Honeymoon Tip: Lighten Your Load

For those who can afford it (and yes, I do realize that many of you are getting ready to spend more money than you ever imagined you could in one short day), luggage forwarding is a pretty dreamy travel indulgence. Here's how it works: You call up one of any number of luggage forwarding services, they come directly to your house, pick up all your crap, and then a few days later its waiting for you (usually all stacked neatly in a pile) wherever you are going. No shlepping any heavy bags...no long lines at those annoying luggage carousels...you just get on the plane, jet off to your honeymoon destination and, voila...your luggage is waiting for you in your room.

Since you are basically shipping your luggage, prices vary greatly depending on where you are going, how many bags you have and how much each bag weighs. International destinations are, of course, more than domestic ones.

The downside (beyond the cost) is that you need to be packed several days before you leave. However, if you are very organized (or aspire to be), this is also great motivation for getting into gear. For those that are traveling with sports equipment (like golf clubs) or plan to do a lot of shopping while you are away, this service is even more spectacular.

For our recent destination wedding, my family and I used Luggage Express and were mostly happy with the results. The one hiccup occurred at our hotel, and I am really still unsure who messed up. After our wedding, my husband and I decided to ship one bag home so that we did not have to carry around anything extra on our honeymoon in Italy. Since my dad and brother's bags were also being picked up from the same hotel (and we all have the same last name), there was some confusion and somehow our bag ended up back at my Dad's house. The situation was quickly remedied (at their expense) and it really didn't matter for us because we were away for two weeks.

Even after our mishap, the freedom and convenience of just being able to get on the plane and go, was soooo worth it. I will do it again in a heartbeat.

Here are a few other luggage forwarding services (though I have not tried any of these companies, so check em out first):
The Luggage Club
Luggage Forward
Luggage Free
X S Baggage