Advice on Logistical Cost to bringing Austrian Car to UK.

Hi everyone.

The moment is fast approaching when hubby and i head back to Austria to pick up my dad's car. We have done some research as to wether or not its worth the trouble to bring one here but since its free and we have secured two round trip tickets (not that we will need the return portion of it..) to Austria for less than £20.00 total for both tickets..i figure we are doing well.

Now my question is specifically about what sort of toll costs or associated costs will we be facing at the UK border ? Is it cheaper to take the ferry or the Euro tunnel ? Does anyone know the current costs for both types of entry ? Any additional costs we need to be aware of ?

My father will keep us on his insurance plan and i have secured a 6 months parking permit for the street we live on..while i know that a foriegn registerd car can only park for 6 months, we are hoping to tackle the rest of the problems when we get there.
It is a honda GL 1989 but has very low miles ( 55K miles ) and the body is in mint condition as well . So hopefully the petrol cost to drive to london wont be astronomical.

My fathers place is close to the Swiss/German border ( lake of Constance) in Bregenz so if anyone has driven from that neck of the woods it would be especially helpfull.

thanks you guys.
Zu.

Cheers

Hello ... I've driven between Lake Constance (Fredrichshafen) and the UK, and also across the Germany / Austria border.  Long drive (by UK standards) but no big problems - I would suggest the A61 up through Germany past Koblenz to the Koln area, then the A4 near to Aachen and the E40 acoss Belgium (around the Brussels ring) and on to the Oostende area. Good fast roads, no tolls (you would have motorway fees if you took the route via Reims in France) and ... if it's possible ... a beautiful motorway.  Unless you've used to very long and fast drives, stop overnight on the way somewhere!

Ferry or tunnel ... BOOK AHEAD.   The cost of a single if you just turn up is more than a return and these days the ferry companies threaten to back-charge your card if you buy a return and only use half.   Have a look at Norfolk Line from Dunquerque - I just got an online price of 44 pounds on their web site. Also Sea France out of Calais are often better value that P and O and the tunnel.

To get the car UK registered in due course, you'll need an MOT for it which will involve adjusting or changing the headlights and perhaps fitting an extra fog light (I think those were the issues we had with Lisa's old car) then a visit to the car registration place.  Private import at that age ... I don't think you'll have any duty or VAT to pay but I could be wrong; best check on the DVLA site. There is a 38 pound fee.  See http://www.dvla.gov.uk/vehicles/exptimpt.htm - some of the paperwork is a bit of a hassle as the system has been abused in the past by people re-registering stolen cars to get them a new identity.

Hi GrahamE

Thanks so much for that detailed piece.

Wow i have a lot of work ahead of me then eh...may i ask roughly how many hours it took you with an overnight stay ?
Re: Motorway fees, is that like bridge-toll-type fees ? I guess i am trying to get a ball park figure of how much i can expect to spend with two people driving and an overnight stay somewhere...

So i am assuming then the Ferry would be cheaper right ? i will take a look at the links you sent me and get back to you if you dont mind.

Thanks again
Zufan

18 hours travel time (time on the move) from Lake Constance to home. That's mostly time driving but does include time on the ferry.   The motorway fees are like turnpike charges in the USA - but you won't have any of those to pay if you take the Koblenz and Aachen route.

The ferry is cheaper and more pleasant and takes a little longer.   But you'll probably want to stop to stretch your legs and get a bite of food anyway, which you can do while you're at sea on the boat.

This is the cheapest way to cross the channel that I have found

http://www.speedferries.com/

Also here is the RAC journey planner for europe I find this helpful, they tell you about traffic and construction problems

http://rp.rac.co.uk/routeplanner?advanced=true&fromcity=UK+town+%252F+postcode&tocity=UK+town+%252F+postcode

Good Luck

jc

Thanks to both of you for the heads up.

Phew...i am  feeling a bit stressed and  overwhelmed with this trip right about now..i have never driven through Europe before.

Just didnt figure on an 18 hour drive..thought maybe 12 hours.. i know i could have looked this up but i kept pushing it in the back of my mind until i finally had to plan the trip but we will go through with it as my dad has done a lot of running around to put us on his insurance and get the car fine tuned and all.

Please bear with me as i am still unsure of a couple things.

