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Moving to a different Euroland country.

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dan_flash
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Joined: 07 Jan 2012
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PostPosted: 12:40 - 07 Sep 2015    Post subject: Moving to a different Euroland country. Reply with quote
Woddup.

Currently live in Austria. Want to leave. Stewed on it for a while. Decided Belgium (more specifically Antwerp in Flanders) is worth taking a crack at. Hope to be there by mid-January.

Lot of shit to do now, the clock is ticking; language(s) to learn, work to find, and so on and so on.

But does anyone know of affordable van rental? Hopefully based on the mainland?
I looked online this morning and got a few quotes from the likes of Avis and Sixt but their Kilometre allowance is far too low, not to mention their daily rental price a touch too high in my opinion. We have a fair bit of shit to move (incl. my motorcycle!) and therefore can do without pricey companies with limited kilometre allowances to boot.

TL:DR - Van hire required for moving shit north, affordable would be nice and unlimited kilometre allowance would be even nicer. An affordable moving company would also suffice.

Dank je wel, beste wensen.
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Skudd
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PostPosted: 13:26 - 07 Sep 2015    Post subject: Reply with quote
Not sure about vans, but I know where you can get a boat and a few life jackets, that usually works when moving countries in the EU. Rolling Eyes
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stinkwheel
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PostPosted: 13:51 - 07 Sep 2015    Post subject: Reply with quote
Buy one then sell it again when you're finished with it.
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DrSnoosnoo
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Joined: 28 Mar 2012
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PostPosted: 14:36 - 07 Sep 2015    Post subject: Reply with quote
stinkwheel wrote:
Buy one then sell it again when you're finished with it.


I was going to suggest this but thought it might have come across badly. Thumbs Up
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dan_flash
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PostPosted: 17:16 - 07 Sep 2015    Post subject: Reply with quote
stinkwheel wrote:
Buy one then sell it again when you're finished with it.


I thought about that but it sadly isn't feasible - the second hand market here is just very very terrible, the bureaucracy involved for buying/insuring/registering a second hand vehicle is unimaginable, and the total money spent on such a venture could feed a small nation.

For example, this is literally the best thing I could find. And it's still too expensive. And far too small. And doesn't even seem to have the original registration papers for Austria (according to the description).

Is Deamonoid still around? Or does anyone else live up in those parts and know of a Sprinter I could rent for 2 days?
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instigator.
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PostPosted: 17:27 - 07 Sep 2015    Post subject: Reply with quote
I live in Belgium albeit the French speaking part. I don't know much about Antwerp other than the traffic anywhere near it is a nightmare. I'll likely be moving to NL soon but have yet to look at logistics so don't have any form experience. Are you looking to hire from Belgium and drive it down? Give me a rough estimate on size of van and duration and I can ask a friend of a friend for a mates rate quote. Thumbs Up

However....nothing in Belgium is particularly cheap I find. Thumbs Down
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Rogerborg
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Joined: 26 Oct 2010
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PostPosted: 17:31 - 07 Sep 2015    Post subject: Reply with quote
Buy a big old rust bucket for cash, give Nigel Farage's details to the seller, do the move, leave it with the keys in it?

What's the chances of you falling foul of Euro Dredd during one trip?
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Skudd
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PostPosted: 18:08 - 07 Sep 2015    Post subject: Reply with quote
Take Vincent with you.
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Robby
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PostPosted: 18:22 - 07 Sep 2015    Post subject: Reply with quote
If the paperwork is a nightmare in Austria, see what the paperwork is like in Belgium. Would make sense to buy a Belgian van, seeing as you'll be looking to sell it there.
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stinkwheel
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PostPosted: 21:00 - 07 Sep 2015    Post subject: Reply with quote
Or buy one in Holland. They have loads of fucked old vans in Holland and have a pretty lax approach to regulations in general and motor vehicle regulations in particular.

