Importing a car from UK on ferry?

bananabuster

Hi all,

Mods, please feel free to move this if it is not in the correct forum.

I am in the process of purchasing a car from the UK and I am trying to find information on transporting it back home. I have found the route I want with P&O Ferries and I tried to call and email them with no response to inquire about how I book a ticket for this? The mechanic is going to drop the car to the ferry and I will pick it up on arrival in Northern Ireland. Has anyone ever done this before and is it even possible to book a ticket for a ferry crossing without a passenger? Do they offer a loading on and loading off service or is that up to me to organise?

Any help would be greatly appreciated thanks,

Spook_ie

bananabuster wrote: »

Hi all,

Mods, please feel free to move this if it is not in the correct forum.

I am in the process of purchasing a car from the UK and I am trying to find information on transporting it back home. I have found the route I want with P&O Ferries and I tried to call and email them with no response to inquire about how I book a ticket for this? The mechanic is going to drop the car to the ferry and I will pick it up on arrival in Northern Ireland. Has anyone ever done this before and is it even possible to book a ticket for a ferry crossing without a passenger? Do they offer a loading on and loading off service or is that up to me to organise?

Any help would be greatly appreciated thanks,

I would think you are unlikely to get the ferry company to take responsability for the car, why not foot passenger over and load it onto the ferry yourself, then you'll at least get a chance to inspect it for damage etc.

freddie_

I have often sent trucks which I have bought over in the UK back to Ireland "unaccompanied". You book it in advance and give the booking number to the driver the far side. The ferry company will load it and unload it for you and have it waiting for you once you arrive in the port, You should arrive in the port with the booking number and ID and they give you the keys.
Its standard enough for all shipping companies to accept items unaccompanied be it artic trailers etc.
I can't see the issue with doing it for a car.

Henry Ford III

I'd want to at least see and drive a car before purchase.

p.s. Make sure it's HPI (or similar) checked, and also check and verify it's service history.

un5byh7sqpd2x0

freddie_ wrote: »

I have often sent trucks which I have bought over in the UK back to Ireland "unaccompanied". You book it in advance and give the booking number to the driver the far side. The ferry company will load it and unload it for you and have it waiting for you once you arrive in the port, You should arrive in the port with the booking number and ID and they give you the keys.
Its standard enough for all shipping companies to accept items unaccompanied be it artic trailers etc.
I can't see the issue with doing it for a car.

That’s artic trailers rather than trucks, no?

freddie_

Leona Bewildered Windfall wrote: »

That’s artic trailers rather than trucks, no?

No I have sent both trucks and vans back to Ireland unaccompanied.

bananabuster

freddie_ wrote: »

No I have sent both trucks and vans back to Ireland unaccompanied.

Hi, thanks for your reply. I cannot get any response from the ferry company as they are not manning the phone so I have sent numerous emails. Did you just book a normal ticket? The only options I see include at least one passenger. And did you have to arrange with them in advance to load/unload?

freddie_

bananabuster wrote: »

Hi, thanks for your reply. I cannot get any response from the ferry company as they are not manning the phone so I have sent numerous emails. Did you just book a normal ticket? The only options I see include at least one passenger. And did you have to arrange with them in advance to load/unload?

It’s booked in as cargo so when booking try looking for The freight phone number not the standard booking. Also not sure what route you are planning but check if more than one boat company does it.
Hope that helps.

freddie_

bananabuster wrote: »

Hi, thanks for your reply. I cannot get any response from the ferry company as they are not manning the phone so I have sent numerous emails. Did you just book a normal ticket? The only options I see include at least one passenger. And did you have to arrange with them in advance to load/unload?

It’s booked in as cargo so when booking try looking for The freight phone number not the standard booking. Also not sure what route you are planning but check if more than one boat company does it.
Hope that helps.

freddie_

bananabuster wrote: »

Hi, thanks for your reply. I cannot get any response from the ferry company as they are not manning the phone so I have sent numerous emails. Did you just book a normal ticket? The only options I see include at least one passenger. And did you have to arrange with them in advance to load/unload?

It’s booked in as cargo so when booking try looking for The freight phone number not the standard booking. Also not sure what route you are planning but check if more than one boat company does it.
Hope that helps.

bananabuster

freddie_ wrote: »

It’s booked in as cargo so when booking try looking for The freight phone number not the standard booking. Also not sure what route you are planning but check if more than one boat company does it.
Hope that helps.

That's a great help, I wouldn't have even thought of it as a freight booking, thank you so much

pat1981

bananabuster wrote: »

That's a great help, I wouldn't have even thought of it as a freight booking, thank you so much

Hi just wondering did you go down this route and how did you get on.
I’m in a similar position, bought a car in Wales and dealer said he would drive to the ferry port and leave dockside with keys in car, all he needed was for me to send him ticket, and he said I could collect in Dublin.

I wonder will the ferry company load/unload.
I emailed them but no reply.

Booking a car requires passenger details so not sure how that will work if car unaccompanied..

Thank you .

GavMan

pat1981 wrote: »

Hi just wondering did you go down this route and how did you get on.
I’m in a similar position, bought a car in Wales and dealer said he would drive to the ferry port and leave dockside with keys in car, all he needed was for me to send him ticket, and he said I could collect in Dublin.

I wonder will the ferry company load/unload.
I emailed them but no reply.

Booking a car requires passenger details so not sure how that will work if car unaccompanied..

Thank you .

They are obviously not going to accept a car from a random punter unaccompanied. You will need to look into proper shipping. I would imagine there are a number of companies running car transporters from the UK to Ireland give the number of dealers importing used cars.

User1998

Yes they will. You book it on as freight