Least expensive way to send luggage from Paris to US?

I think you have found the answer. Taking it with you, even with the extra cost, is likely to be less expensive and possibly more reliable, than shipping it.

I tried to go the cheap way and send M-Bags one year many years ago from the US to the UK and one was very late arriving - 8 months - and one never made it at all.

$100/€80 seems not bad to me.

There really is no least expensive way as pointed out. Just how much extra luggage do you have? Any way to reduce the luggage? Could some of the least valuable items be returned via the local post and you take the more critical items on the plane?

Holly,

as frank mentioned, i would look at what you could afford to loose and ship those things home. Chances are you wont loose them, but i would choose to ship the things i can do without.

if you have anything you can donate or just trash thats another possibility.

as far as shipping goes, i would look at using the La Poste (sp?) and use them. I found they were all around the place and had boxes you could use.

something to look into. It appears that 2 kg (approx 4 lbs) is a magic number for shipping stuff. If you can keep it under 2 kg, it usually less expensive than if you go over, but again, i would check with the local Post and see what they say.

One other thing. If you do decide to ship something back home, make sure you really, really, tape up the box since they will get banged up during transit. Also, what i did was to place the items in plastic grocery type bags just in case the box ruptured, maybe the contents wouldnt spill out.

happy trails.

Among services that LaPoste may offer, look for: 1) flat-rate, prepaid international mailing boxes that you just fill up and 2) book-rate discount if you have a box of books and printed matter.

Good advice above. The post office will be the cheapest shipping option and keeping the weight to a minimum is key. If you were shipping books and using the book rate, my understanding is that it must be all books. You can't toss in any other misc items or they will not allow you to use the book rate. If you are buying larger or expensive items on your trip, you may find it better to have the merchant ship it directly. They often get good shipping rates and you save the VAT (about a net wash). Use a credit card for purchase in case the item never arrives or is damaged.

Post office shipping can be very slow. Like months. Keep that in mind. And be sure that anything shipped during your travels will not arrive at your doorstep before your return. In that case, ship to a neighbor, family or office.

Maybe I misread the post but it sounds like she's wanting to ship one or more pieces of luggage home rather than check extra bags on the flight. I may be out of date but the $100 add'l checked luggage fee is most likely for 2 extra bags or one that is overweight or oversized. I doubt if you'd be able to ship something like that home for less. A pkg of books at book rate, yes; one or more lighter pkgs (<4lbs), yes; a couple of large luggage pieces, no.

Thanks for the suggestions. Yes, one extra bag now costs $100. I came here for 3 months, so had 2 checked bags and 1 carryon on the way over. Had to pay $100 for the 2nd checked bag and was just trying to see if I could ship the extra bag home cheaper. But after much research, I've decided it's cheaper to check it and pay than to ship it. Hope this info helps someone else!

That's good information, Holly - but inquiring minds want to know: did you have a good time? How do you like Paris?

As someone who's done it many times, I can assure you that the €70/$100 to take it with you on the plane is by far the most economical way of transporting your stuff back across the Atlantic.

FYI, as someone who has to send a lot of paper materials from France to the US yearly, we found out that book rate no longer exists, and the large flat rate 7 kg boxes are about $48 each. Yep, the plane is the best. Looking forward to a trip report about your extended stay, Holly.

Can I ask which airline is charging $100 per extra bag so that I can AVOID using it??
Yikes.

Delta, United, American/US air, just to name the first three that come to mind.

Nigel - This is my 9th trip in 9 years, first one was for 3 days and I'm up to 3 months, if that tells you anything about how much I LOVE Paris! Bets - send me a private message with your email and I'll send you a compilation of my Facebook posts (done weekly during the trip and shared with friends and family). It's much too long and detailed to post on the RS Website.