Avoid Egypt going down? - Alternate route / shipping options

[wearthefoxhat]

There are a number of us currently concerned about how to get into / through / round Egypt since the boat from Iskenderun was cancelled and the troubles started in Cairo.
Other than travelling through Israel and taking your chances regarding being turned back at Sudan, or shipping to South Africa and doing the South -North route, these are some options I've found so far.

Anyone got any better information?

With all the emails I've got / sent, I'm afraid I still haven't got anything finalised yet (still questions to be answered by each shipper). However, all of the guys below have been pretty helpful so far and I'm making progress with each of them:
1- Turkey (believe it's Mersin) to Mombassa: Ships International (a broker) email Ahmed05@shipsintelltd.com Contact is Ahmed. Cost approx €2,500 plus a few extras. Don't know cost of clearing the car in Mombassa yet.
2 - Turkey (or Cyprus) to Port Sudan: These guys are based in Sudan and say they will deal with clearing the car from the port. Don't know yet who they use in Turkey for loading etc. Biggest issue seems to be that Visas can take up to 6 weeks to get and are needed before you fly in (I think its probably best to know you've got them before putting car in the container!). email darkaship@darkasudan.com Contact: Ismail Ahmed. Cost approx €1,900 plus insurance etc.
3 - Turkey to Egypt: This is a RoRo service to Alexandria, organised via a UK company called Autoshippers (a division of 1st Move International). Email graeme@shipit.co.uk Contact: Graeme Webb. Cost approx €850 (plus insurance - which I'm checking as it seems very expensive). Problem with this one is they're currently saying car must travel empty and personal belongings be shipped separately. Can't see that working for us.

SimonLore also mentioned a company called UnRoRo which goes from Turkey to Alexandria, but I don't have contact details to hand and don't know if they will allow personal possessions to be left in the vehicle (or whether it would be safe to do so - I've heard some horror stories).
Mind you, I've heard nothing good at all about Mombassa or Dar.

[SimonLore]

The UnRoRo company which sails from Iskenderum to Damietta (not Alexandria!!) answers rather fast at all our emails, but I don't know yet anybody who took the ferry and had good or bad experiences. Haven't met anyone yet so all experiences are welcome. You heard horror stories wearthefoxhat??

[wearthefoxhat]

Originally Posted by SimonLore

You heard horror stories wearthefoxhat??

Hi Simon, not specifically about UnRoRo, more about RoRo generally. I've met and spoken to a number of people who have had items removed from the car while it's being shipped. Even items bolted onto the car.
Problem seems to be that the car goes through a number of people's hands - the loaders, the crew, the unloaders, the storage company at the other end, port handlers etc. Obviously they have the keys as they need to dive the car on/ off, move it at the docks etc. No one knows who removed your items and they all claim that's how the car was when they received it.
When car importers use RoRo the cars are brand new and empty - when overlanders use them the vehicles are crammed full of gear that takes us months to collect and is difficult to replace when you arrive.
May be that we have no alternative though.
Could you put up the contact details you have for them?
Regards
Scott

[SimonLore]

Filiz@unroro.com.tr
tel: +90 (216) 585 15 00
fax: +90 (216) 585 15 99
Dumankaya vizyon Isyeri Bloklari Milangaz Cad. no. 77 K:2 offis No: 83-92 34870 Kartal-Istanbul
www.unroro.com.tr

He mails rather fast back. But I'm afraid for exactly the same thing as you are writing wearthefoxhat! I did not yet heard these stories, but I already imagened it for myself :-(

[Tom-Traveller]

Hi

the above mentioned is no option for us ...

we are trying this way ...

drive to the UAE via Iran (ferry Bandar Abbas to Sharjah) and try the Saudi transitvisa in Abu Dhabi ...

then drive to Jordan (ferry to Egypt) or directly to Jeddah and take the ferry Jeddah to Port Sudan ...

if it does not work, head to Salalah in Oman and ship in a MAERSK container to Port Sudan (about 14 days shipping) and fly to Sudan

Still waiting for a quote for a 20' container (5,70m length, 2,30m height), our car is about 4,60m and 2,00m ... and we have time and are not in a hurry, cheers
TuA

[wearthefoxhat]

Originally Posted by Tom-Traveller

Hi

drive to the UAE via Iran (ferry Bandar Abbas to Sharjah) and try the Saudi transitvisa in Abu Dhabi ...

TuA

Hi, is your vehicle Left-hand Drive? We are a Right-hand drive Land Rover. I have read on a number of posts on the HUBB that no RHD vehicles are allowed into Saudi.

