baggage question...Northern Europe

[psalms37]

hello! Our big family vacation just got a little more complicated. Hopefully I can explain it to you.

In June we are traveling from California to London for a 12 day Disney cruise. My oldest son will then travel from London to Oslo (he's going to be an exchange student for the year)

I understand the baggage limits for all of us going to london, but what differences will there be for him going to Oslo? He will be living there for a year so I wonder if we'd be better to ship most of his clothes?

Any thoughts? Did you understand my story?

[uppitycats]

Originally Posted by psalms37

hello! Our big family vacation just got a little more complicated. Hopefully I can explain it to you.

In June we are traveling from California to London for a 12 day Disney cruise. My oldest son will then travel from London to Oslo (he's going to be an exchange student for the year)

I understand the baggage limits for all of us going to london, but what differences will there be for him going to Oslo? He will be living there for a year so I wonder if we'd be better to ship most of his clothes?

Any thoughts? Did you understand my story?

How is he getting his clothes and other belongings -- things that he'll need for the year --- from California to London? Those airline rules are the same -- they charge by bag, and no bag over 50 pounds.

So he'd best ship ahead everything he'll need for his year in Oslo, and just take with him what he needs for the 12 day cruise, and short flight from London to Oslo.

[Happy ks]

You would do best by checking with the airline (if any) he will be using to get to Oslo from London. Then, figure out if the excess weight vs. luggage fees will be worth it.

He could always buy clothing in Oslo, I'm sure they have stores there

[dooandherb]

Hi, check with the airline from London to Oslo.
It may be worth paying the overage if you know the weight in advance. Buying (good) clothes or anything for that matter in Norway is not cheap. Another option, depending on the amount/weight, is to investigate an international shipper (yellowpages) and contact them, they can give you prices per cubic feet/meter most likely.
It will take some time, (up to 30 days to arrive) and then sell his stuff when he leaves in a year. Americana is worth some money over there.

Good luck.

[PennyAgain]

More than likely the baggage allowance you have to get to and from your cruise will not be allowed for your son flying from London to Oslo most especially if he uses a discount airline.

Check with the sponsoring organization and find out what they have to say about luggage and other possessions. You may not have to reinvent the wheel.

Norway is very, very expensive to those of us who get paid in US$. You may want to encourage relatives and friends to give him money for presents so he can buy what he needs.

[psalms37]

Thanks for your help. We hosted a student from Norway last year. When he got off the plane with only a backpack we were worried. But he explained the price differences and it was cheeper for him to shop here. So that is our worry.
I think we will ship over what he needs, and as the year goes on he can pick up a few things when needed.

Our student from last year 'loves' american stuff. I'm sure we will have to pack for him too...

[room010]

Check with the London-Oslo airline very carefully. If it's a budget airline they are VERY strict about baggage weight and size limits which often aren't very generous in the first place. And make sure your son checks in with PLENTY of time to spare. If he's even 1 minute late he won't get on the flight and will have to pay to transfer to the next one which could be the next day. And speaking from experience of getting unexperienced young people from A to B, make sure he knows which "London" airport he's departing from as there are several - Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, Stanstead, etc. They call themselves "London" but some are at least an hour's drive away from the city. In your situation I'd either ship his "stuff" in advance or give him a budget and tell him to buy things once he's settled in and knows what he needs. It's all part of the learning experience!

[psalms37]

" And speaking from experience of getting unexperienced young people from A to B, make sure he knows which "London" airport he's departing from as there are several - Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, Stanstead, etc. They call themselves "London" but some are at least an hour's drive away from the city."

Good to know thanks!

[pris993]

I second baggage limits between European cities is very limited and clothing costs in Norway are very high.

Shipping is probably the most reasonable way to go.

[kitty9]

Intra Europe flights have very strict limits on luggage. No more than 20 lbs. While you can have 50lbs on flights from the US to Europe, any flights that begin in a European city and fly to another European city will have those strict limits. It will be much cheaper to ship his belongings.

[John Bull]

Hi,

Just confirming the excellent posts you've already had re airline baggage allowances etc, tho' you'd best start learning to count in kilograms (1kg = 2.2lbs or 1lb = 0.454kg), used in UK as well as the rest of europe. Certainly don't buy in Norway, its expensive. And the price of alcohol there will keep him on the straight & narrow, too
You could save part of the baggage costs by buying in the UK if you have time.
But best advice surely is that from PennyAgain - to ask the exchange organisers what's best.

According to Disney "your captivating cruise begins and concludes in the charming seaside village of Dover"
Best laugh I've had in weeks!! Say nowt, fellow-Brits, let's just imagine the looks on the OP's faces when they get to this charming seaside village

Regards to all

John Bull

[PennyAgain]

I agree about Dover and 'charming'. I like Dover and really enjoyed my visit there but I'm a history fanatic.

[FlyerTalker]

Originally Posted by uppitycats

Those airline rules are the same -- they charge by bag, and no bag over 50 pounds.

WRONG. Simply wrong. Please don't post incorrect information.

Every airline has independent baggage policies, so blanket statements such as this just don't apply. Further, this info is directly contradictory to the facts.

What is germane is to note that intra-European flights almost all use the weight system, not the piece system. As such, you have a TOTAL limit for all of your bags combined. Some airlines are quite stingy about this, while others may give as much as 23 kilos.

To the OP: Check your specific carrier for information. Or post your carrier and I'll see what I know.