GrahamE i checked out the ferrry site you mentioned but they seem to be out of everything except for 7:30 am or 9:30pm...i am just confused as to how you can perfectly time one's journey so you arrive at the ferry at exactly the said time ?What happens if you are late ? If we have to arrive at the ferrry that early, that means we would have to be driving through the night and we both dont feel comfortable driving at night, especially not a marathon session like this one. And if we book it at 9:30pm then we would still need to drive at night when we cross the chanel.

Also, i didnt understand what you meant by this.

.."the ferry companies threaten to back-charge your card if you buy a return and only use half. " 

What card is this ? The Ferry sites offerd 50% off but when i looked into it there was no actual discount..sorry but i am still confused about how the Ferry companies charge and how to get good ticket price.

Do you see any other alternatives for us ?

None of the Ferry companies seems to offer anything during the afternoon or late morningi know but i know thats cause we are probably late with booking . Just diidnt know it was this big a deal that we should have planed way in advance i guess .

Thanks
Zu.

The ferry companies will typically put you on the next boat if you turn up a few hours early and I would be very surprised if they made you wait - the last thing they want is someone hanging around for hours on end.  However, they do offer cheaper deals out of peak hours and if you go for the cheapest deal then try to travel at a peak hour they may not let you - perhaps you asked for cheapest possible crossing on the web site and that's why it offered you those unpopular times only?  Even in February when Calais had 3 out of 5 ferry berths closed due to safety check and there were miles (literally) of lorries queuing, I was put on the next boat out in my car when I arrived a couple of hours earlier than booked from Munich.

My comment about "charging back" your card:   There are some very good deals such as "24 hours for 24 euro" return tickets that they sometimes offer.  If you buy one of these but only use the outbound ticket, they'll make a further charge on your credit card when you don't turn up for the return leg, so that you end up paying a standard single which is more expensive.

The 18 hours I quoted was my door to door timing - so it includes the Ferry and UK legs.  Don't think I was very clear on that.  But I would still strongly advise on a first such drive that you plan to stop overnight on the way - perhaps near the Belgium / Germany border - rather than taking any chances of falling asleep at the wheel - we want you back  .

Although it's your first such long drive in Europe, thousands of people do it and it'll turn out to be much easier that you imagine.  Enjoy the trip!

Thanks for your prompt responses..

Re:Ferry Charge backs, would paying in cash be an option ?

I will get cracking on ferry deals...thanks to you both, i can now plan this trip with both eyes open.

Was driving from right side to left a problem for you when you entered UK ?

We will defintley sleep over along the way..i am expected at work almost immediatley after this journey so i will surely need the rest.

BTW were you just visiting the Lake of Constance area or do you have family there ?
Cheers
Zu.

No problem (personally) for me to drive on the left or right, whichever side the steering wheel is on ... but then I've been around for many years and I'm quite used to switching.  The thing I find most difficult is arriving in Calais and having to go round roundabouts the wrong way.  But if you're not exhausted it shouldn't be a problem.

The Lake Constance trip was to give a Java course - I drove as I had to take a car full of computers with me.  But I have driven all the way to Zell-am-See in Austria to ski.

Java eh ? thats cool that you get to see places while on the job.
One other thing that hubby and i were wondering about...Approx. how much did you spend on petrol for the whole trip ?
We will be driving a Honda 4-cylinder so i would imagine its good on gas...

Oops...sorry about the question of wether or not we could pay cash for the ferry tickets..it just dawned on me that we would have to buy tix. in advance and therefore would need to use a C.C.
dont know what i was thinking..

Lucky you work with your other half..thats cool
Nice pics by the way.
Cheers

Petrol costs ... a little lower than the UK as I recall ... say 20% cheaper?  When I drive for work like this, I'm re-imbursed my travel costs so I don't take TOO much notice (but before you think I have it too easy, I'm not paid for the time  )

do you think £150 for petrol sounds about right ?

do you think £150 for petrol sounds about right ?

That looks like return trip prices. I paid about 75 pounds for fuel as I drove down to Munich in February and about the same amount again as I drove back.  You're only driving one way.

Ok thanks £75 sounds better than £150 teheh.
BTW i have been checking websites that claim the whole trip should take no longer than 12 hours...does this make any sense to you ?
They are including the down time as well.

Zu.