There must have been quite the tailwind pushing us north as we departed Mauritius – our scheduled 12 hour flight to Frankfurt, Germany only took 11 hours. The hour saving really only translated into a longer layover in Frankfurt, though, as we still had the connection to Hamburg ahead of us. What was particularly notable, however, was the fact that after 12 hours in the air in total, we had absolutely no jet lag the next morning, a fact we put down to the route being pretty much north-south and us only moving three hours in time zones ( being a daylight flight helped, no doubt !).
A long but easy flight with no jet lag ( we crossed only 3 hours of time zones ).
Rather than pick up our van early the next day ( tempting as it was ! ), the gorgeous Spring day screamed out for a little sightseeing around Hamburg first. With our downtown hotel close to all the sights a walking tour made sense – Hamburg has a rich maritime history, is Germany’s major port, and it was really interesting to wander the canals, the warehouse district and the city’s thriving downtown. So nice to be back in Europe.
Hamburg’s beautiful Rathaus ( Town Hall ).Ornate traditional buildings everywhere in the old part of Hamburg.Warehouse and canal district, downtown.Almost like Venice in places.
The RoRo port terminal is close to downtown and the next day, with much anticipation, we headed to the port to collect our vehicle. For those interested in all the details of that process, I’ve added a segment at the end of this blog (but for those not interested it’s a skip).
Our plans for the first few days in Europe had been simple. See a bit of Hamburg, collect the van, then repack and reorganize everything and finally head towards Czechia. Repacking was quite the job since literally everything we carried in the van was moved into the garage area (so as to secure it ) just before we left Baltimore. This all had to be pulled out and placed back in its usual area in the living space of the van. A ton of cardboard boxes to recycle as well ! In any case, given that the van was picked up this time in perfect condition with nothing at all stolen, it was really a labour of love on this occasion. Fortunately, we identified a great place to pull up not too far south of Hamburg in the quaint town of Hildesheim. It offered a municipally provided area for campers to park, right by a pretty lake, on flat ground with the basic amenities nearby. Not only a great spot to get ourselves reestablished in the van, but we met up with a couple of fellow travellers in campervans who gave us some excellent tips on the ins and outs of free camping in Germany. Seems that may be a little easier than we had feared, which was nice to know.
Free municipal camping by the lake in Hildesheim.Time to reorganize !
Many years ago, I remember meeting a German fellow who told me if we ever got back to Germany and were in the area of Hanover, to be sure to visit Celle. To be quite honest I had forgotten about that advice until we were getting close to Hildesheim ( which is just outside Hanover ) and I saw “Celle” on a road sign – recognizing it as significant, a quick Google search brought up all the details and I then remembered why he said it was very much worth seeing. If you always wanted to get that classic picture of a traditional German village, you would look very hard to find a better a place to get it than Celle…! It contains one of Germany’s best preserved “old towns” (or Altstadt) many of the houses within it date from the 1500’s, almost all in excellent condition. As the town was not a military target nor a large population centre, it was more or less undamaged during the heavy bombing raids of World War II. Thus, much of its historic architecture is very well preserved. We loved the town and wandered around it for hours – a great place to sit, relax, soak in the atmosphere and engage in that most European of past-times, people watching !
Main square, CelleDittoCastle, Celle.By all accounts tough to get a table in summer. Nice to be here in Spring. Main Square, Celle.
Next week we’ll explore a bit more of historic Germany – both recent and not so recent, before heading south to Czechia ( Czech Republic ).
Till then……
Shipping- Collection:
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Anke from Sea-Bridge assured us the port was very organized and that things generally went smoothly with most customers on their way in less than 2 hours. A few days earlier she had emailed me a “port release”, a document that gives me permission to pick up my vehicle from the port, lists me as the owner and identifies the vehicle. All digital, I was not even required to have a paper copy. Sea-Bridge is recognized as one of THE preferred shipping agencies in the overland community, and they certainly know how to make things easy. They think of everything, provide super detailed guides re the process, and are super responsive via email at all times. Highly recommended !
Our van in Hamburg port. Exactly as we’d left it in Baltimore.
We actually had our vehicle, had all our documents reviewed and had cleared customs in just less than two hours so we were naturally thrilled – wonderful to be reunited with the rig after a full month apart and to see it undamaged with everything exactly as it was when we left it in Boston. Phew !
Found this wrapped around our windshield wiper – perhaps it helped !
