Flying bike to South America - shippers ?

[Fritz]

Having worked my way through the shippers page I seem to be not be getting far - does anyone have details of anyone they have used recently ? Only quote I have managed to obtain so far is from (I think I remember correctly) JSL Logistics.
Other attempts have been via letter and web forms that have lead to nothing.
Anyone got any recommendations and phone contacts ? Route looking like London to buenos aires, later this summer.
Thanks in advance, Fritz

[GlobeBusters]

www.grimaldi.co.uk do RORO shipments London to Buenos Aires.

[Mick O'Malley]

Hi Fritz

Have a look here. I used them in Nov. 2003 London-Bs As and was impressed.

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb...L/000340.html.

Regards, Mick

[herbertroelandt]

The link is not working!
Would like to find out more too as I am planning to ship my bike later this year to BA too!

[Mick O'Malley]

Originally posted by Squidbrain:
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb...L/000340.html.

Don't know why it won't work. Do a search on Jardine Logistics and you'll get there.

Regards, Mick

[Fritz]

Cheers for advice folks - Kevin & Julie I was nearly cheeky enough to ask you - so thanks for saving me ! Mick I think that's the lot I did manage to get a quote for - was that you and Joe ? If so they're the only ones who have come up with anything. Also have to try DHL unless anyone has any horror stories.

[GlobeBusters]

Hey! Feel free to ask us what you want - if we have any recommendations, we are happy to help if we can.

Regards Grimaldi, we have not used them ourselves, but have talked to an agent about them. One of the plus points is that you can cruise on the cargo ship with your bike and the cost is not astronomical when compared to air freight, so if you want a few weeks sailing the seas and chilling out before facing the Latin America traffic, it could be a good way to do it.

Julia

[This message has been edited by GlobeBusters (edited 08 June 2005).]

[Mick O'Malley]

I came back Bs AS-Tilbury with Grimaldi last year. Good points: the bike is carried as luggage, rather than on the manifest as cargo, so you can just ride out of the port. The food was great, sat down with the crew three times a day and the steward shoveled it onto my plate for me, special feast on crossing the equator too! Bad point: Boring!!!! I was the only passenger once the two Germans in the Unimog had been led away in irons by Argentine customs (handy tip, no matter how pretty she is, don't agree to smuggle her cocaine for her). There's not a lot to do on board other than read, watch videos and see the sea. Having said that, it would probably be fine if you had a companion.

Mick

[Stuart Beeley]

Try Mike at Advance Frieght Forwarding. They're near East Midlands Airport and do a lot of bike shipping.
He's on info at advanceforwardingdot com.

Helpful guy, they'll crate it and transport to Heathrow too!!

[Fritz]

Cheers, will do ;-)

[Cameron]

Hi Fritz,
A little trick I learned is to phone the Airline cargo departments direct and ask who they would recommend as an agent for shipping a bike to a certain destination.
Or the time consuming but usually the best way is to go out to the airport and troll the airline cargo departments and agents right there. (this works better at smaller airports)They usually have prefered agents for certain routes that have good facilities/agents at the destination.

The last couple of times I flew my bike uncrated, (the airlines put it on their own pallet) and paid by weight only, with no trouble at all, but remember then that your personal carry on cannot exceed 35 kgs(that just about covers two panniers worth of gear...
You can also act as your own agent sometimes, but must know how to fill out the DG form and have a 24hr tel number(cell phone)
The draw back to this is if something goes wrong, you have no backup...
Good luck

[jklotz]

Whatever you do, stay away frpm Panalpina. They quoted a price, sent me a bill for 1/3 higher, stripped all my gear off the bike and refused to ship it until I paid an additional $500! Bastards.

[maria41]

Hi Fritz,

would you mind to give some feed back on your findings if you contacted Grimaldi and others shipping/Freight companies mentioned above? I would be curious on your finding and quotes as I will be sending my bike to Buenos Aires in a year or so.....It will help me to come with a more accurate budget plan!

[nikb]

Hi All,

I was quoted £1600 to go with Grimaldi from Tilbury (UK) to Buenos Aires in November. Seemed a little to much to me and I to late in the year so I'm going with Advance near East Midlands Airport (UK) for £730.

They crate the bike and do all the paper work so its less for me to worry about, did find cheaper prices but when I worked out the actual cost's it was the same and easier to get it done for me.

Will let you know how it goes! Planning to ship the bike out the week of 26th September and then fly out end of October to meet it.

Cheers

Boz

[Fritz]

Cheers once again.
Nick, that sounds very interesting, rang and spoke and they do sound clued, shame Mike the bike mad one is currently on his bike in Turkey :-0
Be interested in how it goes for you, will see what they can come up with for us - very useful for those of us beyond London !
(Sounds like you'll have some storage costs ?)See you over there a few weeks later perhaps. Ta ;-)

[This message has been edited by Fritz (edited 17 August 2005).]