Just wondering if anyone has experience shipping their luggage back to their home as unaccompanied baggage, and what the most competitive place is price-wise?
I'll be in London and want to ship at least one bag back to Los Angeles of trinkets and guidebooks.
I'd prefer a place where I can just drop it off somewhere in London.
Can't answer your question other than say it will cost much more to ship than it would be to pay the extra cost that your air carrier will charge. Something to consider.
As heavy as books are, I rather suspect you'll pay about as much to ship them as to buy new copies outright, and more than a one-year-old used copy would cost online. I'd rethink that part, at least.
I've mailed things to myself in the past through local post offices when on a months-long trip. Average price for a small but relatively heavy box often seemed to be $40. See current rates for the Royal Mail at http://www.royalmail.com/price-finder. UPS, FedEx, or DHL are likely to charge more.
It depends on what you mean by "ship baggage." A suitcase will be expensive to ship unless it is soft and can be crushed down to next to nothing. Shipping prices depend on both weight and size.
The post office will have the best rates. It takes the longest so don't use that if there is any hurry. They may not box it for you; you will have to buy the box but maybe also the packing materials and tape.
A service like UPS or FedEx will be far more expensive. But at a place like MailboxesEtc, they will box it all up for you and give you an all-the-way-through tracking number. I've used them, including from London, and it's expensive if you have books and/or a larger size. Expect at least $100 and more if it gets larger or heavier. $200-300 was my typical cost for heavier boxes 8 years ago.