In Hamburg, one arrives at the port, takes a ticket, waits to be called, shows ID and vehicle documents to the port staff, and then gets chauffeured to your waiting car inside the port. No paid escort required here but you are accompanied at all times. A quick perusal of the vehicle revealed all was well at which point we had to drive to customs to have the van inspected. This was fast, a voluntary declaration only, no physical inspection in our case and no special bio- regulations to deal with, thank god ! The Germans, to no-ones surprise, are extremely well organized and anticipate your every need. Could not have been easier – they even waived what should have been over €200 in storage fees since the vehicle had been in the port beyond the first free week. Happy to escape that, our first week off to a great start.
Lots of paperwork – wait here, go there, get this stamped, sit there, etc etc. That said, all very organized and it moved fast. No one, at any point, even looked inside our vehicle !Every vehicle gets a destination sticker once delivered to the port ( in Baltimore for us ). This tells the dock staff which ship to load it on and cross references the vehicles VIN number to ensure the right vehicle goes to the right place at the right time. Much like bay tags at an airport.Parked at Customs. Ironically in Hamburg, German Customs is outside the secured port area. We had to leave the port to see them and then return ( but port staff keep your passport or drivers licence to ensure you DO return ! ). The officer was far more interested in our journey than any goods we had. Very friendly and efficient ( becoming a theme in Germany ! ).
As I mentioned in the Baltimore “shipping” blog, there were no additional, separate, port charges in Europe since Sea-Bridge had built them into the original quote and I paid it when I paid Sea-Bridge for the freight. Incidentally this was done just after the ship left Baltimore once confirmation had been provided that we’d been successfully loaded. Wired the funds to Sea-Bridge direct, easy peasy. Once we got my licence back we were free to go – Europe awaits !
Turns out that Zanzibar ( a scheduled port visit that was skipped due to a local cholera outbreak ) was not to be the only scheduled port that the Norwegian Dawn would miss. While a public health risk was the culprit with Zanzibar, it would be the weather gods that wreaked havoc on our itinerary after Madagascar. There was to be one final stop prior to reaching Port Louis in Mauritius – the French island of Reunion ( which is very close to Mauritius ). Unfortunately Cyclone Garance had other plans. As we were departing Madagascar, the captain came over the PA system to advise that there was a dangerous cyclone just ahead of us ( it had all be so calm up until then ! ) and that, since Reunion had closed both its port and airport, we would take an extra “sea” day and navigate around the rough weather. This he managed to do and apart from one evening where we encountered larger than normal swells, the ship was unaffected by the cyclone. Reunion, though, was hit hard and very sadly at least 4 people were killed.
The cyclone we avoided was quite deadly.
The sea days were fine, always lots to do anyway, and the captain kindly threw us all a $100 on-board credit for the inconvenience – covered the cost of a few more cocktails to celebrate the imminent end of what has ( overall ) been a really wonderful cruise. We’d both had doubts about our ability to last for 17 days at sea but in reality it flew by. Norwegian did a spectacular job, the ship was great, the staff were outstanding and the ports ( mostly ) offered outstanding sightseeing options, if at times a bit rushed. Would we do it again ? Yes, in a heartbeat, although we don’t have any plans to do another for a few years. As mentioned before, this route ( and schedule ) just filled a very specific void in our larger “van” plans and we don’t think we could have found a better option to occupy the 3 weeks van transit time.
Our favourites – thanks to the captain for providing a few extra on the house !Cruise finale- the whole crew came up on stage and got a standing ovation ! They were outstanding.
Right on schedule the Norwegian Dawn pulled into Port Louis harbour in Mauritius. While most guests ( and a number of crew ) got off here, many sailed on to Cape Town and some even on to Lisbon, Portugal . We’d made some wonderful new friends and were sorry to say “au revoir” to them but at the same time we are looking forward to 4 days in Mauritius before flying on to Germany to pick up our van. Speaking of the van, I had been tracking its progress across the Atlantic- via Halifax, Liverpool and finally on to Hamburg where I could now see that it had been unloaded on to the dock.
The van is in Hamburg !Hardly surprising, I suppose, that the weather would initially be a bit ominous, arriving in Port Louis as we were, at the tail end of a cyclone. Fortunately it quickly improved, and 3 of our 4 days there provided clear, hot, sunny weather.Our hotel in Grand Baie, Mauritius. The roof- top terrace provided great views of the bay and beaches every morning at breakfast.View from the hotel.We did have a little drama one night. Lois slipped and fell getting some very nasty bruises on her chin and arms. An XRay revealed no breaks or fractures fortunately. Speedy and professional help from the medical clinic in Grand Baie.Downtown Grand Baie, where we spent most of our time.
