When planning to return to your home country or temporarily leaving China for work, and you are busy packing, you may wonder how to save money and effort when shipping your luggage. Today, let's talk about the ways people choose to internationalize their luggage.

如果您正计划回国、或工作调动需要暂时离开中国，忙于收拾行李的时候，定会想如何更省钱省力托运你的行李吧？那么今天来说说，人们会选择哪些方式将自己的行李进行国际托运吧。

Here are three common methods: checked baggage, international courier services, and shipping by sea.

这里介绍三种常见的方式：随机托运、国际快递、行李海运。

1.Checked baggage: This method is familiar to frequent flyers. It refers to the complimentary baggage service included in airline tickets. Passengers need to bring their luggage to the airport, complete the check-in process, and the luggage will be transported to the destination airport for the customer to collect. Each airline has different check-in policies, but generally, passengers can check-in up to 20-40kg of luggage. Additional weight may incur high baggage fees or may be refused for check-in. Therefore, this method is cost-effective when the luggage falls within the free allowance.

1.随机托运，这个对于常坐飞机的人士并不陌生，指的是航空公司包含在机票内的免费行李托运服务，这需要当事人自己将行李带到机场，办理托运手续，然后行李会被托运到目的地机场，客户自己领取。各航空公司的托运制度不尽相同，一般可以托运20-40Kg以内的货物，超出将被收取高额的托运费，或者被拒绝托运。所以，在行李在免费额度的情况下这种方式是非常划算的。

2.International courier services: This refers to selecting international courier companies such as EMS, DHL, UPS, TNT, etc. It usually involves a combination of air and land transportation to deliver luggage packages to the destination. Generally, it takes around 7 days for the package to arrive. This method is a good choice for items weighing within 20kg, particularly for urgent personal belongings or documents that need to be shipped.

2.国际快递，指的是选择EMS、DHL、UPS、TNT等国际快递公司，一般采用空运配合陆运的方式，将行李包裹快递至目的地，一般7天可到达。如果行李物品在20kg 以内的，对于托运生活急需的物品或者文件，是不错的选择。

3.Shipping by sea: If you have relatively bulky luggage and it exceeds 40kg, shipping by sea is a more cost-effective option for price-conscious customers. However, the transportation period can last 6-8 weeks, so it requires advance planning for individuals going abroad. Originally used for transporting international goods, in recent years, with the increasing international exchanges and frequent population mobility, the demand for personal luggage shipping has grown. This has led to the emergence of many luggage shipping providers.

3.行李海运，如果您的行李相对较多，又超过了40kg，对于追求价格最优化的客户来说，行李海运是一个较优的方案宜。但是它的运输周期可能会持续6-8周，所以对于出国的朋友，需要提前安排好计划。海运，原先是常用于运送国际货物的，近年来，随着国际交流的日益密切，国际人口流动愈加频繁，个人行李托运需求日益增加。从而衍生出了很多行李托运供应商。

Now, let's talk about three common luggage shipping services by sea:

这里我们讲讲常见的三种行李海运服务：

1.Traditional LCL (Less than Container Load) sea freight service: This service is commonly used for shipping international trade goods in bulk, but it also accepts a small amount of personal luggage shipments. It is similar to "less-than-truckload" transportation on highways, where when the goods do not fill an entire container, the cargo from two or more shippers is consolidated and shipped together. The price for LCL shipments is calculated based on volume or weight, whichever is greater. Depending on the route, it can be divided into port-to-port, door-to-port, and door-to-door services.

Let's focus on the door-to-door service, which is different from port-to-port or door-to-port services. With door-to-door service, the provider arranges the entire shipping process, including complex documentation, on behalf of the shipper. The overall price includes everything except customs duties or inspection fees imposed by environmental authorities.

1.传统的海运拼箱服务：这种一般是运送国际贸易的散货，同时也接受少量的个人行李托运，类似于公路的“零担”运输，即货物不足装满整个集装箱时，将两个或以上货主的货物拼箱运输。拼箱价格按体积和重量中较大者计算。根据路径不同，还可分为港到港、门到港、门到门服务。

这里着重讲门到门服务，它不像港到港、门到港服务，需要货主自主操作复杂的托运手续，它的提供者能够全程安排托运手续，整体价格除了海关关税或者环境局的检验检疫费用，都能够包含。

2.Regular sea freight door-to-door service for luggage: Companies that provide this type of service typically have a department specifically dedicated to personal luggage shipping. They have a better understanding of the logistics involved in shipping personal luggage and can offer specialized packing services for personal items. They can also provide information on destination country customs regulations, tax requirements, and exemption conditions for personal luggage items as value-added services. One drawback is that this method of shipping luggage for international travel usually only offers door-to-door service near the destination port and may not be able to provide door-to-door service for inland cities.

2.一般海运行李门到门服务

提供此类服务的公司与传统的海运拼箱货运公司相比，通常设有个人行李物品托运部门，更了解个人行李物品海运业务，可提供专业的个人物品打包服务、提供目的国个人行李物品税收及豁免条件资讯等增值服务。缺点是这种出国行李托运的方式通常只能提供目的港附近的到门服务，无法提供内陆城市的到门服务。

3."One-stop Door-to-Door Dual-Clearance" sea freight service for luggage: Considering the pros and cons of the aforementioned services, the "one-stop door-to-door dual-clearance" sea freight service that covers customs duties can be seen as a result of specialized division of labor. This type of sea freight company specializes in international shipping of personal luggage and provides high-end services in this field. These services include: a comprehensive international service network that offers door-to-door service to inland cities, a comprehensive pricing database that provides instant and accurate quoting information, provision of professional packaging materials, door-to-door collection and delivery of cargo, destination customs clearance and inspection, and delivery to the destination. This method of shipping luggage for international travel offers excellent value for its services. It is particularly suitable for customers who need to ship luggage within 2 cubic meters, with individual item weight not exceeding 30 kilograms, and without large furniture or household appliances.

3.一站式门到门双清”行李海运服务

鉴于上述两种服务的优缺点，能够涵盖关税的“一站式门到门双清”行李海运服务可以说是专业化分工的产物，此类海运公司专营个人行李国际托运，提供该领域的高端服务：完善的国际服务网络，可提供内陆城市到门服务；完备的运价数据库，即时提供准确报价信息；提供专业包装材料，上门收送箱、目的地报关报检、目的地送货上门等服务。这种出国行李托运的方式服务性价比极高，如果需要托运2立方以内、单件物品重量不超过30公斤、无大件家私家电的行李，这种服务特别适合。

So, considering that each customer has unique circumstances, if you have reviewed the above-mentioned luggage shipping methods and still cannot make a decision, you can also contact our professional international moving consultants. They can provide free on-site measurements of your belongings and answer any related questions you may have.

当然，鉴于每一位客户的特殊情况，如果您看了以上的几种行李托运方式仍然无法做决定，那么您也可以联系我们专业的涉外搬家顾问，可以免费为您上门测量物品及解答相应的疑问。

Author 作者 | Ryan