one carnet, two bikes?!
 

We're currently organizing a bike trip (ex Australia) through the Americas (Nth, Central, and Sth). One thing I've been told by the State Chamber of Commerce in Sydney is that you can have more than one bike on the same carnet, as long as they travel together. However, our local AA (=NRMA) lady (who issues carnets) is saying that you must have one for each bike. Mind you, she also told us that we need carnets for Canada, which I've since found out is untrue.. Has anyone out there travelled on one carnet for more than one bike??!

Hi Gidget

Unfortunately, this time your NRMA lady is correct. The 'Carnet de Passages en Douane' is definitely only valid for one vehicle.

The confusion probably arises because there is a commercial/business carnet issued by ATA. This would be what your State Chamber of Commerce is referring to.

An ATA Carnet covers business goods taken to other countries, as distinct from the 'Carnet de Passage en Douanes', which covers PERSONALLY owned vehicles and is issued by the automobile associations.

For a detailed explanation of the difference between these, see:

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb...ML/000134.html

But, the 'official' word from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce is:

Now, you may think, well we can pretend we're a professional film crew or racing crew, but the problem is that you then are asserting that you're travelling on business, which may cause problems if your visa says you're supposed to be tourists only.

But the good news is that you don't need a carnet at all for the Americas, north or south. Although a carnet will simplify customs clearance, it is NOT required. So, unless your trip will also involve either Africa or Asia, don't worry about it.

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Susan Johnson

'One world, two wheels'
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com