Car insurance in Europe...
 

I'd like to ship my car from Canada to Europe (most likely to Rotterdam) so that i don't have to lease or rent for three months - both are expensive; one also has limited choices for such a long period and places i'd like to drive through.
The car would be shipped back to Canada after 3 months.

One of the problems I'm having is finding insurance for it there.
I've scowered the internet, but found nothing.

Anyone here shipped their car to Europe?
How did you get insurance for it there?

The shipping agent is of no help in this case, "we only ship cars and goods, sir".

Someone else may know for sure,but I don't think what you want to is possible. If you were (legally) immigrating you could because you'd have a permanent address and could insure a vehicle. But just bringing a car over for a couple of months - probably not.

You can buy a car with a rent/lease sale back program.
http://www.renaultusa.com

janisj, this is very much possible!
I see american or canadian plated cars all the time in Europe.
even when i lived in europe back in the '60, i used to see them.
it is illegal to drive without insurance in every european country, so people do get it. i just cannot find an agent.


btw, if one is immigrating to europe, different rules about importation of vehicles apply. i know the procedures about that - that's easy.

Just curious, what is it costing you to ship the car there and back?

DebitNM,

I know about leasing. Got a price from Peugeot already, and it's mighty expensive for 3 months for a small car.
Would cost about 3 times more than shipping (there and back).
besides, all you can lease are cars with tiny little engines that struggle to merge with traffic on the motoroways. certainly no match for the Mustang Boss 302 or the Cadillac CTS station wagon - not sure which I would ship. fuel efficiency is of lesser importance.

I've also explored buying a euro-spec car in germany, driving around, then selling it back. It appears, one cannot do that any more like you used to be before - the germans have changed the laws to that end. BMW Euro delivery is too expensive, and Mercedes Benz even more so since they require a 15% (of the vehicle cost) deposit (in addition to the vehicle cost) until you leave Europe.

Be sure to factor in time on boat to and from and time to go thru customs.

Good luck.

artsnletters,

i've had quotes of about CDN $ 1,200 each way (Halifax - Rotterdam).
this is RoRo (not container).

leasing a Peugeot 2008 (1.6 litre diesel) is about CDN $4,900 for 3 months.

I just priced out a 3 month period starting May 1 using the Peugeot link and it came in at just under $3000 for the 208 1.6 L

Leasing a Peugeot is expensive. But see if you can rent for much less. That would be a "basic" rental through Autoeurope or Kemwel, where the credit card carries the CDW (in my case with no deductible), but I do not know if that option is available to residents of Canada. It would require having three different rentals because the credit card carries the CDW for only one month at a time--I've had no problems doing this when I needed a car for 45 days.

DebitNM,

Looks like Auto Europe does not lease to Canadians - when I switch to their Canadian site, it only shows rents.
I do not have a US residence, so I cannot take advantage of same pricing as you.

BTW, renting a small BMW for 3 months is about CDN $ 8,000...!!!!
Small Ford Fiesta is about CDN $ 4,900...same as Peuogeot quoted me for leasing their 2008 (larger than the 208).

I have rented from Auto Europe before on a number of occasions.
last year they proved more expensive than renting directly from Hertz in Munich!

>>janisj, this is very much possible!
I see american or canadian plated cars all the time in Europe.
even when i lived in europe back in the '60, i used to see them.<<

I lived overseas too. Certainly you see US plated cars in Europe . . . But you conveniently overlooked the rest of my post . . . They have moved to Europe (legally) and have a European address where they can register/insure the car. And they have to get European plates w/I a short time. And things have changed a LOT in the 50 years since you lived ther.

But - if you 'know' your plan is possible, why are you asking here???

Janisj,

don't want to get into a pissing match, however, not everyone having an american or canadian plated car in europe has "moved" to europe. many are tourists.

spoke to a couple in rome last july who had been driving their ny plated infiniti around for a month, and planned to stay for another two months.
also, spoke to a guy in munich last year with a ontario plated mustang...he's just tooling around as a tourist.

i want to do the same.

like i said in my initial post, i'd like to hear from anyone who has done this and how they found insurance there.

to bring in a american spec car to europe and then getting it legally converted cost megabucks...!
one is allowed to bring in a non-complying car to an EU country once in your life, but otherwise it has to be mechanically converted to comply with euro rules within 3 months. that is a very expensive procedure, and anyone attempting to do it is either ignorant of the costs or is simply crazy.
there are exemptions for antique cars (15 years or older).

Like I said - since you know so much about this . . . . .???

I believe you'll have to get your insurance in Canada. There's no way to get car insurance in Europe unless the car is registered there. And there's no way to register the car unless you have a legal residence in Europe. I would consult an insurance agent in Canada who has international experience.

Contact the CAA. They will be able to give you all the information you need.
You must have your Green card insurance in place before shipping the vehicle. That is third part liability insurance only, so if you want to be sure your car is covered for damage to it or yourself you must take out extra insurance. If the car is written off in Europe you will be liable to pay import duties on it.

You do realise how expensive fuel is here don't you? have a look at http://www.fuel-prices-europe.info/

Many many people here drives small cars with small engines so merging on motorways really isn't a problem. I drive a Ford Focus, with a 1 litre three cylinder engine, and trust me it is fast enough to cope with the autobahn with no problem, and does great mileage too.
Your gas guzzler will stand out and could be a problem in some places. You certainly won't be allowed into German cities with it.

I live in Europe and travel a lot through Europe - but I can't recall seeing a US or Canadian registered vehicle in the last 10 years.

However as I said get in touch with the CAA and ask them for help, or contact your current insurer. Good luck.

Well, I have certainly seen U.S. registered cars in the U.K. in the past ten years, as well as vehicles registered in places like Saudi Arabia. Cars registered in other European countries are of course very common, and some are owned by people who are living and working in Britain semi-permanently.

I cannot see why it should be different for a Canadian to ensure that his car insurance covers him while driving in Europe. Does it not cover driving in the U.S., Mexico and other places which could be driven to? The fact that you are taking the car on a boat should make no difference.

Chartley - no Canadian insurance doesn't routinely cover other countries, except the US. European car insurance doesn't cover the US or Canada routinely either. Or Russia or a vast number of other countries one could drive to for that matter.

The rules for European cars in other European countries are different than those for cars being temporarily imported into the EU.

chartley: Canada may be different, but my US issued car insurance doesn't cover me overseas. It also excludes Mexico and I must get a special policy rider to drive in Canada (though many policies do cover Mexico and Canada)