Or France. They practically invented the fucked old van. Some Citroens come right out of the factory that way.
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ScaredyCat
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Joined: 19 May 2012
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PostPosted: 22:47 - 07 Sep 2015    Post subject: Reply with quote
stinkwheel wrote:
have a pretty lax approach to regulations in general


Utter twaddle. They adore bureaucracy and enforcing retarded laws. They can, and did, teach the Germans about "rules is rules.."
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Rogerborg
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PostPosted: 08:51 - 08 Sep 2015    Post subject: Reply with quote
ScaredyCat wrote:
They adore bureaucracy and enforcing retarded laws.

Against everyone or just the primarily law abiding, like we do?

Do Dutch pikeys insure and maintain their vans any better than UK ones?
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MarJay
But it's British!



Joined: 15 Sep 2003
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PostPosted: 09:02 - 08 Sep 2015    Post subject: Reply with quote
stinkwheel wrote:
Or France. They practically invented the fucked old van. Some Citroens come right out of the factory that way.


Laughing Laughing Laughing Laughing Laughing Laughing Laughing Laughing
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dan_flash
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Joined: 07 Jan 2012
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PostPosted: 10:16 - 08 Sep 2015    Post subject: Reply with quote
instigator. wrote:
Give me a rough estimate on size of van and duration and I can ask a friend of a friend for a mates rate quote.


Thanks man I appreciate that Thumbs Up I'd say 13 square metres loading space at an absolute minimum... So that's roughly a standard Merc Sprinter or an Iveco Daly. Maximum duration: I'd say two days or 3 nights at an absolute push.

I think the buy & sell scheme is just out of the question Sad Euroland is not as user-friendly as the UK in my experience and the costs/bureaucracy involved are a real killer.
I'm right in assuming that if I buy a Dutch or French registered vehicle then I'll need a Dutch or French address and bank accout for the insurance etc etc, no?

Urgh, I just fucking hate Europe sometimes.
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ScaredyCat
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PostPosted: 11:00 - 08 Sep 2015    Post subject: Reply with quote
Rogerborg wrote:
ScaredyCat wrote:
They adore bureaucracy and enforcing retarded laws.

Against everyone or just the primarily law abiding, like we do?


Oh it's everyone, don't worry it's nice and fair. Rolling Eyes
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Polarbear
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PostPosted: 12:03 - 08 Sep 2015    Post subject: Reply with quote
dan_flash wrote:
instigator. wrote:
Give me a rough estimate on size of van and duration and I can ask a friend of a friend for a mates rate quote.


Thanks man I appreciate that Thumbs Up I'd say 13 square metres loading space at an absolute minimum... So that's roughly a standard Merc Sprinter or an Iveco Daly. Maximum duration: I'd say two days or 3 nights at an absolute push.

I think the buy & sell scheme is just out of the question Sad Euroland is not as user-friendly as the UK in my experience and the costs/bureaucracy involved are a real killer.
I'm right in assuming that if I buy a Dutch or French registered vehicle then I'll need a Dutch or French address and bank accout for the insurance etc etc, no?

Urgh, I just fucking hate Europe sometimes.


You, my friend, I definitely in the minority at this time Laughing
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WD Forte
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Joined: 17 Jun 2010
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PostPosted: 13:52 - 08 Sep 2015    Post subject: Reply with quote
What about getting a half decent estate car/van and buying a trailer
for carrying your clobber to your new home ?
Would that help ease or avoid costs and regulations?
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instigator.
Nitrous Nuisance



Joined: 04 Apr 2015
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PostPosted: 17:27 - 08 Sep 2015    Post subject: Reply with quote
dan_flash wrote:


I think the buy & sell scheme is just out of the question Sad Euroland is not as user-friendly as the UK in my experience and the costs/bureaucracy involved are a real killer.


