International shipping

[MattNC]

I've got a friend living in eastern Europe (Romania) for a couple years, and they're missing some of the luxuries of home. I'm planning to send them a package with some small stuff from home. Anyone have recommendations on which carrier to use? (both for reliability and price) Also, any idea if I'll have to fill anything out pertaining to customs?

[Skittles]

1. you do have to fill out a customs form

no need to get really detailed - generic listings are fine.....google for shipping prices

[Heidi]

2. This should help you.

Yes, you will have to complete a customs form. If you're sending anything of great monetary value, insure it.

Also, it's worth mentioning that the recipient may be charged a "border tax" based on the value you assign to the parcel you're sending. This has happened to us when receiving packages sent by UPS and Deutsche Post, but never for packages sent via US Postal Service.

US Postal Service shipping rates calculator http://postcalc.usps.gov/
UPS calculator: https://wwwapps.ups.com/ctc/request?loc=en_US

[onestepforward]

3. You can get an estimate online.

Check USPS for international rates. You'll need to know your box size and a weight. You can check rates for USPS International Priority and other shipping options here:
http://www.usps.com/

You can use that estimate to compare with UPS and FedEx if you like. For my international shipping, I use USPS International Priority with a delivery confirmation. So far, no problems. Hope this helps!