That's true Tony. One difference I know for sure is the crating and costs involved with that. One of the quotes I got was showing all the details and only on crating and associated fees they were charging about 700 AUD. Don't know the specifics of the other quotes.

I did ask this agent several times if the quote he is giving me includes every single payable fee and tax in Australia, minus the crate, crating and crate delivery to their depot. If that's indeed the case, I'd be fine with it. I can make that happen for 100 AUD, easily.

Now regarding the fees/taxes in Stockholm mentioned by "oldbwm", I have just yesterday got an email back from Customs in Sweden and got the good news that once the bike has been at least a year under my name here in Australia, I'm free to bring it back home in Sweden and pay no taxes at all on it. This includes both zero customs tax and zero VAT tax. If there's any costs on paperwork, I'm sure they will be very low. None were mentioned though.

Now a problem that might come up is that my visa will expire a couple weeks before the 1 year anniversary of having bought the bike. I wonder how Customs in Sweden would interpret my purchase invoice. Would they ask me to see my return flight back home and use that date or would they only look at the date the bike arrives in Sweden and I put the papers in for it. If it would be the second option, then that wouldn't be a problem since the bike would probably take around 2 months to arrive (not a problem since it will be early January in Sweden and very cold).

This way bringing the bike with me back home would be a no brainer since I skip paying any import fees and duty on it. Getting it road worthy and plates in Sweden would be about 400 AUD - 330 USD - 270 EUR and that from all the info I gather so far would be the only costs to it (taken that the bike has been at least one year under my name).

@nampramos, the estimates you're getting are similar to what I'm getting from Sydney to the UK. The shipping database here on the HUBB doesn't really have enough data in it to accurately predict prices I'm afraid.

I just bought a small apartment and in 2004 it would've cost about a third of what I just paid for it. Some things have become a lot more expensive in Australia over the last ~15 years.

The cost that I've been quoted is so far is sitting at about $1,250 for sea freight but that excludes crating and collection or storage on the other side. It includes the freight forwarded handling most of the paperwork, etc. and having their UK contact do customs clearance for me on the other end.

See attached for what's included in their quote. I put that together for my own purposes after they sent various costs. I won't publish the company's name as I think there are "mates rates" involved as I was introduced through a work contact. They don't normally offer this service.

As you'll see the actual freight charge is minuscule in the scheme of things so the number of bikes has little impact on the cost. Exchange rates are also relevant as in my case by far the bulk of the cost is clearing the freight in the UK, and that's charged in GBP. I doubt I'm getting any savings there.

Happy to discuss in more detail via PM if you like.

Be careful on this one. As mentioned in my other reply this has been the most expensive part of the exercise. Getting it to the UK is 1/3 of the cost. Getting it into the UK is 2/3!

That's a pretty good price per CBM. The best one I got was 130 USD per CBM from Brisbane to Stockholm.

The rest was quoted at 310 AUD for all paperwork on Australia side.

I need to go to the airport and talk with them as well and see what the prices there are now. Was going to do that tomorrow morning but got back from work a bit ago and once stopped at the garage discovered that I got a puncture on the rear tire of my bike. Need to go fix that tomorrow morning instead.

I think the per CBM rate is really the only place I'm getting a discount. I'm also now talking to another forwarder who has good experience with bikes and he's been excellent. I'll publish the name if I go further with him. His estimates so far are the inverse. More expensive departing, cheaper on arrival.

I'll be interested in getting all the info you can share. Thank you!

Have you looked at air freight too?

When will you be shipping the bike?

I always tell people when thinking about flying thier bike..to thumb nail it as 1.5-2.5 the cost of thier flight..
easy math too...
average person weighs about 70-100kg... tiger weights 250 KG = i.e 2.5 times the weight...

it is also well accepted these days the boat is not that much cheaper then flying

Thanks for the tip!

What happens when you fly return, Brisbane - Stockholm for only $850 AUD (~530 EUR, ~665 USD)? That rule still applies? :D