I'm planning to ride my trusty 1954 BMW from Europe to Canada and to the US. I was wondering if someone has knowledge or experience about getting yourself and bike on board of a ship from let's say Ireland or Germany to Halifax, Canada. Thank you, Richard
I understand that new laws concerning bringing vehicles into the USA have just gone into effect. So the answer may depend entirely upon your citizenship. A call to or search of Homeland Security web sites may be in order.
All I know about this subject I just read this week right here....
http://www.britbike.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/749281/no-longer-welcome-in-the-us#Post749281
Good luck !
Owning an old Airhead is easy.
Keeping an old Airhead running great is the true test.
Thanks, Wobbly. Very nice of you to take time and respond. I happen to be a US citizen. So, it seems that slightly different laws and rules apply to my situation. No matter what, it seems complicated. I have the impression that I need to clear customs in Canada upon arrival by ship and then again US customs when crossing into US. Probably best handled by local licensed customs agents. Let me know if that sounds reasonable. Thanks again, Richard
Very nice of you to take time and respond. I happen to be a US citizen. So, it seems that slightly different laws and rules apply to my situation. No matter what, it seems complicated. I have the impression that I need to clear customs in Canada upon arrival by ship and then again US customs when crossing into US. Probably best handled by local licensed customs agents. Let me know if that sounds reasonable. Thanks again, Richard
I don't know much, but one thing I do know is that due to evolving circumstances, the word "reasonable" is probably no longer in the lexicon of the TSA, INS, US Border Patrol, or any other agency tasked with securing our borders. Therefore, any single person on the internet becomes your worst possible source for travel information. You should be depending entirely upon official sources, and secondly, you should arrive at all border crossings with those instructions PRINTED and on your person.
Even then, thanks to the new laws being "new" and therefore open to many interpretations, and like unto on-line tax preparation "help" from the IRS, be prepared to spend an extra 7-15 days crossing any border and have extra money on hand to fund that unplanned stay in less-than-exciting surroundings.
Hope this helps.
Owning an old Airhead is easy.
Keeping an old Airhead running great is the true test.
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