Shipping a bike from Charlotte, NC to Tallinn, Estonia
 

Hello,
I'm in preliminary planning to join an Edelweiss trip in 2019, and I'm trying to better understand what it might cost to ship a BMW GSA from Charlotte, NC to Tallinn, Estonia.
I've never done this kind of thing before, so I'm trying to understand which shipper is recommended, and whether they can ship out of Charlotte, and then back to Charlotte from Bangkok, Thailand.
Does anyone have any suggestions, or experience with this kind of thing?

The destination port you're probably looking for is Paldiski. That's a big point of entry for car-carrier ferries, and many shipping agents will have it on their list for vehicles. That or Muuga, the other big cargo port near Tallinn.

From the US, you're more likely to find easy shipping to Hanko, Finland (a common entry point for American cars imported to Europe). From there it's an easy ride to Helsinki and a two-hour commuter ferry to Tallinn. I think there's also a direct Hanko-Paldiski connection by DFDS.

I believe the cost to put a car into a container to Hanko was around a thousand bucks, but YMMV.

Thanks for your thoughts. Since making this post, I've looked into the comparison between shipping by air freight and by water. As it turns out, Air Canada Cargo runs a shipping deal, which starts in April of each year, and ends in Sept or Oct. During this deal, I can expect to pay between $1100 and $1400 to ship to London, using Air Freight.
This approach eliminates all of the logistical challenges of trying time the delivery of my bike at a remote port, thus eliminating the shipping time of 6-10 weeks.
Does anyone else have experience with Air Canada Cargo?

That is indeed the easiest way to get your bike into Europe. Though maybe look at Paris or Frankfurt as the destination - London will not be in the EU by June of next year, and nobody knows how the borders will work (expected to work badly).

Out of curiosity, can you link me to the Edelweiss trip starting from Tallinn?

Thanks for the thoughts about the EU. The primary reason that I had looked at shipping to London is that the Air Canada Cargo routes into Europe are very limited. I could not ship to Berlin or Frankfurt, and other than those two cities, London seemed to be the most appropriate. In addition, since I'll need to receive the bike through customers, I figured that receiving the bike in the UK, where we speak a common language would be easier. And lastly, if I ship to London, I can then enjoy a day or two of riding across the Channel to Amsterdam, and then into Europe.

Oh, and I'm planning on flying on American Airlines, using points, and there are only so many cities that AA flies into, even when you consider the partners they rely on. I am unable to fly to Tallinn directly, so why not go to London?

As to the link for the world tour from Tallinn to Bangkok, I've included it below.

https://www.edelweissbike.com/en/touren/?c=1TB

I was under the impression that the Air Canada deal applies only to shipping from major Canadian airports. If true, you began asking about shipping from Charlotte to Tallinn, but are now talking about shipping from Toronto to London. Big difference!

If you'll enjoy the ride up to Toronto (if, for example, the time of year is right and your thirst for riding begins at your front door, not in coastal Estonia), and if you'll also enjoy the riding by whichever route between London and Tallinn, then why not? Of the couple of times I've passed that way, I'd sure suggest heading north through Norway and south through Finland, given you don't seem concerned about time or expense.

Choosing a shipping port on the basis of what language they speak is tempting, but I've found it's best to resist the temptation. Go to England if you want to go to England, not because you think it'll make any real difference getting your bike through customs. In the end it won't really matter who speaks what language--it'll all work out, and you'll have forgotten the inevitable misunderstandings and mysterious bureaucratic snafus no matter where you choose. What'll make a difference is where you end up riding.

Don't forget that the Air Canada deals are renewed on a year-by-year basis. There's always the chance that things will change by 2019. Also remember that (caveat: AFAIK) Air Canada will discount your own flight if you're shipping with them.

Hope that's helpful.

Mark

I have done the research, Air Canada is the way to go to ship bike to Europe. As of this summer, shipping cost was 1200$ cdn to Paris and 1200 euros to ship back. You must add to it roughly 1000$ cdn for insurance for your bike for a month. For a month or less, the price is the same to rent or to ship, but you get to ride your own bike ;-) Good luck!

Thanis for the real-world experience
 

Thanks for your comments.
I was not aware of the insurance costs, so I'll look into how I obtain insurance prior to the trip.

So where did you come up with the 1000$ for insurance thanks john

I think EU air customs will speak English pretty much anywhere. Strange that Air Canada is not doing Frankfurt, it's a massive hub.

To be honest, I don't think London to Amsterdam is a particularly relaxing or scenic ride. :)

AA points should get you to Helsinki, from where you can get a quick ferry to Tallinn.

Thanks for the link... I shudder how much it must cost. Definitely five figures, right?

I assume you mean fully comprehensive insurance on a pretty expensive bike. For regular third-party liability, Green Card insurance, it should be maybe 50 euros for a month if they're greedy.