BMW F15 Europe to Japan. Who's in?

[UnhappySwede]

I love driving. Since I got my 2016 F15, I couldnt resist but driving it to Ivalo in the very nothern part of Finland. And then to western Norway. And then to Denmark, Germany, Holland, London, Scotland, Omaha Beach, Paris, Venedig, Croatia and everything in between.

Since I while back, I've been planning to drive to Japan through Vladivostok, but I ruled out doing that with my F15.

After meeting people who done these kinds of trip, they all insist on complete safety throughout the whole Far East. Neither of them had any incidents at all and these kind of trips appear to be quite common actually.

I do however feel there's benefits only with traveling a Group of cars on these kind of journeys. Russia is also a member of the Green Card system these Days that do make it alot easier for us.

So the question is - who is in? I know it's actually quite lunatic but we only do live once. And we are familiar with the daily drill on Outlook and Excel quite well by now.

I gave this lots of consideration, even down to the fuel quality in the Far East.

Anyone interested?

[Mexecutioner]

I thought you hated your F15

[alphaod]

I'd do it if I wasn't in the US... I mean I have a car in China, but that's not the same...

I plan at least to drive to Alaska first, and then some time do the Pan-American Highway trip from the Alaska down to the tip of South America, though I'm trying to figure out how the middle part where there is no road is going to work... and I don't think this will happen in my F15. Also I imagine I'll have to ship back my car since round trip is about 100,000 km…


I saw a show where there was bus of folks that did the whole 'Silk Road' trip drove from London to Shanghai, that looked very intriguing.

[UnhappySwede]

Well sir, if you do have the resources (and balls) to drive from Alaska to the tip of South America, then you could aswell ship your car over quickly from NY to EU and then we're getting started.

My friend with his Lamborghini and me wanted to ship our cars over to the US and drive around, but it turned out that the paperwork was way too massive. Shipping cars the other way around doesnt appear to be such a hassle anyway, I see US plated cars here in Stockholm quite often. And people do import tons of cars from the US.

I also saw some blog about a bunch of americans that shipped their cars to Japan and then drove to Europé. Plenty of people cross Asia with car, google the Mongol Rally. They do it with scrap cars, we can do it too but travel a Little more comfortable

[ajob]

What a great idea, by all means do it! A few tidbits:

1. Prince Borghese won the first Beijing to Paris race in 1908 with the "Itala", search Amazon with "Barzini Beijing to Paris" - that illustrated book is really fascinating, probably the greatest car adventure ever!

2. The Siberian route is reportedly very long, very boring and either full of mosquitos or very cold - maybe a more Southern route via Mongolia and Kazakhstan?

3. Make sure you keep your travel diary within a thread here, with daily updates & pictures!

[UnhappySwede]

huge problem. got Drivetrain Malfunction error today again. the car is just 13 months old and it got me "stranded" with limited engine output twice...gotta rethink whether using this car. stuff like this cant be fixed by indigenous tribes in the Mongolian mountains :/

[P1]

Originally Posted by UnhappySwede

Well sir, if you do have the resources (and balls) to drive from Alaska to the tip of South America, then you could aswell ship your car over quickly from NY to EU and then we're getting started.

My friend with his Lamborghini and me wanted to ship our cars over to the US and drive around, but it turned out that the paperwork was way too massive. Shipping cars the other way around doesnt appear to be such a hassle anyway, I see US plated cars here in Stockholm quite often. And people do import tons of cars from the US.

I also saw some blog about a bunch of americans that shipped their cars to Japan and then drove to Europé. Plenty of people cross Asia with car, google the Mongol Rally. They do it with scrap cars, we can do it too but travel a Little more comfortable

What was the hassle in shipping your cars over to the US?

[UnhappySwede]

A ton of paperwork, of unknown kind to avoid US sales tax and customs fees. So unknown that the shipping companies said they needed to bring in additional help for additional cost.

Insurance hassle, was told I need to find american company that would provide all necessary american insurances, liability this and that etc. I would also have to get my car dealer to write a document in english confirming not only the price I bought it for but current value aswell.

It could all be sorted if someone knew excatly how and where, but we were just told everywhere about the massive paperwork while noone knew how to provide for it. So we eventually gave up. ya'll made paperwork great again.

[P1]

Originally Posted by UnhappySwede

A ton of paperwork, of unknown kind to avoid US sales tax and customs fees. So unknown that the shipping companies said they needed to bring in additional help for additional cost.

Insurance hassle, was told I need to find american company that would provide all necessary american insurances, liability this and that etc. I would also have to get my car dealer to write a document in english confirming not only the price I bought it for but current value aswell.

It could all be sorted if someone knew excatly how and where, but we were just told everywhere about the massive paperwork while noone knew how to provide for it. So we eventually gave up. ya'll made paperwork great again.

What about the Mexicans I see driving around in Texas? I doubt they do anything out of the ordinary. Same with Canadians.

[HZX540e]

Originally Posted by P1et

What about the Mexicans I see driving around in Texas? I doubt they do anything out of the ordinary. Same with Canadians.

Make sure you return from Mexico before the wall is built. The F15 can't scale a high wall

[UnhappySwede]

Originally Posted by P1et

What about the Mexicans I see driving around in Texas? I doubt they do anything out of the ordinary. Same with Canadians.

You guys probably have certain bilateral deals allowing you to do that, just as we can drive in Norway or even Morocco but on existing insurance but not in some other countries closer home. There's also a certain difference between the owner driving his vehicle himself over the border, and the car arriving by itself on a freight vessle, being considered import goods.

[alphaod]

Driving into a country is one thing. Shipping it is totally different. It's like when you bring your own luggage from a flight you're on, it's easy. But if you want to ship your luggage, you need to declare everything, and then they determine if it's taxable, etc. I imagine there are brokerage companies that do this for you, but there is still paperwork.

[UnhappySwede]

Hmm, I just saw the second California-plated car here in Stockholm, in three days.

There was also three americans showing up at my basketball practice from nowhere the other day.

Are these all the people that would emigrate if Trump won or is there something else going on?

As for the subject itself, I want to make a light version of this trip just visiting Stalingrad, Kazakstan and briefly entering Siberia Before turing back. But Im struggling with Russian authorities as getting a visa didnt turn out to be so simple for us traveling around the country.

[artem123]

Wow))) If I was not in the US I would do it. Overall I was born and raised in Russia.