Hi all,

thank you OGR for composing this, very interesting to read.

I knew that the RAC is expensive, but this is madness.

I rode an old Tenere around the world from 1999 to 2005 and I used three carnets over the ADAC in Germany (bike had a German numberplate and I have a German passport). I found them expensive (because I am not a member) and sometimes complicated to deal with (which my sister did). I needed three carnets because of Egypt, India, Japan (at that time), Australia and South Africa.

In 2009 I started another trip - mainly to the Middle East, Central Asia, China and South America. Swiss numberplate and German passport.

I did not buy a carnet, because I would not go to India, Australia, South Africa or Egypt (as far as I know the only countries you can not enter without a carnet)

The bike was stolen in Syria and lucky me, I did not have a carnet. So I did not continue thru Saudi, Iran ...

The carnet makes things easier at the borders and also cheaper. But look at the madness that OGR describes, you only support it if you buy the carnet.

And we are still adventure traveller and not all inclusive package tourists on two wheels, or is adventure only written on your petrol tank? As I learned on the road there is always a way. Sometimes it is very hard and sometimes it is easy. I entered Cuba, after at least fifty people said it is not possible, included Cuban embassy staff.

So, dont buy the carnet and just go .... if more an more travellers do this, the carnet system will go away, inschallah. Think outside the box.


My 2p worth

Greetings from Brazil

Mika

Hey..

I am affraid i will take you on for this statement.

I reside in Pakistan and after visiting the AAP for the carnet, for which I am told a bank guarantee of 350% of the bike. I refuse to believe that all the traffic flowing through the taftan border into and from pakistan have Carnet De Passage with them.

You see people are rather poor here and paying 200$ proccessing fee and then a bank guarantee is not possible for many. Infact I know most of the rich and famous of my city who own a big displacement bike, and even they are not willing to show up with the kind of guarantee that is being required by AAP...

Anyway, i'll be for the least, visiting the pak-Iran border and attempt to enter IRAN and then come back the same route without a Carnet. At the max, i will fail, but at least I will try.

Hi

I agree it is expensive for a UK registered vehicle.

I don't agree when you suggest its the RAC who set the rates, and are therefore ripping you off.

The several conversations I've had with them they could not have been more helpful, bearing in mind they are the UK official supplier so won't be advising on every last thing you can get away with. As a result of those conversations it will cost me less than I thought when i comes time to buy my own Carnet.

It was mentioned to me ages ago that many people start out finding a nice new shiny vehicle for their dream trip only to then wish it wasn't so shiny when they find out about the Carnet, and a nice new XT1200Z isn't the cheapest transport!

If you put up the 800% in a bank account, where you could still be earning a small amount of interest, then you will pay the RAC fee for processing, which I do not think is excessive, and you get back your 800% when the fully stamped up Carnet is returned. So 80% or 800%, the RAC don't keep it. If the RAC suggested insurer is too costly if you as most people don't have such a lump sum, then I'm sure others are available to cover that risk, since ADAC etc must also offer that option with their own insurer? But wether it would be so much cheaper? If there are no others in the UK then why is that? Monopoly? Whats stopping every other insurer cashing in this "rip off"?

I would think the % is more to do with the UK relations with the country concerned, or perhaps how frequently people from the UK (or how much of a tax risk a UK citizen is to the visited country concerned) try to sell avoiding local taxes.

Buy a cheaper bike, value it as low as poss, pay for the Carnet and a lot of with the change!

Jason

Hi all,

Planning a trip with a friend from Budapest to Qatar in a Trabant.

I have dual British & Hungarian nationalities, my friend is American.
The Trabant has Hungarian plates and is in my name.

Been looking around at the options for carnets and, according to the ADAC application form, under the vehicle details you have to specify its 'country of registration'. I assume then this means that they cater for non-German registered cars, perhaps so long as the registered country's Automobile Association don't issue CDPs themselves (Hungary's apparently don't).

The guarantee you put down for a vehicle up to the value of 15,000EUR is 1,500EUR and the administration fee is 260EUR for non members or 160EUR for ADAC members (standard memberships is 44EUR per year and comes with a host of other benefits and discounts, too).

So, if I have got this right, it seems by far the cheapest option for getting a CDP. 1500EUR guarantee + 44EUR membership + 160EUR admin fee, of which you get back the 1500EUR when you return. Total cost 204 Euros.

Am I missing something obvious?

I asked ADAC about the carnet, and they told me they´d help me only, if I wanted to get to Egypt, otherwise they´d return me to the AA of my country. Was a pain because all prices, including the bond amount, were much steeper in Finland.

But this was almost 4 years ago, so wouldn´t hurt to ask them.

Any ideas on whether carets are neededin usbekistan, tajik, etc....all the stans except Pakistan. I"m hoping to do a bike journey this summer after buying a bike in Turkey...

Ah, maybe look at the stickies/ do a search?

Only Pakistan.

https://www.change.org/p/european-co...ter-rac-carnet

Try to get as many people as possible to sign this so it can be brought to the attention of the government and monopolies commission.

Action needs to be taken to break the RAC's unfair and expensive racket.

Cheers