Darwin to Dili bike transport and container sharing
 

Where do I start...the Australian leg of my 1/2RTW trip is nearing end and I'll be joined by 2 other riders through Asia-Pacific. Also, a 4th rider is wishing to reduce costs, making the shipping to Dili more secure by sharing a 20 foot container.

I have a few questions however:

- what sort of experience do people have with individual bikes just wheeled on the ship? Any known problems or security issues?

- we got a ballpark quote of $350/bike or $890 for a 20 foot container + some costs on the port side. Anyone has a good estimations of this extra cost as it could render the container more expensive than the individual bikes.

- if we get a container, how much timeframe should we expect for the loading process, given we might need to carry timber to build a framework for the bikes.

- does the container make the customs process any different or clearance taking longer?

Any other experience is welcome that helps deciding pro/con getting the container.

Thanks,
Andras

Hi Andras,

I shipped my bike last November from Darwin to Dili. You do not need a crate. The price per ccm is the same. If you use a crate there is no minimum charge of $350.00. So if you get it really small you might save $100? But have all the hassle of putting it in and back together etc.

I left my soft panniers (cable locked) and some stuff on the bike. No problems at all. The bike will be strapped down inside the container.

I think I paid around $60 on the Dili side, but shared some costs with a fellow biker whose bike was in the same container.

I believe if you get 4 bikes together hiring a container would work out cheaper.

Cheers,
Frank

Thanks Frank!

One last question: did you have to prepare anything to tie the bike down or it's like a ferry crossing and there are tiedown points?