I agree. The UK is the best in terms of flexibility. Belgium is awful for buying vehicles - numberplates are not assigned to vehicles but instead, once you buy a vehicle and prove insurance, you can then apply for a number plate in order to drive your vehicle. So whenever you want to buy a vehicle and drive it home... well, you have to wait a fair while if you're going to do it legitimately. Most people already have a vehicle so they take that numberplate and stick it on the new vehicle in order to be able to drive it home.

I'll get back to you shortly unless the dude who knows a guy is on holiday. Thumbs Up But welcome to Belgium.... nothing is ever easy here. I'd really reconsider to moving to NL where you may be able to get the 30% ruling if your position is not self employed.


Quote:
I'm right in assuming that if I buy a Dutch or French registered vehicle then I'll need a Dutch or French address and bank accout for the insurance etc etc, no?

Urgh, I just fucking hate Europe sometimes.


Not quite. If you go to NL to export a vehicle, you can buy 14 day insurance and a special numberplate so as to be able to drive it home. However, bad idea because you then may need to look into the vehicle importation process for Belgium. Laughing Laughing Laughing Something I looked at when I first arrived but then decided not to bother. That was 2.5 years ago. Still riding about on UK plates.
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dan_flash
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PostPosted: 20:56 - 08 Sep 2015    Post subject: Reply with quote
instigator. wrote:
The UK is the best in terms of flexibility. Belgium is awful for buying vehicles - numberplates are not assigned to vehicles but instead, once you buy a vehicle[...]


Correctamundo. Same system here in Austria. Fucking ball ache.

instigator. wrote:
I'll get back to you shortly unless the dude who knows a guy is on holiday.


Thanks again that man Thumbs Up I really do appreciate your help, whatever the outcome. No rush though, it'll be at least 3 more months before we pack our shit together. Hell, we have to squeeze in a holiday to Japan first Shocked

instigator. wrote:
[...]look into the vehicle importation process for Belgium. Laughing Laughing Laughing Something I looked at when I first arrived but then decided not to bother. That was 2.5 years ago. Still riding about on UK plates.


Jumped through those very same hoops down here. Twice. The motorcycle was actually more of a pain to register than the car we bought. And now I'm dreading the thought of having to go through all that again Sad Do you often get stopped by Police up there because of your GB plates?

instigator. wrote:
But welcome to Belgium....


Zeer bedankt. My girlfriend has family and friends up in Antwerp (one of the main reasons we decided to move) so we will be well supported. She'll have no problem finding work either, and me... Well I'm nothing special but I am a damn good worker.

Once the logistics have been taken care of, we'll be cooking on gas. I just need to get my head around Dutch - been speaking Austro-German for so long that I can't freely switch to Dutch, it all just comes out as an English-German mess Confused
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dan_flash
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PostPosted: 21:07 - 08 Sep 2015    Post subject: Reply with quote
WD Forte wrote:
What about getting a half decent estate car/van and buying a trailer
for carrying your clobber to your new home ?
Would that help ease or avoid costs and regulations?


A trailer wouldn't be such a bad idea Thinking

Space and/or weight might be an issue though, would require me to do 5 or 6 trips I think given the limitations of my licence.

https://i59.tinypic.com/evc6tu.png

Me no got BE Sad I don't know if it was different on the older licences 10 years ago, but I swapped my UK licence for an Austrian one last year and it just has A, B and some other shitty little classes that mean nothing.

Anyway, that aside, a 750kg limit and about 4 square metres of loading space probably won't suffice for my needs sadly.
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instigator.
Nitrous Nuisance



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PostPosted: 10:16 - 09 Sep 2015    Post subject: Reply with quote
dan_flash wrote:
Do you often get stopped by Police up there because of your GB plates?


I hear of some horror stories about foreigners getting stopped and asking for documentation, even as tourists. However, in 2.5 years I've never been stopped myself and have been infront of the police vans at least... 10 times with no tugs. That being said, I do live in the French speaking part so chances are, their ability to speak English is nowhere near as good as the police in the Flanders area so that's probably a contributing factor.
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