First, Mauritius. Accommodations and stunning beaches virtually ring the entire island – ours was a little boutique hotel across from the beach in popular Grand Baie in the island’s northern west. Probably as nice a part of Mauritius as any if perhaps a little more “touristy” than some other areas. A two day car rental gave us ample time to sample most of the attractions, although a sudden downpour on our last day dashed any hopes of seeing the famous waterfall and “7 coloured hills” of Chamarel.
Typical scenery when driving across the island.
The west coast of Mauritius has more development and is home to Port Louis, where we arrived. Refreshing, after Mombasa and 2 Madagascan ports, to disembark in what one could honestly describe as a nice, historic and well maintained city. Throughout our time in Mauritius we mostly explored, driving all over the island, and when we came upon them sampled a selection of its famous beaches – Peyrebare, Flic en Flac and a few smaller east coast ones were our pick but a visitor would literally need weeks ( or months even ) to sample them all. Two things were consistent everywhere, the warmth of the water and the soft white sand.
Pretty La Cambuse beach near the airport.One of many wide open and almost deserted east coast beaches.A small east coast beach. A “fly in” beach obviously !Here at Flic en Flac beach.
Had a chance to sample traditional creole food and found it delicious, if perhaps a little spicy and also enjoyed some of their renowned craft beers. Some have said Mauritius is expensive – we didn’t find it to be at all, and would happily return here for a “sun and surf” vacation. Hot and humid, as one would expect, and although there are mosquitoes, the island is fortunately dengue and malaria free.
Mauritius is famously a country of many cultures, Indian, Chinese, Malay, African and European. Here one of many Indian temples.
All good things must end, as they say, and with our time here having quickly passed, we readied ourselves for the 12 hour flight to Germany. Fortunately it was a daylight one meaning we did not have to try to sleep sitting bolt upright. Hard to believe after a life of relative luxury on the high seas we will be back with our van in two days..!
We flew out on the German airline, Condor – quite the bold livery !
Day two in the stunning Seychelles took us to the nearby island of La Digue, famed for its especially white, sandy beaches and warm, turquoise waters. One of those beaches, Anse Source Argent, reportedly ranks among the world’s best by some rankings ( Lonely Planet, 2024 ) so much excitement accompanied our arrival there.
Main clock tower, Victoria, Seychelles. Supposedly a small replica of Big Ben.
Unlike our stop in Victoria ( the capital, on the main island of Mahe ) the previous day, the smaller island of La Digue had no port large enough to accommodate a cruise ship so we were tendered ashore using the ship’s lifeboats. An interesting process to watch as the lowering and lifting of them was all done with great speed and efficiency by the crew – in no time we were on the island and walking the track to Anse Source Argent.
It’s certainly a very beautiful, white, sandy beach, with beautiful warm water and some unique rock formations, which provide for a very picturesque setting and we enjoyed our day there. That said, I’m not sure I would rank it with the very best in the world – perhaps just a slightly enthusiastic piece of Seychelles’s tourism marketing. The snorkeling was not bad with some colorful fish but, like many areas of the world, the coral appears to be dying ( or perhaps we just were not in the best part for viewing it ). A memorable part of the La Digue visit was the La Nautique bar, set right on the beach overlooking our ship anchored in the bay. As is often on the case, it’s the people you meet that make the occasion and we enjoyed some wonderful conversation with fellow passengers from both the UK and US. While we will exit the cruise in Mauritius after 17 days, one of those couples will stay on through to Cape Town, and on all the way up the west coast of Africa to Lisbon, Portugal. Now, THAT is a long cruise !
Arrival in La Digue, Seychelles.Anse Source Argent, La Digue, Seychelles.La Union Estate, where vanilla is produced, and through which you walk to Anse Source Argent. On an extremely hot and humid day it was wonderful to be at a beach with shade, making it easy to move in and out of the sun.Yours truly…..Cold Heineken for me and a refreshing Gin and Tonic for Lois after lots of walking on La Digue. Really hit the spot !
Departing La Digue, the ship sailed due West for Mombasa, Kenya, our first African port. It was to be one of two African ports, the second being Zanzibar in Tanzania, just an overnight sail from Mombasa, but a cholera outbreak there meant we’d now be skipping Zanzibar. While very disappointing, everyone understood. Consequently the ship would now be making two stops in Madagascar, whereas the original itinerary called for just one.
