Mail a package from Italy to USA...

See this pdf from Poste Italiane for rates that became effective 10 March 2019.

Page 38 lists rates by zone (zona) for shipping a package (pacco).

The USA (Stati Uniti) is in Zone 4, as shown at the top of page 64.

Consequently, the rate listed on page 38 for a standard size box (described below the table and explained at the bottom of this response in the note) going to a Zone 4 country is € 60.

Insurance rates are noted in Table 1 on page 38, with the maximum insurable amount varying by country. For a shipment to the U.S., the maximum insurable amount would be € 1951.44 as shown in Table 2, page 41.

Note: A standard size box is one measuring no longer than 105 cm (41 inches) in the longest dimension, with a maximum dimension (that length plus the distance of a complete rotation around the box, not including the longest dimension) of 200 cm (78.7 inches, or about 6 feet 6 inches).

In other words, if you had a rectangular box that was 60 cm on its longest side, had one other side that measured 20 cm, and the other side measured 40 cm, that would be a standard size box because the longest dimension would be less than 105 cm and the maximum dimension would be 60+20+40+20+40 = 180 cm, which comes a little under the maximum allowable of 200 cm.

Fill all the paperworks writing only "used clothes" and VESTITI USATI. If asked, declare the lowest possible value. You must avoid Milan's customs to decide they want to block and check your parcel.

9 times out of 10 hold-ups are due to tourists writing things like "drugs" or "art pieces" or "ornaments" forcing the officers to make an inspection. Give them a reason to suspect you are exporting a tiny part of the National Heritage and your parcel will be handcuffed, detained, purged and questioned for months (talking about closing the stable 110 years late...)

Unlike private couriers, Poste Italiane uses no fast lane at the Customs (which explains why they are cheaper). You will get what you paid for.

But do not lie on the customs form. I know that is not what was being suggested, but I want to make that clear. The box will have to clear US customs as well. I'm sure they don't open most boxes, but if yours draws the random short straw, they will not be happy to find new designer clothing and leather goods in that box!

Given the hassles involved (vacation time expended dealing with the post office and perhaps searching for a box, packaging tape, etc.) in addition to the cost, I'd consider whether it would make sense to discard a bunch of the stuff rather than paying to ship it home and cramming the rest into carry-on totes. Does everyone have a maximum-size tote? You can buy a reusable supermarket bag (souvenir!) for about 1 euro.

I made the mistake once of mailing a package home from Italy. The worst part of it was that we spent 2 hours waiting in line at the Post Office. My advice is don't even think about this, unless you enjoy waiting in line.

In my experience, Mail Boxes Etc. was efficient and quick. You'll pay a few euros more, but they packed it all for us. We used the store in Florence, but there are other outlets and Rome and Naples, and likely other cities, as well.

I, too, suggest Mail Boxes, Etc., if one is convenient for you. We shipped many things via them when we moved back from Italy. They handled everything magnificently.

Last year I sent a package of linens and other unbreakable purchases back via Poste Italiane using a big yellow box they sold to me for €5.00. The fasteners they gave me for the box were pathetic little stickers that they assured me were sufficient. They were not. The crushed and mangled box was taped up by the USPS in Seattle before forwarding to me. Luckily nothing was lost.

Also, if you use your own box to pack, there must be NO MARKINGS of any kind on the box, if there are any, you have to wrap it in brown paper. PITA.

Thanks for the info all of you :)

I'm also planning on going to Austria and if I did my research correctly it seems to be 41 Euros to send a 10 kg package to the US.

I thought Italy would be cheaper.

Not worth waiting in line at the Italian poste. First, depending on where you are, not likely the person you get will speak fluent English, if any at all. Not to mention that the Italian Poste is not efficient and reliable as in the US, Switzerland, and other countries and greater chance you may never receive your package. Realize EVERYTHING is done at the poste, bill payment for almost everything (checks are not used much), deposits into Post bank accounts, submission of immigration applications, Amazon deliveries and pickup, Oh, and they also operate as a post office.

If you can mail from Austria, probably more reliable.

