Ideas for presents to send to Europe - is it really a year since I asked this last time?????

[lilolilmanchester]

Have a penfriend I've always exchanged Christmas presents with. Since she married/had DCs, I've sent a little something for each of them or a family gift. Always been hard, not least cos postage is horrendously expensive from UK (less so from Germany to here so she is less limited with what she sends). Now both her DCs are at uni but will be home for Christmas, am thinking more of a family gift. Any ideas? Budget (including postage) is c. £30, a bit more for the perfect idea. Any help truly appreciated.

Things I have sent in the recent past:
table runner; place mats; scarves; "bop-it"; Oxfam unwrapped; toiletries; tea/coffee/biscuits; English Christmas goodies......... and so on.

are there not certain companies which deliver to europe ie amazon and such? i could swear there were hth

Thanks BloodRed, was looking at the Thorntons site, they deliver to Europe but chocolates would be last resort. Will have a look at Amazon, can't send DVDs/CDs cos I don't know what they've got and their English isn't good enough for books. Will have a browse of some other sites. Thanks

actually is it really 4 years since I last asked this and 5 years since I first asked?" Resurrecting it so I don't have to retype and also to perhaps provide some ideas for others who have the same problem.
I no longer send to the children, just the parents. In the years since OP, I have sent a salad dressing bottle (with the recipes for various dressings marked down the side); A variety of Lakeland potato/mushroom/onion/bread bags in this series; last year I sent some outdoor lanterns to hang in their trees as they spend a lot of time outside. This year I am stuck, again, and due to work commitments need to get going on Christmas stuff and apart from my DH this is THE hardest to buy. Anything over 2kg and the postage ends up being ridiculous, so needs to be light.

How about a set of lovely English teas - English Breakfast, Assam, Broken Orange Pekoe, Earl or Lady Grey?

Or, if they love to spend time outdoors, a bird feeder?

Scarves or gloves?

For the kids, sticker books maybe? Depends on their ages. Maybe stationary? For your friend, a pretty washbag? Or a purse?

As a family present, what about a Mr Bean dvd? Then the language barrier won't be a problem.

Hi lil, we're in Germany, so we have exactly the same problem in reverse of sending prezzies back to the UK without the postage being extortionate or the package breaking in the post.

Things our relatives tend to send us by post:

A small mixed package of bath stuff from Lush or Body Shop (although both brands now have shops in Germany)
Non-breakable decorated photo frames (best if with clear plastic rather than glass).
Kitchen table mats (actually nicer than that sounds - individually made by a charitable workshop).
Scarves, scarves, and more scarves. Now stylish scarves are always welcome, because winter is damn cold here, but if you want to send gloves, please make them properly thick ski-type ones and not those thin woollen things (not very useful at minus 10). Same goes for winter hats. Ice cleats are always welcome too.
Lovely cushion covers.

We would personally love books or DVDs, but I appreciate your point about the language not being good enough. Germans LURVE Mr Bean, though!

The thing I appreciate more than anything else is food/drink items I can't get in German shops, so notagiraffe's suggestion of teas would be brill. Earl Grey etc is available here, but it's far inferior to British brands.

sorry, thought I'd said... I've sent place mats, tea/coffee and scarves before (more than once). I don't need to buy for the children anymore as they have left home.
Thanks for all your suggestions though, they will be useful for others reading this for ideas.

Lush might be an idea as might Mr Bean - do you think they would "get" it?
Photo frames would be a good idea but friend doesn't like having photos on display (don't know why, one of her pet hates!) Gloves also an option, just seem a bit boring. I've also sent calendars in the past (family organisers and more recently couple organisers). They always send fabulous gifts (and don't seem too bothered about the weight, had just assumed it was cheaper to send from there but obviously not). Had thought about those slipper sock Toastie things but feel they're a bit boring too. Would really like to think of something a bit different but struggle.
Nullius, do you know of any good German sites where I can order from here and have delivered directly to save on postage - a kind of Thorntons/M&S equivalent/Next equivalent? I'm thinking maybe a Christmas planter, which obviously I can't get sent from here, but anything like that over there where they'd accept credit card payment from UK?

lilo - not a present tip, but have you tried sending via a courier like parcel2go or other company it may be cheaper than Royal Mail, my sis used to do this when we lived in Europe.

thanks Shiny, I did look at various other options a couple of years ago and drew a blang - but admittedly not recently and things will have changed. I usually take so long to work out what to send posting all happens in a rush so end up at the postoffice (getting it weighed, taking it home, unpacking to remove a couple of bits to get the postage down - a box of After Eights took it over one year and would have cost me an extra £10 to send ) another reason for sorting the German present idea early this year. Will definitely check it out again, thank you for the suggestion.

M&S have a German site now, so do Next, think delivery is about 4 Euros. The m&s site doesn't do food, sadly.

great, thanks, will take a look.

Depending on how good your language is... Or if you have a good German speaking friend handy- could you order from the .de sites and therefore retain the postage? I know it wouldnt be wrapped but would the parcel be the same? (and as with uk you could get free delivery iyswim)

Hi nanny, yes my German is good enough for that. Might take a look at amazon.de. Also remembered a little shop in the Black Forest we visited a few years ago that made marzipan goodies, including a lovely almond liqueur. Found them on the net, so a package from there might be an idea.that said, I really would prefer to buy something here, and send nicely gift wrapped, daft I know but just feels better.... So still would appreciate light to send gift ideas

Yes I know exactly what you mean :) sorry of my post was patronising 'is your German good enough' - I just know mine wouldn't be I'd end up with the address in name etc!! You could put a selection of gifts in a box- all wrapped (in tissue for lightness) and then they could each choose a present not knowing what it is My nan did this and it went down a storm brought out the competitive side with the adults!! (I.e different types of tea/ hot chocolate/ nuts/ dried fruit/ biscuits/one odd sock/coffee/sweets)

What about one of those maps which you scratch off where you have travelled to. There is a Europe one now. They might travel more now their children are older.

I also have this problem but in the reverse as I'm in Germany and need to send something to the UK to family. Last year the parcel cost just under 20€ to send.

In the past I've send gloves, scarves, more gloves, marzipan and chocolates. Usually put a bottle of something in but that pushes up the price of postage alot.

My dd tells me that the best thing she would like to receive from the UK would be some Bath and Bodyworks stuff or Lush products as they cost ALOT more here than in the UK.

Birthdaybunnies that is exactly the kind of idea I am after. Thank you. I could send some lush stuff with that too. And lots of ideas for next year too. Thank you all - but please keep posting as I am sure lots of people have same problem

Was thinking one year you could put the postage money towards the cost of a trip to German Christmas Markets and hand deliver, more fun than paying the postman!

Oh they would love that!! Maybe eat year I'll suggest a meet up rather than a present !

My dd has corrected me - it's not Bath and Bodyworks but the Soap and Glory stuff from UK that she likes! The B & BW stuff is what she asks for from the US!

thanks for the update Ambling. I emailed the marzipan place in the Black Forest, am leaning towards a hamper from there for this year... but plenty of ideas for future years, thank you all