Car/Vehicle Shipping Cost from Hamburg to Los Angeles, California

Budget: The shorter the distance, the more cost-effective it is to drive instead of ship your car. Regardless of the total distance, look at your total moving budget and how much you can afford to spend on car shipping services compared to a cross-country drive.

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.

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.