Hello There

I am a British citizen with a US registered bike and would like to ride from Brazila through Suriname etc into Venezuela and ship the bike to Cuba for a short stay and then onto Florida and ride across the USA and upto Canada and Alaska.

Can this be done - whats the best route, the shipping costs etc etc...

Any advice would help right now..

Thanks
Danny.

Hey Danny,
That's a tough one mate.
I know of several riders who've taken their bike into Cuba, some have come in on the Steel Rat (Stahlratte) tourist boat from either Colombia or Panama. The Captain does a tour ... but does not go the USA.

Others have found private shipping ... sorry, don't have links. But IIRC it was neither cheap or easy, but probably no worse than any other shipping scenario.

I'm betting you could ship your bike to Cuba from Venezuela since they are on good diplomatic/economic terms. But shipping your bike into the USA from Cuba ... in my estimation ... would be a NON STARTER. Very tough to do.

I'd love to hear from someone who has managed it. You could ship it to Mexico however, then RIDE into USA.

My sister in law and family (US citizens) were just in Cuba last week. They had a fantastic trip. My advice would be to SHIP your bike to Florida from either Colombia or Venezuela and go to Cuba without the bike. You don't need it there. Public transport is cheap ... and you can even rent a scooter if you like.

Not sure how shipping bike from Venezuela to Florida would go given bad relations at the moment ... but Colombia is on the USA payroll ... and I've read here of many shipping (and flying) bikes from Colombia to Florida just in the last few months. So YES, that can be done!

Safe travels!

Good comments from mollydog. Unless things change, Cuba --> USA shipping is not on. The Stahlratte is a good way to get from Colombia to Panama via Cuba.

See the Shipping section for more info on shipping the bike.

__________________
Grant Johnson
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www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

Best read the Stahlratte website rather than rely on secondhand information; their route changes from years to year according to the whims of the captains. I'm not aware of any trips from Cuba to Panama, for example, although you could get there eventually on the Stahlratte via Isla Mujeres. And even if you find shipping from Venezuela to Cuba, you're likely to be required to export the bike on the same boat you arrived on--and to prove that you'll do this in advance, before being granted a temporary import permit, temporary plates (necessary to ride in Cuba), and temporary drivers license (also necessary). See why you don't want to rely on secondhand reports from people who've never done this?

Captain Ludvig (Lulu) is an ace at dealing with import/export questions, with good connections in Cienfuegos (and perhaps elsewhere). Others, not so much.

There are people making regular bike shipments to and from Cuba originating in Canada and Europe. You'll want a local fixer on the ground if you try this, and by firsthand reports (from one such fixer, well-known throughout Cuba for his love of Harley Davidsons) it's not always easy. Google Latin American Motorcycle Association Havana Chapter, Adolpho Prieto, Sergio Morales, Pototo, or whoever else you please.

AFAIK, not possible to/from the USA unless you find a private boat. That's not as farfetched as you might think, since there is a cruising community which wanders freely around the Caribbean, but dealing with officialdom might be a bit of a chore on both ends.

Rental scooters are all small step-through models and are restricted to use in the state in which they were rented. Other rentals are thoroughly illegal unless the laws have changed very recently, so don't count on this option unless that really works for you.

There's information on ADVrider.com in addition to right here on the HUBB if you're interested. Do some searching.

Hope that's helpful.

Mark

Agree with all the above, in particular very likely difficult to arrange bike shipping originating Cuba->USA (except by private boat).

Even if you could find a willing private boat owner (possible), imagine trying to clear US Customs with a US-registered moto ridden by a Brit passport rider arrivng directly from Cuba

BMW & HD "rentals" now available in Cuba, but only as part of an organized tour (unless you have a personal connection with the Harlistas !):
http://motorcycletourscuba.com/forside.aspx
Motorcycle Tour Cuba
Motorcycle Tours in Cuba (US citizens)

Oh yeh, I should have mentioned that other bikes can be rented as part of a tour. And that anything I say should be taken with a large grain of salt, since change is sometimes rapid in Cuba, although it appears totally random.

Hey Guys

Thanks for all the feedback.

I think l will get the bike to Florida from Colombia or Venezuela (l will do my research) and independently Island hope to Cuba, Puerto Rico and meet the bike in the USA and then ride across state.

Everyones thoughts are much are much appreciated...

Cheers
Danny.

I shipped my bike a few years ago from Bogota to Miami with Lynn Cargo, very good service and reasonable rate.
I am trying to figure a good way to get to Cuba, so far looking at biking down to Mexico and going from Cancun area with Stahlratte next spring.

Cheers
Larry

Danny, when are you planning on doing this? I'm researching boats now to get around Honduras. I'll be in Colombia in July (in Peru now). My mom really doesn't want her daughter riding through Central America alone (and I don't blame her, as I've had some scary experiences there already!), and mentioned shipping to Cuba and then to Mexico and into the States. Keep me posted on what you find?

Thanks!
Elisa
TravelBugBlues.com