Volvo Overseas Delivery: Get a Free Trip to Sweden (My analysis & review)

https://www.findthebestcarprice.com/author-ftbcp

Geoff Cudd

Geoff Cudd

I am a serial entrepreneur and a consumer advocate. When I’m not helping car buyers, I love working on ventures that have a positive impact.

I run a cause marketing agency and serve on the board of Vayu Global Health where we are disrupting the medical industry and preventing the needless deaths of mothers and babies during childbirth.

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Currently, four major European manufacturers offer a European car delivery program. Volvo stands out as the clear leader in terms of value and savings.

Compared to other manufacturers, Volvo offers the highest price discount, and they are the only manufacturer to offer free airfare to their customers.

Our avid car guys could not wait to jump on this one. We’ll break down the Volvo Factory Delivery Experience.

We’ll also dive into the ordering process and delivery, what to expect during your stay in Europe, and the review the cost of the program for different Volvo models.

How does Volvo Overseas Delivery work?

Volvo European Delivery (or Overseas Delivery as they call it) lets you purchase a car in the U.S. but pick it up at the factory in Sweden. You’ll get a discount on the price of the car plus a travel deal.

Here’s how the process works:

1. You order a new Volvo from an authorized U.S. dealer and tell them you want to go through the Overseas Delivery program.
2. Once the pick-up date is confirmed, you book your travel.
3. Pick-up your car a few weeks later at the factory in Gothenburg, Sweden.
4. Spend a night near the manufacturer in Sweden and take a factory tour.
5. Travel the country-side in your new wheels for as long as you want (insurance lasts 2 weeks, but can be extended).
6. Drop off your car at an approved European drop-off location
7. Accept delivery in the U.S. within 6-8 weeks (if you live on the East coast) or 9-11 weeks (if you live on the West Coast)

This promo video from Volvo will give you a taste of the program as you watch Jonathan and Anne design, order, and pick up their new car in Sweden.

How to order a Volvo from Sweden

You can place an order at your local authorized Volvo retailer to take advantage of the special Overseas Delivery pricing options (details further down below). All retailers should be familiar with the program and can walk you through the purchase.

In addition to generous Volvo cash incentives, Volvo allows you to customize the vehicle with your choice of color, wheels, interior, and even accessories that are only available in the European market. However, vehicle options, powertrains, engines, and wheels are based on the U.S. market.

When you place your order you will need to put down a non-refundable $3,000 deposit that is applied towards the vehicle price.

What is the Volvo Overseas Delivery itinerary and timeline?

After placing the order the next step is to fly to Scandinavia with complementary round-trip tickets for two. The flight includes priority boarding through SAS (Scandinavian Airlines Systems) airlines, and passengers flying out of Newark International or Chicago O’Hare airports get access to lounge passes.

Picking Up Your Volvo in Europe

Once you arrive in Sweden, a Volvo driver will be waiting to pick you up and drive you to the Clarion Hotel Post, a 4-star luxury hotel located in the city center of Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo pays for accommodations for one night.

The next morning a Volvo driver will pick you up from the hotel and take you to the Volvo Factory Delivery Center where your new, custom Volvo will be waiting for you. Once you are checked-in, you can relax and enjoy refreshments in the state-of-the-art facilities while you wait for your vehicle.

If you’re too excited to relax, an English-speaking factory tour is available or you can enjoy the taste of Sweden at the restaurant located in the Volvo Factory Delivery Center.

Now it’s time for the big moment, the reason why the trip to Europe was planned in the first place: the delivery of your new custom Volvo. A personal delivery specialist will assist you through the whole process starting from the initial review of necessary documentation to a detailed presentation on the exciting new features of your Volvo.

The automaker provides a complimentary 15-day insurance coverage on the vehicle along with temporary Swedish registration.

What to Do in Europe with Your New Volvo

Volvo offers a wide range of tour packages to suit different interests, families, or even trip lengths. If you would rather have more freedom, the alternatives are the exclusive road trips designed by Volvo to fully experience and explore Sweden.

