I am going to Vienna on business this summer and will have to bring a suit-and-tie wardrobe. After the meeting, I'm going on to Salzburg and Munich on my own. I was just looking into shipping one bag back from Vienna to Chicago and was just staggered by the prices -- $450-650 USD! Anybody aware of alternatives that will leave me with my arms and legs intact?
Posted by
Bothell, WA, USA
206 posts
There was an article fairly recently about shipping luggage. It had some links at the end which may help:
http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/WireStory?id=4521771&page=1
Posted by
Freedonia
15016 posts
Have you checked Fedex, UPS or DHL?
Posted by
OP
Prairie View, IL, USA
7 posts
I looked there first and the most specific recommendation I found was to Google for luggage shippers, which I did. It seems surreal but I guess those are the prices and I guess I'll be hauling that big bag along with me.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23269 posts
The price sounds a little high but go to any of the carrier sites -- Fed Ex, UPS, etc., estimate weight and size of your return luggage and plug it into the rate finder. You probably would have to box the luggage.
Posted by
Shoreline, WA
216 posts
Warren
As an international flyer from the USA you normally are entitled to 2 suitcases at 50 lbs. each. So why would you ever want to ship anything? Postage costs from and to Europe (and elsewhere) have gone up so rapidly in the past 10 years, that our family members don't even send Christmas presents any longer, because the postage is so outrageously high. Instead we load up our suitcases when we visit.
Posted by
OP
Prairie View, IL, USA
7 posts
I just looked at UPS and it would cost more than 400 Euros to ship a 40-pound bag back to Chicago.
And thanks for the link to the ABC story. I had already looked at the luggage shippers they cite; that's where I got the other prices.
Oh, well. Looks like I'm schlepping the suits with me. Maybe I'll dress for dinner...g
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23269 posts
Warren, that surprises me but shipping cost are related to both size and weight. A couple of years ago we looked into shipping a smaller about twenty pounds box back and it was 100 or maybe 125. But the dollar was also about 1.10. I thought you might have less than 40 lb. Anyone else on the business trip that would be returning and willing to take your extra bag? 40 lb seems like a lot of extra business wardrobe. Maybe you could light some of that up.
Posted by
OP
Prairie View, IL, USA
7 posts
I admit that I was estimating on the heavy side. Probably 25 or 30 would be more realistic but I just checked a 25-pounder on the UPS website and it's still 311 Euros. I have to be at a conference for six days so I'll need enough business attire for that plus all the other extraneous crap, like paperwork, that will be dead weight once the meeting's over.
Posted by
near NY, NJ, USA
445 posts
This only works on your way home but paying but excess baggage is usually cheaper than shipping. I did this last year from London after I found out that it would cost me more to mail the stuff home than pay overweight on Virgin. Check your airline's web site for information on excess baggage. I just got a large carton and I always travel with shipping tape!!!
Posted by
Newport Beach, CA, USA
769 posts
Ive shipped items - 5-10kg from europe (extra clothes etc) in a box - to USA - was 35-45$ DHL or POST. Still not cheap - but in a box vs a bag (or put the duffel IN a box and send freight!