Issue with air-freighting the bike and me going by ship?

[Jammin]

Hello, I'm currently 1 year into a 3 year RTW. I started in Chicago last March and am close to being done with Latin America (on my way north to BsAs). Next I would like to enter northern Africa at Morocco and head down the west coast.

I have time on my side and I like to travel by sea personally to put the distances in perspective and was looking forward to the 2-3 week ship journey across the Atlantic (to relax and prepare for Africa).

I was planning on using Grimaldi for me and the bike but now it is not feasible (they are all booked till mid-March and I would like to leave in the next 2 weeks, had planned on their BA-Dakar service but vehicles not allowed to get down since Jan 2011 ).

I have contacted some other freighter cruise agents and think it is possible for me to travel by ship (to southern Spain) but now it's a question about the bike. Since these cargo ships are not RoRo, the bike has to go as cargo and it wont be guaranteed to travel on the same ship as me. Also, sending her by sea might take much longer than 3 weeks, so I was thinking of air-freighting the bike to say Frankfurt or Madrid with me still going by sea. Is this possible or not a good idea?

I would need to handle air-freighting the bike in BsAs but is it possible for someone else (a friend in Frankfurt) to pick up the bike and wait for me? or am I the only one allowed to pick up the bike?

Thanks

[CourtFisher]

Originally Posted by Jammin

Hello, I'm currently 1 year into a 3 year RTW....
so I was thinking of air-freighting the bike to say Frankfurt or Madrid with me still going by sea. Is this possible or not a good idea?
.....
I would need to handle air-freighting the bike in BsAs but is it possible for someone else (a friend in Frankfurt) to pick up the bike and wait for me? or am I the only one allowed to pick up the bike?

Thanks

No personal experience in Madrid, but I can tell you that inbound airfreight facilities and German Customs procedures at Frankfurt airport definately allow someone other than you--the owner--to "clear" and take physical possession of the bike.

BUT, to do this requires that you & your friend learn/ understand exactly what documentation both the airfreight carrier and German Customs require to allow this to happen...and that you coordinate this documenation in a timely way so that the bike doesn't wind up in Customs limbo while you're somewhere on your transatlantic sea passage.

You + your friend should contact the Frankfurt airport office of whichever airfreight carrier you use from BA, and separately, German Customs at Frankfurt, to get the exact documentation details and timing requirements.

Or...you/ your friend might also consider contacting Stefan Knopf at www.knopftours.com in Heidelberg, whose business it is precisely to help riders in similar situations. For a reasonable fee, Stefan could either accompany your friend to Frankfurt to help with inbound clearance, and/ or handle the entire transaction for you--including temporary storage of your bike after it's released by German Customs at Stefan's own facility--until you arrive to physically take possession yourself. Good luck.

[Tiffany]

Some shipping agents are happy to take on storage of a bike after it has been delivered to them and cleared customs. They can then hold it in the warehouse in BA and put it on a plane once you are in Europe and able to pick it up yourself.
I've heard good things about clearing customs in Germany, though I've never had to do it myself.

obviously you need a reliable shipping agent to take on the task of storing it, my usual rule is that I don't leave the country until my bike has left and this completely breaks that rule. But isn't life about breaking rules?
However, you can find trustworthy shippers so maybe worth a try.
On the shipping by sea option, in my experience it has nearly always taken weeks longer than quoted or expected, so if you don't want to wait around for it, maybe don't risk it.

Good luck, it sounds like a great journey and if you make it to England - come and visit Lands End.

[strimstrum]

Tiffany

I picked up a bike flown into Heathrow from Gabon on behalf of someone else. It had cleared customs and was waiting in the shippers warehouse. All I needed was a letter of authorization signed by the owner and everything went smoothly. I'm sure the shipping agent will confirm whetehr or not it will be OK for you to do the same in Spain.

Martin