ButterflyGirl06

We are traveling to Munich and Paris in November and are anticipating buying souvenirs that we may want to ship home. I'm wondering whether we should bring an extra suitcase to bring home our souvenirs, or if it makes more sense to ship them. Does anyone have an idea about how much it would cost to ship a package weighing 25 pounds from either of those cities back to the US? I looked on the UPS website and maybe I did it wrong, but it looked like it would cost about 200 euro. Yikes!

traveller1959

From Germany to USA with DHL up to 20kg is 62 Euros. Go to any Post Office.

Fodorite018

Shipping stuff home from France is easy. Go to La Poste and buy the box. We used the orange/red one which was 12"x8"'18" and is for international shipping. It cost 38 euro and they give you the paper to fill out. Take it back to your apt/hotel and fill it up. The box is self sealing, so you do not need any tape. Whatever you can stuff into the box is good as there is no weight limit. Our boxes returned home to the US (west coast) in 7 days.

Underhill

We take with a fold-up suitcase. On the trip home we and fill it up with dirty clothes and other stuff, thus freeing up a "good" suitcase to check through with purchases inside.

I hate to spend the time in line at a post office.

Fodorite018

I don't mind spending 5 minutes at the post office. I don't check luggage, so figure the amount of time I save waiting for baggage at the airport allows me that extra 5 mintues at the post office

artsnletters

I consider my souvenirs the most important thing to bring back with me from Europe (after photos, of course). I wouldn't want to risk them going astray - after all, I had to spend all that travel money to get there where I bought them! So I take a fold-up bag for all my souvenirs and carry it on - I check all the dirty laundry through in my suitcase. After all, if my laundry goes missing, I won't be all that upset, but I'd hate to lose my souvenirs.

abasketcase

I purchased a Pyramid and a bunch of Christmas Ornaments from Kathe Wolfart and a Steiff Teddy Bear from Teddy's in Rothenburg.

Each store shipped the purchases for me, so I would not have to lug them around. The savings on the VAT tax seemed to balance out on the shipping. I did not spend any time in a post office, but if it helped me from not having to lug extra baggage, I would have made the stop. (We did not rent a car- we traveled by train and changed hotels every few days, so traveling light was important to us)

We each took two carry on bags and packed extra bags for the smaller souvenirs...and then checked them all for the trip home.

jean253

MMS Do they have those boxes at Post offices in Rome.?

Fodorite018

jean--I don't know, sorry.

kelliebellie

If you have nesting suitcases, then pack all your stuff inside the middle sized one. Zip it into the big sized one. So now you have one suitcase to check on the way there, with an empty one for all your souvenirs to bring home.

eurogals

<MMS Do they have those boxes at Post offices in Rome.?>

It was a number of years ago when I tried to get a box to ship home some items and I had a great deal of difficulty at the Rome postoffice.

They didn't have any large boxes, only very small ones that might fit two or three large books into.

I went to the local UPS/Fed Ex and believe it or not, it was reasonable and I could have as large a box as I wanted. We did sent lots of stuff home, clothes, all the maps/books/ info you collect at different sights and our warm clothes that we didn't need in Italy.

jkbritt

We travel light-backpack only there. Wife loves to buy clothes to bring back. We buy suitcases at a second hand store or flea market-usually less than 10E, and bring them back full of goodies. Only have to carry suitcases once that way. Saves space going for personal stuff. I now have about 10 or 12 suitcases stored. Sounds like an ebay or yard sale coming up soon.

ButterflyGirl06

that is a great idea! thanks JK Britt.