Sending a Suit Back to the US

Figure at least €50 to ship the suit. Wine - ? The cold packs do not last long. Buy a wine suit case and check it.

Weigh the suit, add a couple pounds for packing, go to any of the shipping companies web site - FedEx, etc., and plug in the numbers to get a price for shipping.

No way to ship wine refrigerated unless you use some type of overnight service and that would be very costly. Also you could have issues of importing wine depending on your state laws regarding the activity.

411,

1. Yes, if you use one of the services like FedEx or UPS, it will likely be on the expensive side and you'll have to make a detour to go to a town where you can connect with the courier service. You could use the Italian postal system but it's not know for being the most "reliable" and the suit may never arrive (or at least not for MANY months).
2. The only options you'll have in smaller towns will usually be the postal system.
3. No, I've never shipped wine home, but it's not going to stay cool for long. Especially with wine, you may have to clear it through Customs when you get home, so it could sit in a bonded warehouse or a container for several weeks at whatever the temperature is there. How much wine are you buying? If you take it into your hotel room each time you stop, hopefully there will be A/C so the temp's won't get that high.

If you pack the suit carefully in a Packing Folder at the bottom of your luggage, it should survive quite nicely. I've taken a suit in a Backpack on occasion, and it's never been too much of a problem.

Last October I checked on shipping from Rome:

5 KG total weight in box supplied by shipping company

€55- Postal Service
€241- UPS
€185- FedEx

Suit will be lighter than that, but don't know if it costs less.

Just wondering -- could you rent a suit on the way to Vernazza and just return it to the rental company? Might be easier/cheaper.

If you have several bottles of wine shipped by the vendor, it will probably be packed inside a styrofoam container molded to hold wine bottles. This is usually enough insulation.

I ship things back almost every trip, look for a Mailboxes Etc. location, they will pack for you and have a choice of shippers. You can check for locations online, but confirm that they are open.

... or just keep wearing the suit and make a good impression during the rest of your trip.

Frank and Ken are right. Pack the suit at the bottom of you bag. Better yet wear the suit jacket on the plane; I have seen many people wear their suit coat with jeans returning from Europe. As for the wine, you are going to have (1) US Customs to deal with on the volume of wine shipped i.e. duties and taxes and (2) State Regulations - these are all over the place. If you find a bottle that you like; ask your local liquor store if they can get it. There is a cost / hassle factor that tells me anything over a bottle in your suitcase is not worth it.

Ed

My last drip I went to Mailboxes and bought 2 styrofoam containers at around 8 euros each molded to hold wine bottles and olive oil bottles. Worked like a charm but it take up space in my suitcase. I was told I could also use wine diapers?