The two days sailing between the Seychelles and Kenya passed quickly, filled with pool time during the day, along with lots of eating, reading, walking, before taking in some excellent shows in the evening. Must say, it’s a pretty easy life and one could very easily get used to this longer term ! Having. recently crossed the equator ( it’s just north of the Seychelles ) we noticed that the sink water was now draining in the opposite direction than it did just north of the equator, ( a phenomenon known as the Coriolis Effect, should you ever get the question in a trivia quiz ). I checked it in our room !
One receives a certificate as proof ( if any was needed ! ) of having made a surface crossing of the equator.No shortage of things to do on long “at sea” days.Occasionally we managed window seats when dining – but you had to be up early !
Had heard mixed reports about Mombasa – variously “interesting”, or “historic”, one even said “exotic”. While we certainly saw elements of all three, our general impression ( granted, from a very short stay ) would align more closely with the others who described it as “run down”, “dirty”, and generally somewhat “dangerous”. The cruise ship warnings ( prior to disembarking there ) probably didn’t help. It was a Sunday, lots of things were closed and there was generally an impression of lots of people standing around with little else to do. Also, a lot of street begging which we’d not seen anywhere else to date. It’s “historic” Old Town was a bit underwhelming compared to so many other such historic areas we’ve seen in other cities – run down, sketchy looking, and covered in litter. Less than impressive.
An “all electric” tuk-tuk. These were popular in Mombasa.The Mombasa Tusks, which commemorate the visit of Queen Elizabeth in 1952.Islamic influence, Old Town, Mombasa.Omani style historic doors, Old Town, Mombasa.
Mombasa has some great beaches but we’d had lots of that in the Seychelles so used the rest of our time exploring historic Fort Jesus ( a UNESCO historic site, dating from the Portuguese era in the 1600’s ). This was, despite pretty oppressive humidity and large crowds, well worth a visit and very interesting. Probably the highlight of the port call. No time, of course for any serious safari’s or the like.
Exploring Fort Jesus, Mombasa.Ditto.Ditto.Ditto.
Skipping Zanzibar meant we now had a day at sea before reaching our two Madagascan ports of call. Added to Antsiranana in the far north ( already on our scheduled itinerary, would now be the island of Nosy Be, famous for its wildlife, especially the lemurs and chameleons. Nosy Be would be the first of the two stops, and we enjoyed one of the most enjoyable and exciting days on the trip so far. Teamed up with a lady from Alberta and another from Florida and hired a driver/guide who took us to Lokobe National Park where the aforementioned animals (and a slew of others ) were to be found. Hot, sweaty, and muddy but it was fascinating to see boas, lemurs and chameleons in the wild.
Arriving in Nosy Be one runs the usual gauntlet of souvenir stalls, and pesky touts.Once in the park area it was extremely lush. Drove through beautiful forest/jungles to meet our boat.Arrived at the beach to see this boat waiting to make the 2km crossing. It must be ours………er, not quite. This was our “boat”, a still sturdy, but somewhat leaky outrigger. Bonus- we each got a paddle to help with the rowing, while the captain’s 12 year old son bailed water continuously to keep us afloat. We may have lacked the best boat but all agreed we had the best “adventure” !A chameleon.Up close. The colours are surreal.Hard to see, but look close and you’ll see the boa.Lemurs – impossibly cute !Ditto.
An easy overnight sail away was the northern Madagascan regional capital of Antsiranana. A fairly rundown place and rather than an attraction in itself, serves more as a base for for nearby sites ( including Nosy Be ). The people we met here were all super friendly and helpful, despite the grinding poverty and our tuk-tuk driver “Frankie” made sure we saw what there was to see. The unusual boab trees were probably the highlight, the filthy central market probably best avoided altogether ( sorry, but there’s just something super gross about seeing fly-covered raw meat sitting out on display in 30 degree heat and stifling humidity). Not what we’d call an “attraction” !!!
Frankie, our tuk tuk driver.We found the central market pretty filthy……and frighteningly unhygienic. Raw meat, sitting for sale in 30 degree heat!The unusually shaped Baob ( baobab ) trees. Of the 9 species in the world, 2 are in Africa, 6 are endemic to Madagascar’ and one in Australia.At every stop, mobbed by vendors.The French connection to Madagascar is everywhere- the language, building styles, and a lot of seriously old ( and heavily overworked) French cars still on the road!
