Sending Christmas Presents to USA

[Zeeky]

Anyone know the cheapest way to send parcels to US? I suppose in hindsight I should just have ordered from the US Amazon site for delivery straight to them, but I have already bought the children their gifts before I thought of that!

[Gravenwithdiamonds]

I do this and have found that lots of small parcels work out much cheaper than one large parcel - there's some weight threshold that if you go over, the cost doubles (sorry, can't remember what it is). I usually divide the presents between padded envelopes to keep the cost down.

If anyone knows a clever trick, i'd be interested too!

[Vagndidit]

Last year I shipped presents back home using DHL (sent from Ryman's stationary). They have flat rate boxes that you can really jam-pack with items. It worked out
to be about 20 quid cheaper than Parcelforce.

[SavoyCabbage]

If you go on one of those parcel comparison sites, you will be able to find out if you are better off shipping by weight or volume. I shipped a car seat box, stuffed with car seat, teapots and books by fedex to Australia for 99 English pounds.

[SlightlySuperiorPeasant]

DHL at Rymans prices.

[MarshmallowCupcake]

Send them early by surface post - it almost halves the cost. One of my US parcels got that treatment this week but since its not for kids, it doesn't really matter!

[MrsTittleMouse]

If you go the surface mail from the post office route - beware. One Christmas we had one box of gifts arrive, three were stolen. :(