I will be in Vienna and plan on purchasing three tea kettles and two ceramic/metal cake rings. These will not fit in my luggage. I was wondering the best way to get them home? If I box them and bring the box and check it with my luggage- is this possible? Is it cost prohibitive? I presume a box would be about 2 1/2' square and weigh 20lbs at the most.
UPS or FED-EX cost & reliability v the postal service?
Thanks for any advice
Have you checked whether the place you’re buying these items will ship to where you live? That would be the easiest.
You should be able to check your airline’s website for price of checking such an item. Usually weight is the only factor in airline pricing for an extra “bag.” I have seen many boxes come off with the luggage.
We found a wonderful post office right down the street from our hotel in Vienna. One of the clerks spoke English and was a great help….we bought a box and filled it with things we had bought that we wanted to ship home. Easy……..and not too costly!
There will be no problem checking it as "luggage". Check the terms of your ticket, it may already allow a second checked bag, or you can find the price to check it and any size limits, usually if you can stay under 50 pounds, you are fine, however weight limits vary by airline.. There are shipping and office stores there, that will sell boxes and bubble/ foam wrap. We have also purchased hard plastic "trunks", but the size may be a problem.
Having them ship, or using a carrier like UPS or DHL is also an option, but the cost will be more, customs an extra step, and shipping may take several weeks.
An edit: My wife has also checked a cheap duffle type bag having clothes and other things, then carefully packs her breakable items in her carry-on bag. That way she can take the care to get them home in one piece. Sounds like you have a bit more things, but another thought.
We are allowed one checked bag each. A second check bag would be $100. Quite cost prohibitive. I will probably take advice given here and head to the post office.
A second check bag would be $100. Quite cost prohibitive
Don't be surprised if the post office plus Customs is more expensive
We are allowed one checked bag each. A second check bag would be $100.
Keep in mind, you have, between the two of you 2 checked bags, 2 carry-on size bags, and two personal items (Typical for international carriers, I suppose yours may differ) That gives you some options as to how to split things up. Plus, when looking at shipping things home, $100 will be cheap, and the airline or carry on, is probably less risky and faster.
I doubt if it will cost €100. I mailed a very heavy large box home while I was in Germany (probably around 35+ lbs) and paid about €50 for that, plus the €3 cost of the box. There was no additional charge from Customs.
I thought the price was well worth it, considering the alternative (me having to lug it around). I shipped it from Deutsche Post (aka DHL) and I received it about 3 weeks later, with everything intact.
Check with the vendor to see if they will ship it. If they do, the VATax will be deducted and may pay for some if not all of the shipping.
We think we remember paying $60 or less at the mailbox in Vienna and it got back to Nashville about 2 weeks after we did. We stayed at the Hotel Austria-Wien….the post office was right down the street on Fleichmarkt……hope that helps!
