How I Shipped My Belongings When I Moved Abroad

Moving abroad is exciting - but packing for it can feel overwhelming. When I relocated internationally from Denver to London, one of the biggest questions I had was: What should I ship, and what should I bring with me on the plane?

A year before my move, I had already minimized my life significantly when moving from New York to Denver.

Leading up to my move abroad, I sold or donated all of my furniture, kitchenware and items that I knew I could buy in London. Because of that, I didn’t have too much to move but I still had enough that fitting everything into airline baggage alone would have been stressful and expensive.

This post walks through how I moved my belongings abroad, including what I chose to ship, what I packed with me, and what I left behind - based on what actually made sense for my move.

What to Ship When Moving Abroad

I shipped two large suitcases using SendMyBag filled with:

• Seasonal clothing I wouldn’t need for months (winter coats, sweaters, and cold-weather layers)

• Items that were bulky but not fragile (travel gear)

• Boots and heavier shoes I wouldn’t wear in summer

• Personal / sentimental items

What to Pack in Your Suitcase

I flew with a one large suitcase, one medium suitcase, a carry-on and a backpack. These are items I needed with me upon arrival:

• Laptop, electronics, chargers

• Toiletries

• Weather-appropriate outfits

• Shoes

What Not to Ship or Bring

Some things are better sold, donated, or replaced abroad:

• Furniture

• Electronics that won’t work with voltage differences

• Liquids or restricted items

• Things you might use “just in case”

I didn’t bring any furniture with me. Many places in London - especially short-term rentals - come fully furnished, which made it much easier to settle in first, explore neighborhoods, and figure out where I actually wanted to live long-term before buying anything.

When to Ship Your Bags

A general rule:

• Ship bags 7–10 days before your flight (or earlier if you don’t need the items)

• Schedule delivery for when you’ll be at your destination

• Keep essentials with you in case of delays

I intentionally shipped my bags so they would arrive after I did. That way, I wasn’t stressed about timing and could receive them once I had an address and was settled. Most luggage shipping services provide tracking so you can see exactly where your bags are.

Shipping vs Airline Baggage Fees

When I compared costs, shipping the rest of my bags internationally made far more sense than checking additional luggage:

• Airline excess baggage fees add up quickly

• Managing multiple large suitcases through airports is stressful

My shipped bags were picked up in Denver and delivered straight to my door in London.

Get a 5% discount on international luggage shipping

How the SendMyBag Process Worked

SendMyBag was recommended to me by the third-party agency, provided by my company, that helped me make my move. After reading reviews online and seeing how straightforward the process was, I felt comfortable using them.

Here’s a high-level overview of what was required for my two shipped bags:

1. Get a quote online based on pickup location, destination, and number of bags

2. Book pickup for a specific date and address (in my case, my friend’s place in Denver)

3. Pack your bags according to their guidelines (clothes and personal items only)

4. Print and attach shipping labels provided after booking

5. Pickup and tracking - the bags were collected and tracked door-to-door

6. Customs paperwork - simple online forms for personal belongings

The entire process was surprisingly easy, even for an international move.

If you’re planning an international move and want a simple way to send your belongings ahead of time, this is the service I used and would use again.

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