I’m going on a month-long trip soon: first flying from Utah to New York, then to Florida. The problem is the temperature difference—cold winter in New York and warm weather in Florida—so it’s hard to fit everything into one suitcase.
I’m thinking of shipping a package to myself: sending some clothes and items from Utah to Florida before I leave and then shipping them back to Utah before returning home.
Does anyone have experience with this? Which shipping services are best to use (USPS, UPS, FedEx)?
I also have some specific questions:
• How long will they hold the package for me?
• What are the cheaper options for shipping a package around 20 lbs (10 kg)?
• Is there a big price difference between USPS, UPS, and FedEx?
I’d really appreciate any tips or recommendations, especially if you know any hacks to make the process easier!
Camden said:
It’ll be cheaper and less of a headache just to check a larger bag.
This is the way.
I’ve had international business trips scheduled on top of ski trips where I FedEx’d my ski gear to the office but for a trip that was half great white north and half semi-tropical, I’d just check a bag instead of my usual roll-aboard.
@Branley
If you can’t keep track of your stuff (which honestly, if you can’t do as a basic life skill, maybe traveling isn’t for you), learn to pack lighter. Wear your heavy jacket and heavy footwear on the plane, pack a sink washable capsule wardrobe. Anything that can be worn in FL can be worn under something in NY. If OP doesn’t want to do that as it sounds like they’d like outfit options per microclimate, just pack a bigger bag.
@Branley
OP could just get a cheap suitcase to take to Florida, mail their Florida stuff home before they head to New York, donate the suitcase, and move on with life. Packages are far more likely to go missing than luggage.
I use a website called PirateShip - if you plug in the dimensions and weight of a box and where you are sending it to and from - it’ll give you shipping rates for USPS and UPS so you can compare!
Rowan said:
I use a website called PirateShip - if you plug in the dimensions and weight of a box and where you are sending it to and from - it’ll give you shipping rates for USPS and UPS so you can compare!
Oh and it’s cheaper to ship via Pirate Ship than if you were to go into an actual post office or UPS store and you just print the postage yourself and drop the package off.
@Daryn
Wouldn’t that be as expensive or more than just having extra luggage? An extra checked bag might cost more depending on the airline and their ticket, but by the time OP pays for transportation to and from a FedEx and making sure their hours match with when they need it…
@Gerald
Yeah, OP could probably also buy a winter coat from a thrift shop/goodwill/resale shop when getting to New York and then donate it back at the end of the trip and it would probably be cheaper than mailing something to a PO Box.