And with that our two days in Madagascar was over. With only two days left in our cruise ( an “at sea” day and a day in Reunion ) we will soon be disembarking in Pot Louis , Mauritius, but more on that in the next edition.
More than anything our time in Doha had simply been a great chance to relax, the weeks preceding it being a time of continuous travelling – almost every night in a different place. There was an unexpected delight in simply resting in bed as long as we wanted, coming home to a freshly made up room every night and having someone (other than ourselves ) doing all the cooking. Our forthcoming cruise, fortunately, would offer more of the same.
Pulling out of the Port of Doha at night – quite the skyline !Live band playing as we boarded the Norwegian Dawn !
The cruise ship ( Norwegian Dawn ), now leaving Doha harbour, would be home for the next 17 days. We’d been on two previous cruises ( though long ago ), one ironically on the very same Norwegian Cruise Line we were travelling on this time. The check in was simple, and as scheduled by 8pm mooring lines were dropped and the ship pulled out into the Persian Gulf, destination Abu Dhabi, just an overnight away; along with Dubai, one of of two stops in the UAE.
Probably a bit lesser known than its flashier twin, Dubai, Abu Dhabi is nonetheless a strikingly impressive modern city- it seemed a little more spread out than Doha, necessitating a slew of Uber’s to reach the attractions we visited. The stop in Abu Dhabi offered a more modern ( though less impressive ) souk than that of Doha, allowed time for some downtown shopping and a visit to the impressive Founders Memorial, but little else. We quickly learned that sightseeing time on port stops was very limited indeed. Not a terribly “walking” friendly place ( Dubai, we were hoping, might offer better possibilities in this regard ), conscious as we were of the tendency to put on a few pounds by the end of any cruise.
First thing we saw in Abu Dhabi was what looked like a Russian oligarch’s personal motor yacht ( or perhaps it belonged to an Arab sheik …….) ! The city ooozes wealth.Driving through Abu Dhabi. The skyline was somewhat similar to Doha, seemingly on a smaller scale. Nonetheless some amazing buildings, all so modern.Founders Memorial ( Sheik Zaheed ), Abu Dhabi. Look closely and you can see the outline of his head in the hanging art piece.
Dubai also offered many more attractions than we could possibly squeeze into the “hours” ( not days ) permitted ashore. The world famous ( and world’s tallest ) building, the Burj Khalifa was seemingly on everyone’s list and the combination of February being high season and there being 3 large cruise ships in port meant that the line ups to visit it were incredibly long. It’s certainly an impressive building, the views are stunning 125 floors up, but I’m not sure with our limited time in port it was the best use of the time we had – what remained was barely enough to visit the Old Town ( souk ) and Dubai Creek, and then only briefly. Note to self: better time planning required with upcoming port visits !
Leaving the ship we figured it would be a busy day in Dubai ( we had no idea – sooooo many tourists ! ). By the time we returned to the ship we noticed a 3rd cruise ship had docked.One accesses the world’s tallest building ( Burj Khalifa ) from the opulent Dubai Mall. Lineups to the Burj were brutal ! Every imaginable famous brand is represented here…..and a well known Canadian icon !Surprised to see this Canadian institution in Dubai….!Outside Dubai Mall.The Burj Khalifa. Took the “To the Top” experience, very impressive.View from Burj Khalifa, 125 floors up.Lois, at the Burj lookout.View to below from Burj Khalifa, 125 floors up !The elevators are illuminated with the floor progress as you wait for them.
A full 180 from modern Dubai, here an entrance to the Old Town ( souk ).Ceramic ware, Old Town, Dubai.
The aforementioned next port visits, would however, be a bit down the track. Leaving Dubai, the ship exited the Persian Gulf through the Straits of Hormuz, hugged the Omani coastline and then began its longest “at sea” stretch – there would be no sighting of land now for over 4 days until we reached the Seychelles. Through the Gulf the sea was like glass with little wind and clear skies, and it continued this way all the way to the Seychelles, a great start to the trip. While we did have plenty of company early ( passing a continuous stream of large oil tankers in the Persian Gulf ), once out in the Indian Ocean there was only 1 other ship sighted in the next 4 days at sea. Heading further out beyond Oman, one passenger mused that we might (however briefly ) be in range of rockets from Yemeni Houthi rebels, and/or pirates from the Somali coast but a quick perusal of the local marine geography showed us to be far enough away from both coasts to be out of any danger. In any event they generally seek oil tankers, not cruise ships !!
