Shipping a 4x4 into Egypt

[Toby]

Hi Folks, Easter 2011, I intend to ship two 4x4s into Egypt from UK. I know about the rather prohibitive 800% carnet deposit and am in touch with a local shipping company here in UK, but would really appreciate any first hand experiences of shipping into Alexandria. I have crossed the road border from Libya into Egypt, so have a long days experience! I also have an Egyptian pal who claims to have a contact to ease the passage of the 4x4s through customs etc for a bit of 'under the table' money. You shared experience would be a great help. Many thanks, Toby Savage

[Trumpton]

Hi,
I have also done the land border crossing & shipped into Alex in containers, the best advice I can give you about containering into Alex is DONT!!!!

Nightmare is the understatement of the year

The land crossing (Sollum) is a piece of cake in comparison

I would allow at least 7 days to recieve your car from container & loads of Baksheesh, from my experience, its quicker & easier to do the drive through Libya

Shipping out of Alex is easy though

Why not try the Venice to Alex ferry, only heard good reports so far & I think the operators have some sort of deal going with the Alex authorities.

I will be in Egypt again a couple of times this autumn (fly in for a short trips) & will try to find out some more info then as I hope to be trying the ferry in Feb

I could go into great detail about the entry procedures at Alex & Dekhila ports but would take me ages.

If containering is your only option, I can give you some info about who not to use, and which shipping lines to avoid etc etc!! but still expect to get plenty of grey hairs!!

Andy

[Toby]

Hi Andy, Thanks for your detailed reply. The ferry would be kind of simple, but it's quite a haul to Venice, then a good three days kicking heals and reading books cruising the Med. Prices look tempting, but the time could be a big issue. If I can build a week of hell into the Egyptian end, that I could leave my Egyptian pal to do most of, it could work. I know others have done it, just can't remember who. I think one was the son of Pat Clayton with a Landy 90 about 10 years ago. Cheers, Toby

[Trumpton]

We had hoped our Egyptian friend would be able to sort most of it, (& we gave him power of attorney before our arrival) but as it transpired, we needed to be on hand for signing of various paperwork etc etc

Ill let you have some more (very important) info in a few days when I have a bit more time.

Yes, many have done it (including us last oct) but it can be a beauracratic nightmare.

We thought 3 or 4 days would be enough, but I would advise you to allow the full 7 from when the containers arrive as we then hit problems with desert permits etc as we were behind schedule.

Another thing, dont believe the Egyptians (fixers, officials & helpers etc) when they say its no problem, you'll get your cars tomorrow.

There are 2 ports in Alex, Alex & Dekhila and the shipping agents in UK dont seem to realise this, and even emails to the shipping lines give the wrong info. You MUST be sure, and quite how you can do this I dont know, that the ship DOES NOT unload at the container terminal (Dekhila) It MUST go to Alex Old Port. This Is absolutely vital
We had many many reassurances from the agent & shipping line that our ship docked at Alex Old port & only on its day of arrival did we find out that it was going to Dekhila container terminal.

Apparrently not many container ships from Europe actually now sail into the Old Port, but I cannot stress how important this is, even if it means the container being transferred to a smaller feeder ship in Greece, Beirut or where ever..........& dont believe what you are told by UK agents either!!

Shipping out of Alex is so easy (& much cheaper), I'll try & get you the name of the people / contact no's who we organised it with in Alex...... Dodgy looking people with no addresses & about 6 mobile phones each, but they did what we asked........sent our containers to any UK port!
We literally left our cars on the roadside in Alex about 10 at night, gave the fixer our Carnets, all car docs,keys & a wedge of cash & then left to fly home in the morning!!!!!!
Our cars were on thier way home within 2 days, arriving completely intact, again we had to see an egyptian lawyer to give the chief fixer Power of attorney to do this ( which also meant getting temorary residents permits in Cairo instead of our tourist visas).
The fixer then (once the ship had sailed) DHL'd to me our carnets, docs & Bills Of Lading, then we just awaited customs clearance in Felixtowe a week or so later, which again took about a week - 10 days

If you are interested I will let you have some info on the tricky bit, PM me



I can reccomend a good eaterie in Alex where the only thing on the menu when we asked is "Its cow meat, but not the meat"!!! I'll leave the rest to your imagination! very very tasty

[Toby]

Well, I knew it would never be simple. I have found in the past that dealing with foreign shipping outfits is always a leap into the unknown. Had to climb a ladder and enter a first floor window in Izmer once, to hand over $500 in cash to a bloke with nothing but a desk - and the obligatory 6 mobile phones. It all worked out fine, but an adventure beyond the Euro imagination. You are not, per chance, visiting Billing LR Show this weekend are you? We could discuss over some real cow meat - highest quality!

Thanks anyway for your help and advise. Much appreciated. I'll pm you soon, and, should you need it, I know some good restaurants in Tripoli.

Cheers,
Toby

[Roman]

Toby,

As Andy said, seven days is a reasonable minimum. If it's quicker than that, you will consider yourself exceptionally lucky.

To be fair to the Egyptian blokes, they appear to be equally competent (or incompetent) as the UK shipping companies. They will promise to ship to Alex Old Port, only later to express utter surprise that the container ended up in a black hole in the port of Dekhila.

If you are worried about kicking heals and drinking on board a ferry, how about spending the same amount of time hanging around the port entrace in scortching heat, or even driving across Libya, doing up to 1000 km a day?

[Trumpton]

Toby,

No not at billing this weekend, but at the war & peace show the following weekend in Kent

Andy

[Toby]

I see your point Roman! Having heard nothing back from a pair of local shipping companies (I guess you'll not be surprised about that!) I think I will take a long, hard, look at the ferry option. W&P Show may be a bridge too far this year. I'll ask around the usual suspects at Billing and see what sticks. Thanks Chaps. really appreciate the advice. Toby

[priffe]

Don't rely on any agent or line guaranteeing delivery to one port or the other, always subject to change in the world of shipping.

[Toby]

Thanks Priffe, I'm learning that by the way none of them get back to me!

[m37charlie]

According to my carnet source, the Canadian AA, a carnet for Egypt requires a 180% deposit, not 800%!
I think if I do it I'll cross the border from Israel and leave via the ferry to Venice.

Charlie

[Trumpton]

Here in the UK, the carnet is 800%, I tried to get my carnet from the ADAC (which used to be possible & much cheaper) but now it is the motoring organisation from the country in which the car is registered that has to provide the carnet, and here in the UK that means the RAC & 800%

Andy

[Toby]

Yep. It's certainly 800%, but you can insure the risk at 10% of the total and get 5% back if you're a good boy.