b2young

Hi, my son has been study abroad in Spain and wants to backpack his last few weeks in Europe, we are trying to figure out how to get his la rge suitcase back to the States. any suggestions? We don't really want to store at airport because he will be starting in Rome and ending up in Prague before he flies home.

adrienne

Have you searched on this board? There was a recent thread on shipping things from US to Europe but since there were 60 responses there will probably be information you can use.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...f-ahead.cfm?60

soogies

our daughters have faced the same thing. Our last daughter is studying in Bordeaux but will travel her final six weeks before coming home. She is planning on leaving her stuff at her apartment and making a quick trip back to Bordeaux to pack to come home.

Can your son leave his stuff where he is attending school? In his dorm? Our other two kids had dorms that stayed open after final exams so they had no problem other than making an "extra" trip back there before the US flight home. Our youngest has an apartment so she is actually helping other students and letting them store some stuff for them too. Does your son have friens who can help do this?

soogies

PS: I agree with many on the other thread that shipping is just so expensive. A small 4-lb pkg to BOrdeaux by UPS was $86 for 5-7 day service. Have your son talk to other students to see what they're doing.

Robert2533

It's far cheaper to use the French mail service to ship packages home than the Spanish Postal Service, but they will not ship luggage. His clothes would have to fit in a box.

There are several luggage/package shipping services available, but they do not come cheap. Shipping a typical 50# bag from Spain to the USA will cost around $365.

soogies

Robert

I was intrigued by your answer and France being cheaper to send from. I did a sample 20 kg pkg and came up with 152 euro. So it is probably cheaper than US-France.

For Spain, 20 kg appaers to be around 108 euro.

Note: I don't know if I am comparing "oranges to oranges" i.e., the same exact type of shipping. I did this as a rough estimate of possibilities only.


http://www.laposte.com/en/find_a_post_rate/find

http://www.correos.es/comun/tarificador/tarifas.asp

lincasanova

I think you ought to come visit him with only a carry-on and take back his luggage.

probably will make your trip pretty cheap.

he can give away old clothes to charity.

you may have another family member willing to partially pay for a ticket to do the same thing if you cannot.

Just an idea I have seen implemented many times!

Robert2533

Having shipped a number of packages (literature, clothes, and linen) back home from both Spain and France over the last several years, we’ve found France to be far cheaper, the boxes the Post Office supplies much sturdier and the shipping faster. Some of it got back before we did.

chapla

I agree w/Robert.Go to the post office in Spain and pack 2/3 boxes.Send him to Spain w/cheap or old suitcase that he can leave behind!

nukesafe

It has been a long time since I did this, but years ago I found the cheapest way to ship heavy things fro the States to Europe was to call an air freight company. They gave me a quote, I took the trunk to the airport, they shipped it and my son picked it up at the arrival airport when they notified him of its arrival. FWIW I seem to remember it was the cheapest way to go.

b2young

does anyone know of a freight company? I've tried to contact a few online and they don't respond. Unfortunately he's not going to France, thanks for the ideas though.

LoveItaly

Hello b2young, how expensive is your son's suitcase? I ask as you might want to consider the value of the suitcase versus the cost of sending back to the US.

I have shipped clothes home from Italy via the Italian post office and had it shipped "by land" and a very large box cost me about US$70.00..it would no doubt cost more now especially with the difference with the euro versus the US dollar. The box arrive two or three months after I arrived home which in my case was not a problem. I left the suitcase in Italy and friends said they would give it to a charity thrift store.

Italian post offices tend as I recall to close for the afternoon so it is best to go there in the morning..and the line can be long and tiresome, just a warning.

b2young

thanks for your replies, I think he will go to the Spanish post office and ship by sea from there. He may have to give his nice suitcase away. (unless he can fit the whole suitcase in a box).

suze

I've shipped stuff home from Switzerland and France, but just in boxes. The post office provides them. Too bad he has a "nice suitcase", because I think shipping a few smaller boxes and getting rid of the suitcase will be the answer.