One thing the cruise ships do well is keep you entertained ( and VERY well fed ), especially during the long continuous days at sea. Our 4 sea days passed by in no time helped along by beautiful 26-28 degree sunny weather and extremely calm seas. Days were spent lounging by the pools, reading, attending shows, regularly using the walking track ( the goal was at least 5kms every day ) and keeping our eyes peeled for the possibility of marine life or even other vessels. A highlight of the passage was crossing the equator, just north of the Seychelles, our first ocean crossing after two on land previously.
Poolside relaxing.Some stunning Indian Ocean sunsets.Selfie time……
Predictably perhaps, much excitement surrounded the ship’s arrival in Victoria, the Seychelles’ capital. The weather was great, hot and dry, and most guests were headed immediately for the renowned beaches and its famed botanical gardens. Managed to get to both and were not disappointed.
The port in the Seychelles was very different than those in the UAE. A very small island feel.The Seychelles architecture had a very South Pacific feel. Years of British influence were everywhere.Beau Vallon beach, Mahe. Warmest water, ever !A couple of exotic tropical plants.DittoGiant tortoises, Seychelles Botanical Gardens. Intriguing to watch – they move soooo slowly!
There would be 2 days in the Seychelles, the first in Mahe ( the main island ) and the second on La Digue, nearby, and reported to have the very best beaches in all of the Seychelles. Will report on La Digue next week, stay tuned !
There were a few different considerations for our own travels once we parted company with the van in Baltimore. Since it was now early February and it would not get to Hamburg until late February ( with port calls at New York and Halifax en route ) we could :
A) fly home to Kelowna, wait out out the shipping transit, and then fly to Hamburg when it arrived – this involved considerable backtracking with even more lengthy flights, and more winter time in Canada, so seemed somewhat pointless. But this option would save us precious “Schengen” time in Europe ( more on “Schengen” later). Or, we could:
B) fly directly on to Europe and wander around ( in winter ) with no van to live in – this also seemed a bit foolish; why spend a fortune shipping your vehicle to Europe then travel around Europe without it? It would have also burned up over 3 weeks of precious “Schengen” time, something we were loathe to do without our campervan. Or, we could:
C) fly on from Baltimore to somewhere ( outside Europe ), somewhere ideally hot, ideally interesting, ideally reasonably affordable and, in a perfect world, ideally somewhere we had not explored before. Oh, and if we could use this 3 week interval to celebrate our (just passed) 40th wedding anniversary, well, that would just be the icing on the cake. Hmmmmm…….
The Atlantic crossing taken by our van on the ACL ship “Atlantic Sky”.
Anyway, Lois got to work on option “C” and in short order came up with what we both decided was a spectacularly creative option. We’d make our way to Doha, Qatar, where Norwegian Cruise Lines had an amazing Indian Ocean cruise that stopped in 7 different ports, ending in Port Louis, Mauritius. We’d spend 4 days in Mauritius after the cruise and fly direct to Hamburg after that to meet our van. Ticked all the boxes in “C” and, we felt, made for an appropriate 40th wedding anniversary gift to each other !
Cruise route, starting in Doha ( Qatar ) and ending in Port Louis ( Mauritius .
So, back to “Schengen”. For reasons known only to the “Eurocrats” in Brussels, non-European residents can now only stay in Europe for a maximum of 90 days in every ( rolling ) 180 days. Such are the tourism rules now in place, named after a small town called Schengen where the scheme was hatched quite some years ago. Meaningless to the average visitor who might spend 3 or 4 weeks in Europe but an absolute logistical nightmare for longer term travellers/retirees who would like to spend 6-12 months ( or more ) roaming around Europe in a campervan. I’ll spare readers the sordid minutiae but let’s just say it’s a major headache with no easy workarounds. People have been screaming about it for years but so far no changes- one must just work with it. With our time in Europe thus rather precious as a result, you can see why we did not want to wait out the van transit “in” Europe. A Middle East detour and Indian Ocean cruise just made much better sense.
Very much looking forward to this…!
