I am looking for recommendations for a baggage or luggage forwarding company and any other tips. We will need to send one of our bags back to the US after we complete a cruise in early May ending in Civitavecchia (the Rome Cruise Port) so we can more easily travel by rail, bus, and taxi as we continue our trip within Italy. We are seasoned travelers and will be getting our luggage down to one carry on size and a backpack each after our cruise. Thank you for your recommendations and tips.
Posted by
11569 posts
I have heard of Luggage Free and Luggage Forward from friends who used them. Not cheap but solves your problem. Or, can you store them in Italy until you fly home?
Posted by
Uppsala, Sweden
6970 posts
Why not just use DHL or a similar company?
Posted by
Land of La
9219 posts
Agree with Badger.
In a trip to Italy in the 90’s sent a bag home via Italian Mail. Still waiting for it.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23626 posts
Don't know why some think it is fashionable to knock the Italian mail. We have sent a number of items including expensive art work via the Italian mail -- always arrived. We have done what you are proposing a number of times. For us the extra cruise luggage is one carry-on size rolling bag about 20 lb. Sometimes we take it with us or have shipped other times. We have been through Civit.... four times off of a Holland American cruise. We take everything to Rome since there is nothing convenient near the cruise dock and the train station. They are within walking distance of each other. In Rome we find a cardboard box seller, box the bag, and use the Italian post. Be sure the US customs form are completely filled out. If it gets hung up it will be the US custom office in NJ. It will be expensive - depending on weight -- maybe $75 or more. You can check the web site for DHL, Fed Ex, etc., and do a trial booking to see what they would charge. Plan on spending a half day getting it arranged. The last couple of times we just drag our one extra bag and it is not too bad.
Posted by
OP
Olympia
19 posts
Here's a follow up to our request. We ended up using Luggage Forward to send our bags back to our home south of Seattle. It was a bit spendy but in my opinion well worth it.
The company did a great job communicating with us about the details of dropping off our bag and provided all of the paperwork electronically. We coordinated in advance with them on the time. When we exited the cruise ship terminal the representative was right at the door with a sign and took our bag. The whole transaction took less than five minutes and we were on our way to the city and then the train. The bag arrived on our doorstep in Washington state on the date promised in excellent condition.
I could have searched out a DHL shipping place and saved some money by doing it ourselves. However, we arrived on a Sunday and the DHL shop at the cruise port was closed. I didn't want to lug the bags to Rome on the train, complicate our transfer to Naples and use up a bunch of valuable tour time.
If you do arrive at the cruise port on a weekday it could be worth looking into handling the shipping yourself from there.
Thank you all for your suggestions and comments.