Car/Vehicle Shipping Cost from Frankfurt to San Jose, California

Expect 4-8 weeks total for sea freight car shipping Germany to USA in 2025. Sea: 14-21 days ocean transit + 7-14 days customs/inland. Air: 3-7 days total, but rare for cars.

Shipping a car from Germany to the USA costs roughly $2,000 to $3,500+ for port-to-port ocean freight, varying by destination port (e.g., cheaper to East Coast like NY, pricier to West Coast like LA), plus additional fees like customs, duties (around 2.5% of value for most cars), and potential modifications for EPA/DOT compliance, with total costs easily reaching several thousand dollars. Expect costs to rise with vehicle size and destination, with transit times ranging from 20 to 45 days.

The cheapest way to ship a car internationally is generally Roll-on/Roll-off (RORO), where cars drive onto and off the ship, costing around $900-$2,500+ depending on destination, as it avoids packaging and crane costs. For more protection, Shared Container shipping (grouping cars) is the next cheapest, while booking through platforms like Shiply or using companies with price matching, like SGT Auto Transport or Sherpa, can also find competitive rates.