Carrying your luggage is without doubt the most unpleasant aspect of travelling. It is hard to navigate amongst crowds of people at airports and railway stations and can be such a hassle to carry them along with your bulky bags and be inconvenienced with weight restrictions on them. The thought of pre-sending your luggage is a very enticing thought as it will allow you to save on stress levels, time and cost

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Forwarding your luggage in advance to your destination is very much a good option if you have children or mobility-impaired people accompanying you, as well as extremely long travel journeys involving several pieces of luggage. Secondly, shipping your luggage saves you from additional baggage costs levied by different airlines, which can appreciably increase travel costs. You can also forego the waiting time at the pick-up or luggage carousel point and stress of your bags being misplaced at en-route connection points.

The "how-to-guide" offers you all the step-by-step information on all there is to learn about sending bags instead of carrying them.

Make The Right Shipping Company Selection

Proper selection of shipping companies is extremely crucial to transport your items safely and timely. When selecting a service, weigh up delivery time, traceability, insurance coverage, and international shipping experience if traveling overseas. Read customer feedback and comments for useful information about the quality of customer service and reliability.

Don't Leave Booking To The Last Minute

Baggage may be forwarded with proper advance booking, at least a week in advance. This is to allow no delays, so your things arrive at the destination before your arrival. Check in advance on customs prohibitions against international shipping or customs, as some items are prohibited and others will require extra documentation. Have a detailed list of what's being carried in your luggage and, particularly of the valuables, photograph it as proof for insurance purposes.

Pay Attention To Packing

Though most shipping carriers deliver regular suitcases, hard-shell luggage gives extra protection to your belongings. For items that need to be shipped with extreme care, like evening gowns or delicate souvenirs, inquire with shipping carriers if they have garment cases or special containers available. Zip all zippers closed using a zip tie or zipper lock, and cover barcodes or other airline stickers that are problematic in transit. Include a copy of your destination address inside each bag as a precaution against outside labels being stolen or damaged.

Label Your Bags

Label and deliver bags correctly for delivery - make luggage labels legible and waterproof with return and destination addresses. Both addresses should have phone numbers where you can be contacted during travel. Deliver to a hotel or rental and phone to advise that they can accept delivery of bags and make arrangements for labeling them. Dark or bright labels should be used so bags stand out and destroyed shipping stickers/barcodes are covered or removed.

Track in Real Time

It will give you peace of mind to be able to track your shipment throughout the entire shipping process. All the shipping bag companies offer real-time tracking information access via their website or app. Send text or email notifications for important events, such as pickup confirmation, in-transit notifications, and delivery confirmation. Electronically store all the shipping documents, such as receipt confirmation, tracking numbers, and proof of insurance. It will be so handy to have all this on hand in the event that you need to contact the shipping company from a foreign country.

Time Your Arrival To Suit

Careful coordination of your shipping and your arrival day will get your baggage delivered at the time you need it. Shipping between three to five days ahead of arrival date will provide adequate padding for normal shipping, however long haul shipments can take seven to ten business days, though by destination take longer. Take seasonal factors into consideration which might cause delay in shipment, such as holiday seasons and bad weather. For the return journey, request a pickup at your accommodations a day before leaving or drop off at a local shipping centre.

Read The Small Print (Insurance)

Insurance and liability coverage guard your belongings and the majority of baggage shipping companies have declared value standard protection with the ability to add special item protection. Read insurance policies carefully, especially exceptions on electronics, jewelry, or money contents. Document valuable items and retain receipts for new purchases made to ship. Travel insurance policies sometimes cover bags shipped in advance unexpectedly, so read your policy before buying additional coverage.

Be Mindful Of Carry-On Bag Contents

Because your main bags are going to be out of your reach while in transit, you will need to be prepared with a smaller carry-on bag that contains items that you will need immediately at your destination. These include medications, travel documents, a complete set of clothes, necessary toiletries, and any electronics needed. Distribute irreplaceable or valuable things strategically between shipped and carry-on bags so that you don't leave behind the most valuable things to you. Consider activity and climatic conditions at your destination when shipping over carrying to have particularly urgent essentials on hand upon arrival.

Conclusion

Shipping baggage is changing the travel experience for you by allowing you to traverse transport terminals unencumbered from the frustration of heavy bags by shipping your bags instead of dragging them along behind you. For less expense per bag (and reduced degrees of frustration), than paying airlines extra for additional weight, with the right service provider, you enjoy the convenience and less inconvenience of shipping your bags. Shipping bags is more convenient for passengers who prefer a hassle-free comfortable journey. And the more who do it, the more competitive the market will be for the service and it could easily become the norm for business travellers, backpackers, holidaymakers and seasoned travellers alike.

As a reminder, airlines around the world have increasingly started to eliminate free checked baggage allowances for passengers in recent months, a noticeable trend that spans both budget and traditional carriers. We've already covered changes to airline baggage policies, including in Europe, Asia, Australia, Latin America, and the United States.

Products from Visit World for a comfortable trip:

Travel guide for 200 countries;

Legal advice from a local specialist on visa and migration issues;

Travel insurance around the world (please select the country of interest and citizenship to receive services);

Medical insurance all over the world.

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