Imagine that you’re traveling in a foreign country. And that you need to send a package back home. It could be a gift to your family and friends. Or a rare souvenir that you’d rather have safe at home than carry with you during the rest of the trip.
Good thing that nowadays it’s pretty easy to ship parcels overseas. And the best way to do it is to follow this brief guide.
Read on.
Check the lists of prohibited and restricted items
International package shipping is very convenient. But it has its own rules that you need to follow. And those regulations may differ from country to country. That’s why if you need to ship parcels overseas, be sure to research what’s allowed and what’s not.
Let’s say you’re shipping to Germany from the USA. You’ll need to check what items are eligible for international shipping in both these countries. You’ll also need to fill out a customs declaration. Be diligent with this task as some countries may require to provide additional documents for verification.
Choose the right international shipping company
The best way to ship parcels overseas is to leave it to a reliable international shipping company. Usually, you can find more than one carrier offering delivery services in a country. So don’t be in a hurry to give your package to the first one you find.
Are you shipping to Romania? Italy? Or Ireland? Firstly check if the carrier is actually providing services to these countries. Then, compare the benefits of each shipping company. The shipping rates are, of course, important, but it’s best to find a good balance between the price and the quality of services.
Since you’re traveling, it might simply come down to selecting a carrier that has the most convenient package drop-off locations. It’d be a pain to take a detour just to hand in your parcel, right?
Estimate the shipping cost
You have done your research and picked a shipping company. The next step in preparing to ship parcels overseas is to calculate the shipping cost. Financial balance is very important when traveling. Especially if the decision to send a package home is spontaneous. You need to check if it fits within your budget.
Luckily that’s super easy to do with a shipping rates calculator. All you have to do is to select from where and where to you’re shipping and to indicate the weight of your parcel. The heavier and the larger the package, the more shipping it internationally will cost.
Pack your items with care
Before sending your items on a journey from overseas, secure them with proper packaging. If you’re shipping a single and small item, put it into a padded envelope. If your item is larger or if you have more than one thing to send, choose a cardboard box.
Add plenty of cushioning inside the box to protect your goods from impact damage. Be extra careful if you’re shipping fragile items. They’ll need more protection to reach their destination point in one piece.
Whether you’re traveling or staying at home, a time may come when you’ll need to ship parcels overseas. And it’ll be a piece of cake to do it if you apply the tips described above.
