Shipping from B.A. to Europe.

I am aware of a couple of overlanders following this website literally in our tracks, and because we will not be able to publish more pages whilst at sea, this interim page gives details of our return shipping arrangements. (It will be revised when we reach the UK with information about our time at sea.)

There appears to be only one shipping company with RoRo (Roll on - Roll off) ships that will carry campervans (motorhomes RVs) between South America (Buenos Aires, Argentina) and Europe (UK and Germany).

Name:

GRIMALDI Compagnia di Navigazione Spa.

Address:

Via Marchese Campodisola 80133 Naples, Italy

Bank:
Bank Code:
Branch Code:

BANCA ANTONVENETA - NAPLES - ITALY
05040
03400

Account Nr. In Euro:
SWIFT Code:
IBAN:

00000020285F
ANTBIT2P760
IT12L 05040 03400 000000 20285F

UK Website:

www.grimaldi.co.uk

One of the great advantages of shipping with Grimaldi on this route is that you can accompany your campervan. This makes the paperwork at each end of the voyage far simpler (more like crossing a land border than exporting/importing a vehicle). Because the Grimaldi ships on this route are cargo ships (not passenger ships) there is a limit to the number of passengers that can be carried. This limit is, I think, twelve. It is therefore essential to book well in advance.

Note that shipping dates can change by many days, even at very short notice. Our ship was originally scheduled to leave on 2007-03-31 but was re-scheduled to 2007-04-08 a few weeks ago. To give you some idea of the volatility of departure dates and times, below are some of the e-mails we have received whilst in BA.

On Tuesday afternoon, with less than 24 hours warning, our boarding time was moved forward by four days to 15:00 on 2007-04-04.

Dear Mr. Stewart,

Please be informed as follows: The vessel Repubblica Argentina is arriving at the port of Buenos Aires on Sunday the 8th. AM. Due to Easter Holidays, you (your vehicle) must enter the Port Terminal tomorrow Wednesday at 15:00 hrs.

Kindly please come to our office latest tomorrow morning in order to comply with all paper work (opening hour 09:00 AM).

Best regards J.E.Turner & Co.

So we joined the truck queue at the port at 14:45. When there was no sign of the Turner representative we called his cell phone* to be told that our ship was now delayed in Brazil and would not be leaving until Monday 2007-04-09. Later on Wednesday we received the following e-mail.

Dear Mr. Stewart,

Please note that the vessel Repubblica Argentina has been delayed and is now scheduled to enter at the Port of Buenos Aires on Monday 9th. April.

Please be at the Port Terminal Monday 9th at 11:00 hrs (11 AM)

Best regards J.E.Turner & Co.

On Thursday morning we visited the offices of J. E. Turner and confirmed the Monday departure date and time. In the afternoon we received the following e-mail.

Dear Mr. Stewart,

Please note that the vessel Repubblica Argentina has again been delayed at the ports of Brasil and is now scheduled to enter at the Port of Buenos Aires on Tuesday 10th April.

Please be at the Port Terminal Tuesday 10th at 11:00 hrs (11 AM).

Nevertheless, kindly please call us on Monday at 12:00 hrs in order to re-confirm.

We are very sorry for this delay and trust that you will understand that the situation escapes our hands.

Best regards J.E.Turner & Co.

So we are now back in our muddy car park for six more nights along with one of our fellow ship travelers who we met in the port queue.

It is essential to keep a close eye of the schedule (www.grimaldi.co.uk) and to be at the departure port at least five days before the ETD. It is also advisable to check your e-mail and/or phone the Turner office every day .

Costs for shipping are around Euro 2000 for a six metre campervan and cabins cost between Euro 1250 and Euro 2000 per person.

Although Grimaldi ships call at ports in Brazil and Uruguay it is not, I think, possible to embark or disembark there with a vehicle. (Nor, from stories I have heard about Brazilian ports, is it desirable!) In order to embark on a Grimaldi ship it is necessary to have adequate medical and repatriation insurance as well as a valid Yellow Fever vaccination certificate.

It is possible to book passage on a Grimaldi ship via a number of agencies, but our experience has been that shipping agencies that respond quickly to e-mail enquires with sensible answers are very rare!

The booking agency we used, who were excellent, is based in France, but correspond in good English. Our booking was carried out entirely by e-mail. Recommended.

Contact:
E-Mail:

Catalina Da Silva.
catalina.da.silva [ at ] wanadoo.fr

Company:
Address:

C.C.C. Catalina Cargo Conseil.
34, rue Mouffetard - 75005 Paris (sur RDV), France.

Phone & Fax:
Website:

+33 1 45 35 49 88 (France)
www.cargo-voyages.com

When embarking at Buenos Aires it is necessary to contact Grimaldi's representative ASAP to get the exact time and place of loading:-

Contact:
E-Mail:

Ms. Inés Charpentier.
commercial [ at ] turner.com.ar (FAO Inés Charpentier)

Company:
Address:

J. TURNER & CO
Reconquista 575 - 4th Floor - 1003 Buenos Aires. Argentina.

Phone:
Fax:

+54 11 4312 6891 to 98
+54 11 4312 0416

The loading point for our Grimaldi ship is about 200 metres from our current car park. The offices of J. Turner & Co. are a 15 minute walk or $2USA taxi ride away.

* Note that Argentinian cell phone numbers start with 15. But if you wish to call an Argentinian cell phone from a UK cell phone (or any other European cell phone, I assume) you must replace the 15 with 911. So the cell phone number for Pablo Orsini (the Turner representative who should meet you at the port) is +54 911 628 34111.