In Vladivostok we hear from a local shiping agent that if we use flight: Petropavlovsk - Kamchatsky - Anchorage, ... we will still need 'Customs Clearance' in Kamchatsky,.. which can be expensive,.. we hear.

Can anybody confirm this?

Max Crate Dimensions: 95cm High, 100cm Wide, 230cm Long

Charge to Kamchatsky seems to be 3.50 USD per Kg.
Charge onward to Anchorage seems to be 6.20 Euro per Kg.

We're looking at a 'Container' direct Vladivostok to Anchorage, total $5,000. It will take 5 weeks and we're looking for additonal bikes to share the container/cost, .......... any interest?. (Hope to depart approx 1 week from this post, 14th July 2008)

call: +7 964 810 8816

Many thanks, .... Geoff

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Hi guys,

I am in Ulan Bator, Mongolia and heading to Vlad tomorrow. I presume I will need one week to get there. My plan is to take the ferry from Zarubino to South Koreea and than get the bike shipped by plane to Anchorage. It will be fast and cost about 5000USD but I won't spend money waiting for things to happen, I will be in the same plane with the bike, I won't deal with Russian bureaocracy (customs in Zarubino are much better than the ones in Vlad) and I know it's gonna happen. If you want to join, we can get the bikes crated together and get cheaper (you pay for volume or weight, which one is more expensive and it's the volume that costs more; also instead of getting one crate for 1 bike, we'll get 1 crate for 3 bikes). If you have any other clear plan, with a clear price tag and a clear schedule, I'm joining.

So, if you can wait one week, let me know, SMS me at:
+40726177700

Best regards,
Dan

Dan Honciuc photography

Dan,.. I'm sitting in the 'Iron Tigers Box' in Vlad, .. and I just got your SMS.

We hear that currently 'Korea' is not the place to be taking a bike, .... ban on temporary importation,.. but it's third hand news.

Flights from Vlad seem to be as folows:

Monday Flights Vlad to Kamchatka, Kamchatka to Anchorage.

$3.50 per Kg (Plus $120) Vlad to Kam
$6.20 per Kg Kam to Anchorage
Personal Flight $1,500.00

Max Crate Size: 95cm H, 100cm W, 230cm L
(I guess only 1 std. bike per crate)

We're holding out for LCL shipping to North America, but Flight option is there.
I'll SMS you from here, but Amur Highway is currently awash with water, mini cyclone from Vladivostok north. Guy called Rik on BMW R100GS is hot on your heels coming out of UB to Chita,.. he's going to meet us at Iron Tigers in Vlad.

Ride safe,.. Geoff

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http://www.poorcirculation.blogspot.com

hi Guys,
In Olgi, heading slowly to UB.
I contcted Korean Air and they told me that they stop for refueling only, not unloading of cargo.
Is there another carrier? Or perhaps I got wrong info...
Rene

Geoff - do you know if those prices are for a cubic meter or just the net weight of the box? Normaly air freight is done to the cubic meter..

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Go slow, be well.

Guys...contact wendychoi2 "hat" gmail "dot" com to confirm that a temporary ban exists...I doubt it as I would have heard about it, BUT stranger things have happened.

Wendy has shipped probably 10 bikes/vehicles out of Russian in the past 2 years. She works closely with the Dong Chung ferry folk.

edde

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edde
93 BMW K75s
www.motoedde.com

Blue 88,

Thanks for the invaluable info on exiting Vlad. We're planning to arrive in Vlad on Aug 6th and somehow get the bikes to North America (like you, preferably Alaska quickly).

How long will shipping the bikes from Korea to Anchorage take? One thing that scares us about the marine shipping option is that we're told there's always additional costs like port charges, etc. that add up quickly.

Another thing we've been told to fear is that customs clearance out of Russia can cost up to $1,000 US. I really don't understand that bs because it's no different than us riding our own bikes over a land border. Maybe taking the ferry to Korea will avoid that customs clearance charge?

It seems that we can fit our bikes into the minimum Vlad Air crate dimensions (if we take the windscreen and the tyres off for the min height). Thanks so much for the quotes you put up here on HUBB. Judging by those quotes ($3.50/kg first leg and $6.20/kg second leg) we would each have to pay $787 for the first leg and $1,395 for the second leg (our GS's with crates will be 225kg each). That's about $2,200 before paying for customs clearance and other bureaucratic bs.

Then the $1,500 per person to fly ourselves. Yikes!

Anyway, we hadn't initially taken Korea as a serious option but now we'll start looking at options. Thanks again for all your pioneering on this.

Cheers, Mike

Your cheapest/quickest option is to fly into Seattle/Vancouver...and ride up to Alaska and back there are two routes up there and back and the scenery is spectacular.

Messing around in Vlad will cost you more than the promised shipping when you account for Vlad customs clearance fees, air ticket differential, hotel/meals costs to arrange shipping etc.

edde

PS I heard back from my shipping contacts in Korea and they are unaware of a temporary ban...I'm wondering if Russian shippers started this as a rumor to reel bikers into shipping via Vlad?

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edde
93 BMW K75s
www.motoedde.com