[Atlas]

I shipped my vehicle from Lavrio Greece to Haifa Israel last week on a RO RO.Nothing touched and all went very well.Clearing it in Haifa was easy with minimum search and security.We flew in and passport control at Tel Aviv used small loose copies of our passports to stamp without us even asking.When we entered Jordan they did the same putting our visas on loose sheets when they saw the Israeli ones.We are now in Aqaba catching the ferry to Nuweibaa Egypt tonight.If any one needs more detailed info and costs ,procedures etc mail me.

[Mousse83]

Great to see this thread is alive and kicking again

Number one option for us now is the option as mentioned by Atlas: shipping from Turkey/Greece to Haifa, Israel. Take the ferry from
The good thing is also that in roaring Egypt you can follow the 'green' Red Sea route down for a long end (get to the Nile road at Luxor again). By green I mean the 'green travel advice' as given by the UK Foreign affairs on these parts of the country: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/egypt
I think it's the same route as VanGS recently did.
This route offers some great places to visit as well ( the 'holy sites' of Israel, Petra in Jordan, and some excellent diving/snorkelling at the Red Sea
If you get your Sudanese visa in advance, combined with Israeli stamps on loose papers, it 'll be alright i guess

The routes via Saudi Arabia (besides Iran - UAE there's also a ferry going from Iskenderun to Duba) could be an alternative if Egypt really gets dirty, but I'm concerned about getting the visa. We are also not married and women are not allowed to drive. Besides I don't know the experiences with the ferry Jeddah - Port Sudan?

Let's keep in touch

[itchyfeet38]

Hi Atlas,

Did they not record the importation of the car in your passport as part of the import procedures at the port? They did this with us (a stamp in Hebrew in the drivers passport). Immigration were familiar with the idea of a stamp on a separate piece of paper - but customs weren't interested.

Hi Scott,

I have to say if it were me I'd be inclined to go via Israel and take a chance on Sudan ... Israel and Jordan were both highlights of the trip. And should the worst happen (very unlikely) there is ALWAYS another way.

Best of Brtish anyway.

[Hannes]

Situations and conditions in the transitcountries in N-Africa can change weekly - also the uncontolled ferry-departures from different ports in TR are a big issue when we want to travel in a halfway estimated schedule.

So to go through IS seems to be the best choice at the moment (except this little passport problem) and further on as MOUSSE83 mentioned.

To go to IS there´s a very comfortable , secure , cheap and reliable way with GRIMALDI from Monfalcone/IT for all travellers from N-W-C-EU.

I do not recommend Containershipping to any Eastafrican country , because of not calculating the costs, corruption and clearing probs in this countries ( I also heard HorrorStories about this !)

In my case I´ll decide between this Grimaldi-option and a Containershipping to Namibia: both are secure and costeffective ways, without any headache, to go to Africa, offcourse Container transports and flyin are more expensive .

[Atlas]

No they put nothing in the passport in Haifa.

[Tom-Traveller]

Originally Posted by wearthefoxhat

Hi, is your vehicle Left-hand Drive? We are a Right-hand drive Land Rover. I have read on a number of posts on the HUBB that no RHD vehicles are allowed into Saudi.

Yes, we have a left hand drive minibus and I also heard about this issue with right hand drive, sorry for you ... no Saudi Arabia option for you

Since about 5-6 weeks they issue transitvisa only for residents in Abu Dhabi, so the container it is, probably

TuA

PS: we just got the referncenumber to pick the Visa for Iran in Turkey

[Mousse83]

@ Tom ; Where did you get this information about Saudi transit visa issued only for Abu Dhabi residents?

Some other questions I have:
Does anyone know whether you need to be married for a transit visa as well?
How do they check this ?
Anyone has information of the Jeddah - Port Sudan ferry?

[wearthefoxhat]

Containers that avoid Egypt are certainly looking good at the moment.
Checkout the news today on Al Jazeera and BBC - it's all become very difficult in Egypt as the military step in to clear the squares and pro-Morsi demonstrators.
Many reports of hundreds killed and many more injured in the last 12 hours.
Not just in Cairo, but also Alexandria, Luxor & Suez.
The British Foreign & Commonwealth office were advising this morning that most of The Sinai is a no-go area (except the road down to Sharm) and that the only area where 'all but essential travel should be avoided' is the route down as far as Hurghada.,
I don't doubt that will also change when they update their bulletin after today's events.
Great care is needed anywhere in Egypt for the foreseeable future.
Atlas, crossed from Jordan yesterday. Here's hoping they're safe and out of harm's way.

[Mousse83]

Terrible news on Egypt today indeed...

By avoiding Egypt it leaves two options:
1. Get that hard-to-get visa in Saudi en take the ferry Jeddah -Port Sudan
2. Shipping to a 'reliable' port, such as Namibia. Hannes did you find a good option for this?