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

Shipping a car from the USA to France costs roughly $1,000 to $2,500 for base ocean freight, depending on method ( RORO vs. container) and port, but expect total costs to reach $4,000 - $5,000+ after mandatory French taxes (20% VAT + duties, often 10%) and destination fees, plus optional insurance. Classic cars (30+ years old) have lower taxes (5.5% VAT), but all vehicles face significant fees.

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.

The average starting cost for shipping a car to Europe is around $850 per car.