Hi Chris, these are the mail I got from Marco who arrange the shipping

Marco Hofmann Marcoh@allalouf.com :

If you are talking about the Grimaldi freighter where you drive on and stay in a cabin last November this cost us just over 1000 euro for 2 people and a car (365 per person and about the same for the car). Of course it will be less for a bike.

On top of that is $200 for forwarding agent and $100 for port agent (again that's for 2 people and 1 car - a is bike probably cheaper). And 50/60 shekels port tax.

Michnus may be talking about putting a bike in a container and flying over? Or maybe he has missed out a zero ...

http://www.grimaldi-freightercruises...medEnglish.pdf

I am obviously not drinking enough beers, sorry it's 1200euros not 120euro's like i said in my previous post. doh:biggrin3:

Michnus,

We dealt will Marco/Allalouf too.

He told us to expect anything up to $400 in port tax for the car. In fact it was much, much less (about $15). I think it is much more if you are exporting a vehicle that has been in Israel some time. So you may well find that the $150 port tax quoted for the bike is not payable.

Itchyfeet

Thanks it makes sense.

Is the Taba Eilat border between Egypt and Israel by road or by ferry?

There is a land border at Taba/Eilat.

We went Nuweiba/Aqaba (ferry). I did hear of a ferry Taba/Aqaba restarting recently too (but not sure it takes vehicles).

If you go via Jordan you get a chance to see Petra and Wadi Rum which are pretty special ..

If you do direct Taba/Eilat fill your tanks - fuel in Israel at least 10X amount as in Egypt.

Thanks Itchy!

We want to try for Jordan first, but from what I have heard that ferry and customs on Egypt side are a pain in the ass.

We got shafted so much in Egypt with petrol I doubt it would make a difference ;)

I guess leaving Egypt anywhere is a hassle (just like entering is).

Nuweiba wasn't bad. Much easier than Aswan. And 100X easier than extending our car papers at Alex. At Nuweiba we paid a guy 100EGP and he did it all for us - took about an hour, trailing from office to office. Friends tried to go it alone but it's next to impossible as forms are all in Arabic.

Ferry to Aqaba is expensive but pretty plush. You get sent to the 1st class lounge (even though you don't have a first class ticket).

Entering Jordan is an amazing contrast to Egypt. Your car is electronically scanned! All very efficient. No "helpers". No question of bribes/tips etc.

Entering Israel is another matter. They will scan ALL your belongings. Not too bad if you're on a bike but with a fully loaded Landy - no fun. It took 8 hours to get every single thing out, then put it all back ...

Well that is a bit of a relief to hear. Thanks for that info

My first problem is our bikes have been in Egypt over their time. Our Carne's are still valid but they wrote some Arabic gibberish on the Carne that the bikes had to be out of Egypt by May this year. We flew back in May for my wife to get a n operation on her knee. Now we are on our way back to get the bikes and go forth on the crusade to Europe :)

Biggest issue is I do not know what exactly they would want or if it is such a n issue for the bikes being there 5 or 6 months.

Hmmm. Tricky.

We wanted to stay over 30 days and so extended our carnet at Alex. It was a nightmare. It took 6 days and cost a fortune. Fixer wanted 200 euro (which he didn't get but it wasn't pleasant). I wouldn't do it again.

I also heard of someone extending at Cairo airport and that didn't sound as bad as we had it in Alex.

I also know someone who left from Alex (on the old Visemar ferry) who was over the limit on the carnet and he paid a "fine" of some kind (but it wasn't too much). But he was there when the Revolution kicked off and there was nowhere open to try and extend it officially anyway.

If it were me I would try to either:

a) get your embassy involved in making enquiries about how to regularise the situation. If all else fails see if you can get a letter from them explaining the "emergency". It doesn't really matter what it says but having an obviously official piece of paper (especially one the person looking at it doesn't really understand) makes it a little less likely you will be shafted.

or

b) chance it at Nuweiba. It seemed relatively laidback there. There is a chance they won't notice and if they do a chance you can pay someone on the spot to overlook it. I'd don't usually advocate bribes but having been down the "official" route I'd do it like a shot.

Good luck anyway.

It is a bit confusing. Our Carne's are still valid on their own. The time they gave us on the Carne has expired. But our local Carne office said, they can not change the dates on a Carne as it goes according to the date issued for the Carne. Basically a vehicle can stay there until the Carne expiries.

I am definitely going to try the airport route tomorrow as we will be there.

The Egypt embassy in South Africa did not offer much and our own embassy in Egypt also do not know much. I did have letters signed by our courts and what not and translated into Arabic to explain the issue and why we had to leave it there.

So it's going to be an interesting few days from now on. ;)

Egypt to Israel
 

Hi all,

A short note that I crossed from Egypt to Israel today, 3 hours total and no hassles anywhere just paperwork - paperwork...

I'll post more info in a few days about shipping but Rosenfeld at Haifa seems the best option to me to Greece from here.

Crossing Sinai not possible, follow the coast-road is OK, escorts are as helpful as possible but took a full day from Cairo to Dahar.

My suggestion is stay away from Tobya Boutique Hotel at Taba- stay an extra say at St Katherine's !! - but otherwise Egypt is a great biker land.

Cheers !!
Frank.

Hey Michnus,

The fact is that a foreigner vehicle can only be in Egypt for 6 months a year. Even if you CdP is valid another how many months. I had to leave Egypt because of my bike was there for six months. I'm not sure about penalties or what they will do if you stay longer than six months.

I will try to reenter Egypt again in 14 days, official I have to wait another 2 months to get in. Try it this time at a different border crossing.

Let you know how it goes.

When are you planning to leave Egypt????

Cheers Richard