Have you considered taking along one of those frameless suitcases that lie flat in your bag, then filling it up when the time comes and just paying the airline for the extra luggage? That usually costs $50, and you will have your stuff when you arrive. Weigh that against the cost of any of the mailing possibilities. €41 comes pretty close.

Another vote for the extra checked bag on your return. Yes, I know that is not the question asked, but look at the benefit.

The cost, while not cheap, is not completely outrageous if you have to pay a checked bag fee. A checked bag will arrive when you do. It will go through US customs along with your other bags. No time wasted at post offices.

Of course dragging 20+ pounds of stuff you will not be using around with you has its own drawbacks. You will just have to weigh the options.

I would rather not do the checked bag thing since I have a long international layover and would rather not risk it.

I would rather not do the checked bag thing since I have a long international layover and would rather not risk it.

You concerned about pilferage or getting permanently lost?

Hi,

I just ordered a SS bracelet and a SS hand-painted charm from an online jewelry store in Rome. They do sell their products in Rome and Milan stores such as Coin.

The web store offered free shipping plus I got a 20% discount when I spinned the wheel on their website (fun stuff, lol)

The artisans are in Tuscany - I believe in Arezzo, but they shipped from Rome through DHL.

I used PayPal. And DHL sent me a day-by-day tracking system for my package. It does need a signature.

But they prepared the customs and waybill, and as I mentioned it was free shipping from the company store.

I got my package yesterday, and it was all sealed - nothing was lost or opened - everything was excellent.

Just a thought... I don't know if a company or service like DHL would ship liquids? Maybe it is worth a phone call?

A comment on Mailboxes, Inc. I sent a box home from Scotland this spring through Mailboxes, Inc and Fed Ex required a signature for delivery the following week. I didn't know this when I sent it and I wouldn't be home for several weeks and had no one who could sign for me. Finally I arranged for it to be forwarded, at an additional cost, to someone who would be home to sign for it. Mailboxes, Inc, is efficient but be sure you have someone to sign for the delivery, or send it to someone who will be able to sign for it. I was also told that putting a lower value on the box would have negated the need for a signature.

Joe, I could see my extra luggage getting lost from Rome to LAX via Montreal (layover is over 10 hours). Stolen too. It's seems more cost effective to spend 45 Euros with Austria's post office, than to spend $ buying an extra suitcase, and an extra $60 for having it fly with me when there's a good chance my stuff wouldn't make it.

Have you ever had any luggage lost by an airline? Do you know anyone who has? How about lost mail?

Post offices loose lots of stuff. Just last year the USPS lost a reported 5% of all mail that was never recovered, which is 10 million items of the 200 billion they handled. The actual number is much higher as most lost mail is not report according to the USPS. Don't know about Italy or Austria and how well their mail systems do.

Airlines lost 22 million bags, most eventually found, belonging to the fraction of the 4 billion passengers who checked bags.

I would say the airlines do a better job at (eventually) getting things there.

You can pick up a used suitcase at a thrift store for less than $10, doesn't have to be pretty just sturdy enough to hold 10kg. Don't know what airline you are flying, but international flights do include at least one checked bag without charge, many include 2.

Either way, the choice is yours. I hope you do come back to report how the experience went if you do mail it as that would be helpful in the future to others curious about the same situation.

Some years ago, my friend told me to not mail packages to Italy. Mailing from Italy may have similar circumstances. I mentioned DHL as a possibility. I don't know how their delivery services are with liquids and fragiles. All I know is my very recent experience with them through/from a company in Rome, Italy.

This is Air Canada on the basic economy. It's $60 each way (it might be more considering the lay over...not sure ).

Because of a long layover you do run a risk of getting it lost or stolen.... If It was a direct flight, it would be a better option.

Also I will be carry on only.

My question was strictly regarding shipping and not on checking in things.

You did say you wanted to ship clothing, which has very little chance of being stolen in checked luggage. As to the other “stuff.” I wouldn’t use any shipper for valuables. The Italian postal system is legendarily awful. When my brother lived in Rome, he stopped at the Vatican City (It’s a different country.) post office every few days to do his mailing.

You don't say where in Italy you are, but if you are in Rome, the Vatican post office get things to you faster than the Italian post office.