Route chosen, we flew out of the US the day after dropping the van at Baltimore port – first stop Iceland. Iceland ? In winter, you ask ? Granted, not the best time to be there but Icelandair offer a great deal to many cities in Europe with a free stopover in Reykjavik – time enough, at least, to experience its legendary Blue Lagoon. More importantly, Iceland is in the Schengen zone so even a 1 day stopover there starts the clock on the 180 day Schengen rule, a factor which could be very significant to us later this year when we want to return to Europe ( we’ll likely fly home for a summer break at some point ). Alas, the weather gods were having none of our plans and freak wind storms in Iceland caused the cancellation of our departing flight from Reykjavik, completely altering our onwards stopovers. It also very much limited what we could do while in Iceland – no rural drives like we had hoped, no “Golden Circle” loops, just the Blue Lagoon experience ( which was wonderful ) and some sightseeing in and around Reykjavik. The revised route onwards to Doha sadly also forced the elimination of a planned stopover in Muscat, Oman. Icelandair rerouted us via London and Frankfurt and eventually we made it to Doha still giving us 4 relaxing days to explore the city before the cruise. Finally somewhere warm – Doha was delightful and we enjoyed all its Middle Eastern charms !
Flight path to Iceland.Stunning view of New York City at night as we flew directly above it en route to Iceland.The Blue Lagoon – amazingly relaxing, includes a swim up bar !Around the Blue Lagoon. A typical winter day in Iceland, only very short hours of sunlight.Blue Lagoon. Remnants of the white “mask” are visible – a treatment given for the skin which is included in the admission.Famous Hallsgrimkirkja ( church ) in Reykjavik.Marine sculpture, Reykjavik.
After a very cold drive across the USA, followed by cold and extremely windy weather in Iceland, it was really nice to reach Qatar and have time to relax in some warm weather. One other advantage of taking the slow route is that we completely avoided any jet lag. With 13 days to cross 12 hours of time zones it’s the first time we’ve ever travelled this far and NOT been wiped out by jet lag at the end of it.
View out to the cruise port from our hotel which was right beside Doha’s striking National Museum building.Selfie time !Souq Waqif, one of Doha’s most popular markets.“Pouce” ( thumb ) sculpture. Based on a cast of his own thumb, Cesar Baldaccini’s iconic art work sits ( oddly enough ) right in the middle of Souq Waqif.Alleyway, Souq Waqif.Mounted security in traditional wear, Souq Waqif, Doha.Fruit vendor, Souq Waqif.Famed for its falcons, there is a falconry centre right in the Souq.Falconry centre,Souq Waqif.Doha has some impressive malls, one called “Villagio” with a Venice theme. Every luxury store imaginable for those so inclined !….and for the kid who has everything !Katara Cultural Centre, Doha.Ornate minaret, Katara, Doha. Always nice to listen to the muezzin as he calls the faithful to prayer.Like other Gulf states, Qatar has some impressive and unique high rise buildings.
After 4 delightful, relaxing days here, our cruise ship pulled into port. So nice to see it – excited to be jumping aboard !
Warning: This is a dry and rather technical read on the process of shipping out of the US and not likely of ANY interest to the casual reader ( you have been warned ! ). I include it in the blog series more for the benefit of those among our readership ( I know of a handful, but there are likely more I don’t know of ) who are planning to ship their vehicle abroad. I know I always found it hugely useful to have the benefit of someone else’s recent experience whenever I was shipping in an area I was not familiar with, so just “paying it forward” here.
ACL’s “Atlantic Sky” would take our van to Germany. The ship differs from past carriers in that it is a combination container/RoRo vessel. Containers on top, vehicles below.
The passage from Baltimore to Hamburg was certainly not our first rodeo, as they say. In fact this would be our 7th international vehicle shipment and our second one shipping out of the US (as well, our second experience with the port of Baltimore specifically) – it’s fair to say, then, that I felt pretty comfortable with what was in store. Little did I know that things would quickly, and dramatically go briefly VERY sideways !
The shipment booking with Sea-Bridge was very easy and I was instructed to visit their preferred freight forwarder near Baltimore port to present my passport and original vehicle ownership documents on the Monday prior to sailing. With that, and payment of $315 USD in port charges, I was to have received a “dock receipt” allowing me to deliver the vehicle to the port ( with an escort – always with an escort ! ). It would then be customs cleared before being loaded on the ship a few days later. Pretty much exactly as I had done before, both in the US and elsewhere. Or so I thought.
Not this time. Not even close ! The passport was fine, but upon presenting my original vehicle registration documents to the freight forwarder I was told ( in no uncertain terms ) that :
A) they were NOT originals, and
B) they were not even “ownership” documents, but rather “insurance” documents, and
C) there was no way customs (at the port ) would accept them.
