shipping bike from Europe?

[Bruce Culbertson]

Does anyone have experience shipping a bike from Europe to the USA? DHL and
UPS want a small forturne, about $600. Is there a better way? I'd like the
bike to arrive within about two weeks of shipping it.

Thanks

[me]

On Fri, 01 Jun 2007 18:24:54 -0700, Bruce Culbertson wrote:

> Does anyone have experience shipping a bike from Europe to the USA? DHL and
> UPS want a small forturne, about $600. Is there a better way? I'd like the
> bike to arrive within about two weeks of shipping it.
>
> Thanks

Find someone who is going to be traveling back from there and bring it in
as theirs and pay the import duty. It will need to be someone who is
traveling on an airline that isn't gonna skin them for the excess baggage.
I can think of no other way if you want it that quick. There are freight
consolidators but they generally only deal with ocean container freight.
While the boat could make it that quick, the logistics at either end add
more time than the crossing.

[Mike Jacoubowsky]

> Does anyone have experience shipping a bike from Europe to the USA? DHL
> and UPS want a small forturne, about $600. Is there a better way? I'd
> like the bike to arrive within about two weeks of shipping it.

Not anymore. The days of reasonable-cost bike shipping are long gone. Even
the airlines are now charging, in most cases, for carrying bikes...
typically in the $150 price range for International these days, although I
hear that AirFrance may charge even more.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

[mark]

Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:
>> Does anyone have experience shipping a bike from Europe to the USA? DHL
>> and UPS want a small forturne, about $600. Is there a better way? I'd
>> like the bike to arrive within about two weeks of shipping it.
>>
>
> Not anymore. The days of reasonable-cost bike shipping are long gone. Even
> the airlines are now charging, in most cases, for carrying bikes...
> typically in the $150 price range for International these days, although I
> hear that AirFrance may charge even more.
>
> --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
> www.ChainReactionBicycles.com
>
>
>
British Airways still allows one piece of sporting equipment in addition
to your checked baggage allowance at no charge, and bicycles are listed
as sporting equipment. I'm hopoing the rules sty that way for another
year, I've got a big trip planned next May.

mark