h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Come September, I shall be moving from God's own county (Yorkshire) to the new world, specifically Ontario. This provides some extra prblems with moving. For a start I believe there is a 20kg (approx. 3 stone) weight limit on flights. Also, I will not be able to plug in any electrical equipment.

I haven't really got any tips for this, but I have been told that it shouldn't be too difficult to get a freight company to deliver stuff to me in Canada. What do people think of that?

Go with an American airline. You get nearly three times as much weight for accompanied baggage.
Unaccompanied airfreight is a better deal, if you don't need the stuff immediately and sea freight is even better. Make detailed lists of what's in each box - 3 copies, as mentioned elsewhere: i for you , one for customs and one for shipper.

Store stuff in very small boxes in a realtive's loft or cellar. When you are settled, arrange for a shipper with a crate to collect and ship them,
Don't take electrical equipment if you can't get converter plugs (That said, I gave my foodmixer away 15 years ago and have never managed to replace it)

Would going with an American airline still work if I buy the tickets over here?
(note to self, actually have a look at some of this stuff instead of going on hearsay (not the band))

I don't think I'll bother taking electrical stuff (i.e. my tele and hi-fi), though the university there might well sell adapters, Leeds uni does, but then all foreign students need them as the rest of the world refuses to go with our eminently sensible system.

I'm not sure you'd get a direct flight from England to Ontario. Changing planes in US would be a hassle especially since you'll probably be stressed out with moving.

Shipping is very expensive but check with several shippers as the prices can vary as much as 300% between one an another.

I'd suggest not trying to take electical appliances. Even if you can find adaptors things never quite work as well as they did before - especially things requiring lots of power.

Make sure you have a full list of what is being shipped for customs. If you are moving permanently to Canada you only have this one time to bring things in tax free.

I moved to Canada 20 years ago and was in Toronto for 10 years before moving to Nova Scotia.

Good luck.

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Don't bother taking the TV - Canada uses NTSC, so your PAL TV won't work over there.

Also, figure out roughly how much the other stuff you want to bring with you weighs. If it's not too much then it's probably worth paying to put it on the flight as excess baggage rather than messing around with shipping it separately.

Yes, American airlines give you more baggage, no matter where you're booking.
Excess baggage is way out of a student's budget - ignore the man and sned it unaccompanied airfreight

Thanks for the advice. As far as I can see, there are flights from the UK to Toronto, but these travel sites are a bugger to use; most seem unable to contemplate the idea of a one-way flight, several want to know what time I'm leaving (as if I know, I mean the day isn't that important) and nigh on all want me to declare which airport (I don't mind spending £13 train ticket to get to Manchester Airport if the flight is going to be £200 cheaper).

It is sometimes cheaper to buy a return ticket and throw away the return part than to buy a one way ticket.

Don't bring anything ! (at least you have to think this way)

Then when you are packed see if there is any room for small & valuable things that you use frequently. Everything else is not important.

Do a quick sum like ? is it worth £50 per Kilo. If its heavy then you can buy it when you get there. (obviously the figure differs from person to person and personal objects are more important to some than others).

Don't bring books. Lets face it you read them already or you are never going to read them. You can buy new ones in Canada when you have some free time. That said bring one to travel with because it can get very boring on such a long flight.

When you get to the airport if you have a direct flight then see what you can get away with. Bring some family and have them hang around till you finish checking-in.

Pack as much as you can and try not to look conspicuous (pack well). Then load about 25 Kg is one bag on to the check-in (do some weight training so you can lift it while keeping eye contact with the lady. Ask for some heavy (max 10kg) item to be taken away to store by the staff (be V.polite and grateful) because it is fragile then proceed to load up another small item to be checked in while they are working on the fragile item (they will see it but they are too busy to complain). Try to get your family to stand around because it psycologically looks like there are more people getting on the flight and the lady might forget that you are now nearly twice over the limit.

Pack the heaviest things in your hand luggage but be warned things could go horribly wrong some airlines have those nasty springy baskets that measure size and weight (7 Kg max push to 10 if you stuff your pokects).

For this you will need your family to take things away in order of heavy & useless. This is why you need them to bring spare bags, it is never too late to loose some heavy items. They can take the stuff home with them and bring them when they come visit you on holiday.

Net result you now have 10 Kg in Fragile 25++KG in the Hold and 10Kg in your hand. (5-10 Kg heading back home). 45KG.

When I did it last I managed to load a 10Kg Hifi (fragile but flat), 27Kg Hold two handluggage approx 7 Kg each. When my parents came to visit they brought a shelving unit with them !! It works.

Tip don't bring any liquids, because they explode and ruin your clothes. Keep fragiles in the suitcase but don't put fragile in the hold unless you strictly get them to put it in for you. They really pound the luggage into those cargo buggies.

Wear baggy clothes and soft shoes no belts (unless it is heavy) wear lots of clothes and hold your heaviest jacket in your arms even if it is summer. Whoa Long post ! have a pleasant journey.

If none of that makes it into the final article, then I for one will want to know why.

Do you think bottles of beer could be put in as fragile. They'd probably explode, right?

I have a solution for Beer too ! I have bought it at duty free before, they don't have a great selection but the favourites are usually there. That is a covert way of bringing even more on to the plane. (But be warned some anally retentive airlines have a second hand baggage check at the boarding gate. But they normally go easy on Duty Free)

The Beer survives cabin pressure quite well just be careful if you open it during the flight. I think it would be a bad idea to put any in the hold.

The other thing to do re getting extra weight on free is to pack your suitcase to exactly 20kg or 75kg or whatever the weight limit is.
Then have a little wheelie thing that qualifies as hand baggage if necessary and ask if you can send that as well. I've never been refused yet and last time I got 45 kg on a 20kg ticket! The reason for the wheelie thing is in case they say no and you have to take it as hand baggage.
You are joking about the beer aren't you? Airlines GIVE you things to drink and are generally unhappy about you opening the dutyfree in flight. Canadian beer is good - much stronger than the gnatsp*ss the Americans drink

Don't go from Heathrow
I repeat - do NOT travel from Heathrow. You will spend 2 hours in a check- in queue. The check-in person will be really stressed because the aircon isn't working. Probably the belt they put the luggage on will be broken as well and she will refuse to carry your luggage. Your non-travelling relatives will not be allowed into the check-in queue with you. They (especially British Airways) are paranoid about you taking more than the permitted amount. You can have only one piece of hand luggage to whatever their measurements are.
There must be a better airport nearer where you live.