Seriously ? They were original ( but did include reference to insurance – just the weird way things work in British Columbia ), had always been accepted before ( at 6 previous ports, including 2 in the US ! ) and in any case there were no other, alternate, documents I could provide. She was adamant and was ready to halt the whole process right there. There was no convincing her otherwise. I begged her to just charge me the $315, issue me the dock receipt and leave me to fight it out with US Customs. I was again assured I would be wasting my time, and that US Customs was very strict…..but hey, if I wanted to waste my time and money then they would happily take my money ( but “no refunds” if US Customs rejected my documents, I was warned ).
Stunned by the rejection of my documents I’ll confess to being more than just a tad nervous as I next met up with the port escort and proceeded to the port. I need not have worried- US Customs were ( as they always had been before ) fast, friendly and efficient and stamped my shipping documents “Approved for Export” without any drama at all. To say I breathed a huge sigh of relief would be an understatement – for a couple of stressful hours there I really was worried that our Europe campervan plans would come unstuck before we even left the US !
Following my port escort, Karen, through the massive Baltimore port to the loading area.
With that behind us, the rest of the day went exactly as planned and exactly as it had at the other US ports. The Ports America staff checked the VIN against my ownership documents, examined the vehicle for damage ( I took pictures at that stage to confirm it was damage-free when handed over to their care ), and applied a destination sticker to the windshield to ensure loading on the correct vessel. I was handed a “gate receipt” proving I had dropped the vehicle and, along with my escort, was now free to leave the port. Almost 4 hours in total but 1.5 of that was due to us just catching their lunch hour. Not the fastest, but in many places it takes even longer. Happy just to have it all done – now just to wait and hope it arrives in Hamburg in the same condition we left it 🤞🤞🤞.
Line up at Ports America RoRo office for vehicle documents.Documents are provided to enable us to enter and leave the port and to confirm US Customs has given “export” clearance. Kind of weird to think that taking a van to Europe counts as an “export” ! They also confirm that Ports America has received my vehicle in good order ( hopefully I get it back like that ).Once documents were issued, the Ports America agent comes out to match vehicle documents to the vehicle VIN and inspect for damage. They also put a sticker on the windshield indicating which ship it is to be loaded on and which port it is to be unloaded at.
Some other items of note for those reading this who may be using Baltimore to ship out from:
A) my port escort advised that they do conduct random full vehicle inspections, but if one was going to be done on ours it certainly did not occur while I was there. Of course they have access to it for the next 5 days so who knows whether it is done later or not.
B) we moved just about everything from inside the van to the lockable rear “garage” area of the van. That way no one has access until we collect it in Germany. While port security is good, the fact remains that your vehicle sits for days with the doors unlocked – better to secure your inner cargo in our experience.
When it was all said and done, I thanked the very patient Karen who guided me through the process in port. Must wear a Hi-Viz vest at all times in port !
Costs
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So far our shipping costs to Europe have been:
Freight: €3,000
Marine Insurance: €300
Port Escort: $150 US
Port Charges: USA $315 US
Port Charges: Hamburg ( est ): €320
Total ( approx. ): $ 4,215 US
Since estimated port charges in Hamburg are included here this should cover everything barring any surprises. Given that we will be a bit late picking the van up in Germany there will be some additional storage charges but those are specific to our timing, and not a normal shipping cost. These costs are based on our van size being almost 43 cubic metres.
With the vehicle all checked in and now parked in the designated area, I checked everything over one last time, locked the rear compartment and took photos from inside and all outside angles just so I had proof that it was undamaged when I left it ( good tip from our shipping agent ! ). Next time we see it should be in Hamburg !
We were told to park near other vans – no matter which port, there are always a few intrepid souls doing the same thing as us…!I have an Apple Air Tag inside the van so I can track its movements ( as long as it is within a cell phone signal ). Handy to know if it actually gets loaded on the ship ( vehicles have been left behind ! )
So with that, the Baltimore port process was complete. Once the ship sails my shipper in Germany will send me a Bill of Lading and I will pay the freight charges, port fees and marine insurance. I’ll then track the ship’s progress until it unloads in Hamburg, late in February. I’ll provide a further update on the collection process in Germany when we get there.
The PanAm completed in April, 2022 and with the truck camper sold, we shipped our new Sprinter van to Australia in late 2022. We travelled there through all of 2023 and into 2024 before shipping it up to North East Asia where we travelled for 4 months between Korea and Japan, before shipping it back to North America. It’s our plan to continue exploring the world in 2025.
