how to ship your luggage home from the UK
Cheaper than airline fees: how to ship your luggage home from the UK
You came to London for a few days. You leave with four more bags than you arrived with. Sound familiar? Between Portobello Road, Oxford Street, Harrods, and a dozen independent shops you stumbled into, the shopping has a way of adding up. Now you're standing in your hotel room doing the mental arithmetic: one more checked bag is £65 each way. The second case is overweight. And you still haven't bought anything at the airport.
There's a smarter option. At Postal and Courier Etc in Kentish Town, we help tourists ship bags and shopping home to the USA, Australia, Canada and beyond every week. Here's exactly how it works — and why it's often cheaper than your second checked bag.
The cost comparison: shipping versus airline fees
Airline excess baggage charges in 2026 are painful. A second checked bag on a transatlantic flight typically costs between £55 and £80 each way on most major carriers. If that bag is overweight — over 23 kg — add another £50 to £100 on top. For a return journey, those fees can stack well above £200 for a single extra suitcase.
Shipping a standard suitcase or box of shopping home via DHL Express or FedEx from our Kentish Town store typically costs:
• USA: from around £70 to £130 depending on weight and dimensions
• Australia: from around £90 to £160 for standard luggage weights
• Canada: from around £75 to £135 for most bags
When you ship, you also skip the check-in queue, the baggage carousel at the other end, and the risk of the airline mishandling your case. Every DHL or FedEx shipment is tracked end-to-end and delivered to your front door — not a baggage belt in a crowded terminal.
What you can ship home from the UK
Most of what tourists buy in London ships perfectly well internationally. Clothing, shoes, books, gifts, homeware, art prints, and packaged food all travel fine with the right preparation. A few categories worth knowing about:

Fragile souvenirs and glassware
China, ceramics, glassware, and antiques are among the most popular things tourists buy in London and among the trickiest to get home. Professionally packed and shipped, they travel safely. We stock specialist packing materials including double-walled boxes, foam inserts, and bubble wrap, and our team can pack fragile items correctly in store.

Items that cannot be shipped internationally
A handful of items are restricted or prohibited: loose lithium batteries, aerosols, flammable liquids, fresh food, and alcohol above certain quantities. If you're unsure whether a specific purchase can travel, ask us in store we'll check the carrier's rules before you commit.
How to ship your shopping home from London: step by step
1. Bring your items to our store at 58 Chetwynd Road, Kentish Town, London NW5 1DJ — loosely or already packed.
2. We weigh and measure everything and quote you live across DHL, FedEx and UPS so you can pick the best price and speed for your destination.
3. We pack your items professionally if needed — especially useful for fragile pieces, artwork, or awkward shapes.
4. We complete all customs paperwork in store — the customs declaration is filled in correctly, which avoids delays at your destination country's border.
5. Your parcel is collected and dispatched same day. You receive a tracking number by email so you can follow it all the way home.

When to ship: timing your dispatch before you fly
The easiest approach is to ship a day or two before you fly home. DHL Express and FedEx International Priority both reach US and Canadian addresses within two to four business days from London, so a parcel sent on Wednesday from our Kentish Town store is likely at your door by the weekend before the jet lag has worn off.
For Australia or further destinations, allow a few extra days. If you want the most economical rate rather than express speed, bring your items in earlier in your trip economy services take around five to eight business days but cost noticeably less.
Shipping to a hotel at your next destination rather than your home address? Let us know. Some hotels will accept pre-arrival parcels with your booking reference on the label we'll address it correctly so it reaches the right hands when you arrive.

Frequently asked questions
Can I ship my shopping home if I'm a tourist visiting the UK?
Yes. Anyone can use our service regardless of nationality or visa status. You need a delivery address in your home country and a valid form of ID. There's no requirement to be a UK resident.

Will I have to pay customs tax when my parcel arrives home?
For personal purchases being returned to your home country, import duties are often low or not applicable. In the USA, goods under $800 in declared value typically clear customs without duty. In Australia, the threshold is AUD 1,000. We complete the customs declaration correctly in store, which is the most reliable way to avoid delays or unexpected charges.

Can I ship a suitcase as well as boxes of shopping?
Yes. We ship both suitcases and cardboard boxes. If you've bought more than fits in your case, we can pack the excess into a box in store. If you want to ship the whole suitcase, we wrap it and dispatch it as-is.

Is shipping luggage from the UK cheaper than paying airline fees?
Often yes . especially if you have more than one extra bag or your luggage is overweight. A second checked bag on a transatlantic flight can cost £110–£160 return. Shipping a similar bag home via DHL typically costs £70–£130 and includes full tracking and insurance.

How far in advance do I need to bring my items in?
For express services, the same day is fine provided you arrive before early afternoon to catch the DHL or FedEx collection. For economy services, one to two days of lead time is ideal. We're open Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm.

Visit us before you fly
If you're in North London and your bags are heavier than when you arrived, come and see us at 58 Chetwynd Road, Kentish Town, London NW5 1DJ. We're a short walk from Kentish Town station, easy to reach from Camden, Hampstead, and Highgate. We'll quote you across DHL, FedEx and UPS in minutes, pack anything fragile, handle the customs forms, and make sure your shopping gets home safely while you travel light.
