I will am going to Paris next month and always travel light (carry-on only). Does anyone have tips for getting my purchases home? I realize if I buy something major, the store would probably ship it for me, but what about all the dozens of small things I would like to buy? Would a hotel like d'Aubbuson be likely to help? What if I carry some pre-paid Fed-Ex boxes? i don't think my French is good enough to go to a post office and make myself understood. Ideas?

Dont trust hotels to do it for you. I did that with Paris Hilton and my glass came back smashed. Buy the packing materials yourself and do it yourself. I do not trust anyone to pack now after that experience.<BR><BR>

Danna,<BR><BR>I mailed a few boxes home from Germany and Belgium 2 years ago. One of my parcels from Belgium did not make it. In Germany I had a tracking number and I had to say what was in the parcel and how much it cost for customs. In Belgium I did not have to sign anything and did not have a tracking number. At the time I thought I was lucky because I didn't have to claim anything, because I knew I was over my $750 Canadian for the Canadian Customs limit.<BR>I think I probably could have asked for a tracking number and paid more. I know it was much much cheaper to spilt my box into two and mail two light boxes than it was to mail one heavy box (that was in Belgium). You might want to look into where Fedex offices are if you are thinking of using them. However, I would think you would have to weigh the boxes to find out how much they would cost, so I don't see that carrying pre-paid boxes would work out for you. It really wasn't hard to get people to understand what you want at the post office. They are going to assume that you want to mail something if you take a parcel in with you. You could look up a few phrases and have them written out and show the teller just in case. <BR>Good luck.

If you're nearing the end of your trip, use laundry to pad your fragile stuff. Or ship just the laundry and use the suitcase space to carry the heavy or fragile stuff yourself!

Why not buy a cheap duffle or 22 inch suitcase. You can then pack your purchases and take it on the plane with you while checking your other pieces of luggage.

After trips of buying tape, bubble wrap, paper,etc., we took our stuff in Florence to Mail Boxes, Inc., and they did the whole thing. Not cheap, but worth it. Everything arrived quickly, and nothing broken. Assume there are Mail Boxes in Paris? <BR>Disgression: once in Greece we wrapped the articles up, sent one batch airmail, the other surface. Surface arrived soon after we got home; the airmail, 2-3 mos. later, after we'd assumed lost. Go figure!

I would like to know how to send something to the States from Germany and not have to pay duty on it. We sent a cuckoo clock to our home so we wouldn't have to carry it. It only cost about $100, but we had to pay almost $50 in duty when it arrived at our house.

I'm very surprised about that duty on the cuckoo clock; perhaps you didn't fill out the proper paperwork? Here's a helpful web site that even helps differentiate between "shipping" and "mailing" which might have made the difference in your case.<BR><BR>http://www.customs.ustreas.gov/travel/travel.htm

Sue's advice about Mailboxes,etc, a division of UPS, is the best place for small to medium packages. You may go online and find their locations. <BR>I have mailed packages to myself and saw where it took several weeks. This last trip to Italy, I paid 70USD to get a painting home via the mail (?). I sent it from the airport in Rome. It was here within a week. I liked the fact that I had a tracking number as well. <BR>I resort to leaving most of my clothes behind, or bringing a half full bag.<BR>Good luck and enjoy Paris!

there is more than one FedX office in Paris, and I would imagine they could help you sufficiently. Many service people speak some English these days.<BR>Also I would think you'd have to pay in Euros since the package is originating in France.

Actually, 1 FedX office and 2 UPS offices...<BR>FEDERAL EXPRESS:<BR>63 bd Haussmann 75008 PARIS<BR><BR>UPS (United Parcel Service) <BR>107 r R&eacute;aumur 75002 Paris<BR>34 bd Malesherbes 75008 Paris <BR>

I've shipped home from London and Paris and in both cases things got broken or dented (enamel pots were dented and chipped, for example). I like making purchases from stores where they ship for you--not cheap, but they get there quickly and they're insured.<BR><BR>Once I bought a very inexpensive 22" hard-sided roll-on from a luggage shop that was closing on Regent Street, put my clothes in it, checked it and carried the new piece on the plane with my goodies in it. <BR><BR>Another time I bought a nylon "picnic-type" zipper bag at Harrods. The kind that has the insulated insides to keep things cold or hot--cushiony. It was only about 25GBP and I knew I'd use it again. It's great because it collapses completely for packing on the trip over but the padding inside keeps breakables safe for the return (I carry it on the plane).<BR><BR>A February trip I took I knew I would be doing some antiquing so I took a practically empty suitcase, checked it going over, filled it (as above) for the return.

I have used Fed-Ex, expensive, but most of the time I go to the local post office, buy boxes and whatever else I need and mail it home - always arrives. (I don't speak anything but English unfortunately) The Du'Aubusson in Paris did pack and Fed-Ex a piece from the Rodin museum that I bought on my last day. It arrived fine, but customs had opened it, not packed it back correctly, and I was lucky. Taking the Fed-Ex boxes and/or labels is a good idea. I did have some trouble finding the Fed-Ex location in Rome. I would not have had to go there if I had the box.

Wow, lots of different advice. I plan to travel to cote d'azur in may. <BR>Can one find places to mail things from down there. I don't want to pay $70.00 to send something home!!!!!!<BR>Thank you