Sending a Box from UK to Australia - Best Way?

[Robo]

For our next Camino, we're spending a week in the UK prior.
It's for a 50th reunion so we need to take some 'decent' clothes. Suit, shoes etc.

The plan then, is to send all that stuff back home to Sydney Australia in a box.

For those living in the UK or who have done a similar thing, what would you suggest as the best options?

We'll likely depart UK from Stansted.

I see there are luggage services avaiable, but they are not cheap.
Maybe the Post Office?

I had thought of leaving the box there to be picked up on our way back home but (a) Left luggage is very expensive and (b) I think we'll probably head home from Paris or Madrid, not the UK.

Ideas?

 

[Kiwi-family]

I know this is not exactly what you’ve asked @Robo but what about posting it to Ivar? I’d think that would be cheaper than to Oz. Either that or be Stylish Pilgrim!

 

[trecile]

I know this is not exactly what you’ve asked @Robo but what about posting it to Ivar? I’d think that would be cheaper than to Oz. Either that or be Stylish Pilgrim!

That's exactly would I would do. In fact it's exactly what I have done in the past.

 

[OzAnnie]

Robo
I’ve posted stuff from Santiago back to Oz on a few occasions now. Costs a bit (unfortunately increased a lot over recent years)…but is ‘gone’ and no longer an issue to face later. I’ve posted it to a relative in same town as I live / it arrives back before me and is safe ,

But alternatively…

Are you checking luggage from uk to Spain for your camino later? Probably checking luggage from Oz to Uk.

If you have accommodation booked for your arrival in spain and you’re likely to return to it before heading home … enquire whether they would hold a parcel there for you and then just include in your checked luggage returning to Oz.
I’ve done that a few times …. with Santiago (San Martín Pinario ).. also in Madrid at hostel I stayed at. They didn’t have a problem either and neither places charged for it. (It could be an issue if it was a big item possibly but yours would bundle up ok ).

Enjoy your UK reunion
& buen camino.

 

[Robo]

I know this is not exactly what you’ve asked @Robo but what about posting it to Ivar? I’d think that would be cheaper than to Oz. Either that or be Stylish Pilgrim!

we won't end in Santiago on this trip.........(different one)
Once we depart UK we will only have backpacks and where we go is very fluid.
So we won't be 'going back' to anywhere, and we won't even know where we will depart Europe from.

So we really need to ditch the suitcase in UK.

 

[dick bird]

Have you checked the price of posting it via the GPO? It would be slow but possibly not that expensive (mind you, 2.50 for a postcard suggests otherwise). Worth checking out though.

 

[Kiwi-family]

Would it be cheaper to hire a suit in England?
Or turn up at your reunion in fancy dress as a pilgrim complete with backpack and guidebook?

 

[Corned Beef]

One method I've used when overseas is Posta Restante (aka General Delivery). When you get to the UK, send the box to yourself at a Post Office at your last location in the UK. They will keep it for 18 days (20 days if you allow for 2 days transit to the destination).

Poste Restante | Post Office®

Pick up your mail from most Post Office branches. It's easy to stay in touch when you're travelling with Poste Restante.

www.postoffice.co.uk

Pick it up again and relabel to France or Spain and send it by courier

https://www.dpdlocal-online.co.uk/parcel-delivery/spain

Have used Posta Restante in a few European countries and it works well. (Should do as it been about for ever). Have not tried international Posta Restante where you would send it to France/Spain but it should work as advertised.

Then you can fly it all back to Oz.

 

[Robo]

One method I've used when overseas is Posta Restante (aka General Delivery). When you get to the UK, send the box to yourself at a Post Office at your last location in the UK. They will keep it for 18 days (20 days if you allow for 2 days transit to the destination).

This would work well, if we were returning to the UK. But we're not

 

[Robo]

Thanks for all the ideas folks.

I think the simplest option, given that our onward journey and exit point from Europe is somewhat unknown, and does not involve Santiago, will be to simply mail it home from a Post Offce near Stanstead.