Tour packages are carefully designed around a theme and all are catered for an upscale experience. Volvo European tour packages include:

• Culture and History – Seven day tour of Swedish history, 4 three-course dinners
• Golf in Sweden and Scotland – Tour of highly rated Scandinavian golf courses or visit St. Andrews
• Family Fun in Sweden and Denmark – 5 or 8 days which include Legoland, a wildlife park, and theme parks; discount passes
• Shorter Trip – 3 day package with hotel accommodations and 2 three-course dinners

The other option to take advantage of with your new Volvo is to experience one of the four road trips around Sweden. These are also designed around a theme and satisfies many different interests like food, nature, culture, or adventure.

You go can go fishing and hunting at The ICEHOTEL, enjoy an award-winning farm-to-table meal, take a trip to the Medieval Old Town Stockholm, and even go sea kayaking.

Volvo gives its customers plenty of opportunities for great experiences with their vehicles while in Sweden or all over Europe.

Shipping Your New Volvo Home

Once you’re ready to head back home, Volvo makes it extremely easy to ship the vehicle back to your local Volvo retailer. They will do all the necessary paperwork and take care of all fees, including import duties and US tourist customs duty and shipping before transporting the car back to the U.S.

You can drop your vehicle off in Gothenburg, where there is no charge to ship it back home. Other drop-off points offer the same service but require you to pay a transfer fee.

Volvo will provide a Home Shipment voucher that you must keep with you during your trip. You will also receive a customer registration coupon that has to be sent after your arrival back home; this registers your vehicle in the service and warranty program. You must also ensure that the vehicle is cleaned before handing it over for transport or the EPA may steam clean the car at your expense.

Make sure to have necessary documentation like:

• Proof of social security number (copy of SSN card)
• Copy of registration and insurance (provided at delivery)
• Copy of Bill of Sale
• Copy of MSO (provided at delivery)

Make sure to call or send an e-mail 5 days in advance to confirm the use of the Volvo Home Shipment service.

Drop-off locations and fees are:

• Amsterdam, Netherlands ($527)
• Antwerp, Belgium ($779)
• Frankfurt, Germany ($441)
• Hamburg, Germany ($356)
• London, United Kingdom ($865)
• Madrid, Spain ($1,060)
• Munich, Germany ($535)
• Nice, France ($1,459)
• Paris, France ($1,028)

The timeline for your vehicle to arrive is around 6-11 weeks depending on the destination. Generally, East Coast residents can expect their Volvo in 6-8 weeks, while West Coast residents have a longer 9-11 week wait.

What does Volvo Overseas Delivery cost?

Let’s take a look at the cost of the Volvo European Delivery program compared to ordering a Volvo normally from the U.S. The table below details the typical prices for Volvos negotiated in the U.S. (on Edmunds) versus the Overseas Delivery prices and perks:

*I do not guarantee the accuracy of the prices or promotional details quoted above.

Is Volvo Overseas Delivery a good deal? (my assessment)

Based on the cost comparison above, the combination of 8-10% car price savings and $1,550 in travel perks translates to a great deal.  If you are buying a new Volvo you should strongly consider flying to Europe.  And if you like to be pampered, Volvo has many travel perks that other manufactures aren't offering with their overseas delivery programs.

I rank Volvo the best compared to all other European Delivery programs.

Related: See how Volvo compares to BMW in terms of reliability

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to buy a Volvo overseas?

Yes, Volvo offers overseas discounts that are typically lower than the average negotiated price in the U.S.

Who else offers European delivery?

BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche.  See the full details for all European Delivery programs.

What’s included in Volvo Overseas Delivery?

Volvo’s program includes a discount on car price, round trip airfare for two, one night in a hotel, a factory tour, international car insurance, and free car shipment to the States.

Is the Volvo Overseas Delivery price negotiable?

It never hurts to try, but the price is not likely to be negotiable.  The average car price is already 8% below MSRP and includes a travel package.

How long does it take?

After you return home from Sweden, your car will be delivered to the U.S. within 6-8 weeks.