with the help of an article wereldreizigers.nl from Thum Insurance and Seguro Gringo. With the latter you can immediately see on the website what it costs to insure your Dutch car in America.
If we use a month for the comparison with the rental car, starting the trip in California and ending in New York, then for a driver aged 21 or older we arrive at a total amount of 120 euro. This covers you for $100,000 in property damage and $200,000 in accidental injury. Plus $10,000 in medical expenses.
World Travelers indicates that the amounts at Seguro Gringo are very low; if you have a collision with a fat BMW, you are almost at the total amount of damage. The bills of hospitals in America are also not tender. It might pay off to request some more quotes.
Calculate a bit more for your convenience
Thum Insurance charged just under $1,700 for six months for a $28,000 Mitsubishi pickup (converted into a camper) in 2022, so about 260 euro per month. An offer for all-risk was 80 euros more per month. You can take out this insurance for half a year or a full year. Third party insurance for a $46,000 Mercedes Sprinter was about approx 225 euro per month.
The amount of the premium will depend on various factors such as the value of your car, but also how old you are. So please contact us for your own quote, but for the sake of convenience, keep a minimum in mind 500 euros per month. Then it can only work out. On the total road trip, 100 euros more or less does not matter.
A road trip in America with your own car: worth it?
Shipping your own car to America for a road trip should never be a rational decision. If you want to be cheap, you should take a cheap rental car. But it is certainly possible – and it is extremely cool to see a set of yellow license plates driving through Death Valley. It’s worth it for the photos alone.
2023-07-08 08:04:41
#cost #road #trip #America #car