(this is not related to our Madrid Camino - that's a lot simpler)

 

[Corned Beef]

Postage Price Comparison site - including Oz

Parcel Monkey: Compare Parcel Delivery & Courier Quotes

Compare cheap parcel delivery & courier prices with Parcel Monkey! We compare all major couriers to get you the best services & delivery rates.

www.parcelmonkey.co.uk

 

[Molly Cassidy]

DPD looks reasonably priced. The Post Office is ridiculously expensive and they use DPD anyway. Direct with DPD cheapest is £52 for a 5kg parcel. Post Office is over £300.

 

[BarbaraW]

www.postoffice.co.uk for information about cost of posting and location of post offices. There isn't a post office at Stansted airport. So best to look near where you will be staying. If you have a choice, I find it's often quicker to use smaller PO branches than ones in main towns Feel free to pm me if you need more specific help as I live quite close to the airport. My trawl shows PO as cheapest to Australia!

 

[ivar]

This might be an alternate as well:

Courier Services | Parcel Delivery | Printing | Photocopying | PO Box | Mail Boxes Etc.

Trust Mail Boxes Etc. for courier services, worldwide parcel delivery, business card, leaflet, poster printing, photocopying, Mailbox PO Box addresses, virtual office, Mail Boxes Etc. post, parcel & print centre

www.mbe.co.uk

We have two MailBoxes ETC offices in Santiago and they ship with "all" the private shippers. You might even get a quote for shipping things home if you contact one of these offices with the size and weight of your box... just to get an idea.

 

[Robo]

www.postoffice.co.uk for information about cost of posting and location of post offices. There isn't a post office at Stansted airport. So best to look near where you will be staying. If you have a choice, I find it's often quicker to use smaller PO branches than ones in main towns Feel free to pm me if you need more specific help as I live quite close to the airport. My trawl shows PO as cheapest to Australia!

Many thanks.
I found the local POs.
Stansted and Elsenham.
Looks like about £ 80 for a 5kg box.

 

[Robo]

DPD looks reasonably priced. The Post Office is ridiculously expensive and they use DPD anyway. Direct with DPD cheapest is £52 for a 5kg parcel. Post Office is over £300.

Yes it looks good. Though a Post Office may be easier and less hassle at about £80

 

[BarbaraW]

Unless you have a car in the UK Elsenham is a fiddle to get to. Stansted PO is reasonably close to Stansted Mountfitchet rail station.

 

[NicolaWyke]

Thanks for all the ideas folks.

I think the simplest option, given that our onward journey and exit point from Europe is somewhat unknown, and does not involve Santiago, will be to simply mail it home from a Post Offce near Stanstead.

(this is not related to our Madrid Camino - that's a lot simpler)

Robo - I found a service that might work for you called Sendmybag - a service like this might work for you.

Get a quote to ship your luggage from Send My Bag™

Door to Door Baggage Delivery, anywhere in the world. Send your bags ahead using our shipping service and avoid excess baggage charges. Get an instant quote from SendMyBag.com.

www.sendmybag.com

 

[Camino Chrissy]

we won't end in Santiago on this trip.........(different one)
Once we depart UK we will only have backpacks and where we go is very fluid.
So we won't be 'going back' to anywhere, and we won't even know where we will depart Europe from.

So we really need to ditch the suitcase in UK.

Your very fluid plans sound rather mysterious. Will you still planning to walk the Madrid Way as part of your trip?

 

[Robo]

Your very fluid plans sound rather mysterious. Will you still planning to walk the Madrid Way as part of your trip?

No the Madrid is another trip.

This one is actually more of a backpacking around Europe trip with some Camino bits thrown in.

 

[Robo]

Unless you have a car in the UK Elsenham is a fiddle to get to. Stansted PO is reasonably close to Stansted Mountfitchet rail station.

Yes, we'll have a car, to drop off at the Airport.