Shipping souvenirs back home from Europe?
 

My husband and I will be visiting Portugal this Spring. I have a feeling that I will see a lot of pottery that I will want to purchase. Does anybody have any tips for shipping back to States? Cost-effective shipping methods?

Thanks.

Hi bailey, I never do this anymore. Every time we did from Italy something always arrived broken. That inspite of the fact the shops we purchased from did the packing and shipping. We always had insurance but it always became a big problem..the insurance co. said the store owner was responsible and the store owners said the insurance company was responsible.

One time we did get it worked out. A friend going back to Italy (his country of origin) took the broken items to the store..he knew the owners..and got them replaced, but that was just good luck.

So, if I can't bring it home with me I don't buy it.

But hopefully others have had better experiences.

P.S. I did ship a big box of clothes from Italy to the states via the Italian P.O. That arrived fine a few months later. Maybe think about shipping all the worn clothes home so you can bring the purchased pottery home with you on the plane?

Lisbon post office has boxes and shipping supplies like most POs in Europe. Pad your stuff well with bubble wrap or sweaters or crushed newspapers. Sent it by ship, not air.

I would probably have had better luck if I had packed and shipped all the breakables I purchased via the PO rather than having the shops do it hopscotch. But live and learn (more than once).

I too had the big box shipped via the Italian PO sent via ship. It was quite a huge box and rather heavy. It cost something like the equivilant of $70.00US if I remember correctly.

My wife collects porcelain dolls and has shipped them back from France, Germany, England, Belgium and Luxembourg. Usually, she lets the shop pack and ship the item. The cost is roughly offset by the fact that she doesn't have to pay the VAT if the shop knows the item is being shipped out of the EU. So far, every doll has arrived without damage.

I bought two pieces of pottery in a shop in Ireland. They packed it and both pieces arrived broken. From then on if I can't carry it, I don't buy it. I always bring my own bubble wrap to add to whatever packing the shop uses and put the goods in my carryon.
Hope you'll have better luck.

We sent some dirty clothes back in a small box and it was a couple hundred dollars. Don't do that.

Here is what I suggest if you really want to shop. If you have stacking suitcases (like the Russian dolls), then fit all your clothes for the trip inside the middle sized one and then zip that one inside the bigger sized one and just check that one bag. So then on your way home, you can check both the medium one with your clothes and the bigger one with your new artifacts.

You will need lots of bubble wrap and duct tape. And here is an absolute must for packing pottery: Put as much packing inside of it as outside of it. Really, really stuff the insides. You need as much pressure pushing out as there will be pushing in. Newspaper picked up on your trip works well. Really cram the insides and your pieces have a much better chance of survival.

Happy shopping!

Thank you all for the great suggestions!

I'll do my best to fit everything in my carry-on and I'll use your tips if end up shipping anything home.

Thanks!