So I have been a one bagger for over 10 years. I had planned to use only one bag for my 7 week trip this spring, but it is not possible. I am attending courses and have to bring 8 text books, digital copies are not available. After the first 4+ weeks I will not longer need the text books and some of the other extra supplies I am bringing. I will need them when I return home, otherwise I would donate them in Florence.
Any suggestions on shipping companies that are relatively reasonable?
Poste Italiane is cheap, but it is also as slow as a day without eating.
I'd go with TNT Traco, Bartolini or another private courier: you'll pay what the service actually costs, but you won't spend the next months wondering where your stuff is.
I send a box back from Italy every trip through Mailboxes Etc.
We shipped some household goods back to the U.S. using Mailboxes, Etc. They did all the packaging and ensured we did not have to pay any duty. They also use FedEx so the boxes arrived quickly: less than a week. I would estimate €200 for about 20 pounds. Try not to have to ship them in a suitcase. Maybe you can ship them ahead to Italy and avoid having to bring a large suitcase.
Having shipped books home using Mailboxes Etc, I can tell you that it will be very expensive. If they are valuable or it is time sensitive, then it might be worth it. But if you just need to send them back, using just the Italian Post Office will suffice. It is slow and relatively inexpensive. As noted, try not to have them in a suitcase. Carry them in a collapsible bag of some sort. The bigger the box, the more expensive (in addition to the weight).
Thank you for the suggestions.
I will check out the postal system, I am extending my trip, so will not need them to arrive quickly. I am not interested in paying high courier fees at Mail Boxes Etc.
Unfortunately it is not just books I will be shipping, that was just an example, and will be the heaviest items. The suitcase I am planning to use to bring the extras to Italy has been in use for 14 years. I have no problem donating it to a charity shop, and shipping the items in a box.
I need the books at home until two days before I leave and the day after I arrive, so shipping them from home to avoid an extra suitcase is not an option. But I do not need them at home until a month after I leave Italy.
One month is not a terribly long time when you're talking about international shipping. I have no experience mailing things home from Italy, but I absolutely would not count on receiving the box within a month. In addition to shipping delays, the box could be held up in customs (less likely if you were just shipping used books, I suspect; be sure to note "used" on the customs form).
I recommend putting the most important/most expensive of the items in your carry-on bag and keeping them with you on the return trip. I'd strip down the other stuff I was planning to take (no extra shoes, for example) in order to reduce my dependence on shipping.
My thinking is that buying duplicate/used textbooks would be more costly than the shipping, but I haven't bought textbooks in a VERY long time. Anyway, it's a cost comparison you may want to make.
I shipped a small box of clothes and incidentals from Beaune, France to Texas. Used the post office in Beaune and don't remember the weight, but definitely lighter than 8 textbooks. Cost was 100 euros, and it arrived within 2 weeks.
