I will be attending a workshop for guitar construction in August in Sequenza. I plan to try to ship the materials and tools for this in advance. My question is how to ship this stuff back to the USA afterwards? It will probably be a largish box weighing 50lb or more. Are there companies like UPS and FedEX in Spain?

I have sent several packages from Spain weighing approx. 30lbs. I sent them via Correos, their national postal service. I don't recall ever seeing any other type of package shipping service like UPS or FedEx. I believe to ship these packages Spain to US, it is generally more expensive than shipping from US to Spain. But make sure when you send it that the material/tools will be there when you arrive. I have experienced problems in the past shipping to Spain, where the package does not arrive for months.Just make sure whoever you ship it with can guarantee that your package wqill be there when you are. Good Luck.

You have a lot of different possibilities.

Correos will be one option (you'll find branches everywhere)They have a full range of sending services from the fastest less-than-24hour-arrival+fragile.....you name it, To the longest "your package will be the last thing you'll see before the graveyard" type of thing.

Obviously, it's only a question of tariff and prices.

Another good spanish company is SEUR. And of course, there are services from UPS, Fedex....

I had a printer and other small items sent to Europe from the US by UPS and for two boxes under 50lbs. I was charged $300 plus 32 euros customs. The service ended up taking approx. 4 days but everything arrived safely.
Will you be flying to the states after the workshop? I think the airlines charge less for cargo shipping although the package usually doesn't travel with you, you have to pick it up at the airport later.

Hi I am here in Madrid and came with 2 full suitcases, which would be smarter...to buy a third one and pay the 80 dollars to bring it with me on the plane or to ship stuff back?
THanks a lot.

Nevado & QueenBeeNY,
What can you tell me about "cargo shipping" on airlines, and $80 for a third suitcase? I will be flying back to the states. I haven't traveled overseas by plane or otherwise since the 60's and don't know the rules. I will have a bunch of tools and wood for making a guitar, and hopefully a complete guitar as well. And of course clothes and stuff.
CrowDuck

Im not sure about shipping from Spain, but as far as guitars go...I studied there last year and when i flew back to the states in June, I carried on my guitar, and didnt have to check it. I was a little worried about trying this but Iberia didnt have a problem with it on either flight (Granada-Madrid, Madrid-Chicago), and it fit perfectly in the overhead compartment. In total, I had my guitar, a small backback full of textbooks, and 2 very large suitcases. I wasnt charged extra for anything, but I did have to explain that I had been there all year and was now moving back to the states.
Good Luck!
Kelly

DO you think if I bought a backpackers backpack I could take that along with a backpack? I didn´t think I could but if you brought your guitar?

The backpackers backpack might be too heavy to carry on. I'm not really sure though. Before I carried on the guitar, I called Iberia and asked them, and they said they allow people to carry on guitars as long as they don't go over the weight limit. The guitar wasnt that heavy, but a a big travel backpack might be. I'm not sure what they weight limit is.

Also, the way I managed to carry on both the guitar and my smaller backpack, was by insisting at check in that the backpack was my "personal item" they allow, like a purse. I found them pretty flexible after i explained my situation, that i had been in spain living/studying, and was now moving back to the usa.

I'd call and ask, they can probably tell you.

Kelly