Shipping belongings to the U.S. from Berlin

Hi,

I will be shipping a few boxes to the US, and I would appreciate any advice about shipping companies to use, freight classes, etc. The boxes will be typical moving box size, and I don't care how long it takes them to arrive. I know I can get quotes online from UPS, DHL, etc; just wondering if anyone has other ideas and/or tips for dealing with the major carriers. Thanks!

- Kurt

Oops, this should be in "Life in Berlin." Mods, please move. Thanks.

i did this but from the u.s. to here. i think it cost around $30/box at the time. i don't know what DHL charges. you could also look into PIN, which is a private post company, and probably a bit cheaper. if you send it via post request the long way/via boat ( 4 - 8 weeks).

Unfortunately the USPS eliminated ground/surface shipping for international packages last year. Really annoying. The airmail option is definitely noy inexpensive. I found a great freight company that also takes individual boxes. Find them here
http://www.iqglobal.com/index.php
Not sure how cost effective they are with boxes, but I'm planning to ship 300 cubic feet (essentially 3 pallets 4'x4'x6') with $15000 insurance and it comes out to only about $1200 ($300 of that is for the insurance).

Good luck!

We used http://www.xsbaggage.com/. It was around $900 for all the boxes and musical gear, but mostly due to the insurance. We also had issues in customs due to the high amount of the insurance. Other than that, these guys aren't bad.

Thanks for the advice. I used DHL, which charges 62 euros for a box weighing up to 20kg. It is supposed to take 12-13 days to the US.

More info here.

Hello, wondering if anyone knows the best way to ship things from Germany, Berlin to the U.S.? Looking for the cheapest and easiest option. Deutsche Post, DHL, Other service carriers?

Kind Regards.

Topics merged by admin

I recently found out that I have to move back to the US from Berlin and, obviously, I seem to have accumulated a lot more things than I arrived with. What would be the cheapest method of shipping things TO the United States from Germany? I've seen some posts about shipping within Europe or from the US to Germany, but nothing on shipping to the US. I have one week to empty out my apartment, any help is appreciated.

Thanks,
M.

Topics merged by admin

Depends on the size of things you're shipping. I assume US is the same zone as Canada (zone...3). I literally just came back from the post office and when you send things internationally through Deutsche Post, its DHL Packet International, meaning the largest size PER BOX is:

120 cm x 60 cm x 60 cm
and
20 Kg of weight

This will run you 62 Euro a box. Cash or EC card, no credit card. And they are strict on the weight...my first box came in at 19.98 kg and I was ready to do a victory lap. Tip - don't seal the box until they weigh it if you're close.

I need to ship 2 musical instruments from Ireland to Berlin. Does anyone know a good company or a site I can look. Does any company even ship from Ireland to Germany?

Cheers