Whether you’re young, single, and making aliyah or an older couple with a few items left in chul, sometimes you really only have a few boxes to ship—and that’s totally normal. (In fact, it’s more than normal; it’s an upward trend.) Not every move needs a big shipment, but it does leave you wondering what the best option is.
One simple route is to bring your items with you on the plane. Most airlines let you add extra luggage for a fee, and if you’re dealing with just a few suitcases or duffle bags, this can be the easiest way to go. There’s no pickup, shipping or customs to deal with — your luggage (G-d willing) arrives with you.
If you have more than what the airline will allow, another option is to use an “extra luggage” shipping company for your excess luggage. These are built for smaller shipments, they’re door-to-door, and fast. The price per suitcase may be more than the airline’s charges for an extra suitcase, but if you are only shipping a handful of pieces, it’s still a good value.
There are also shipping solutions specifically designed for smaller household goods shipments to Israel.
One option is our Economy Sea Freight service. Clients self-pack their boxes, stack them onto a heat-treated pallet, shrink-wrap the pallet, and make it available for pickup at the residence. The shipment is then picked up by truck, consolidated with other shipments, transported by sea to Israel, customs cleared, and delivered curbside in Israel. This can be an economical option for customers shipping a moderate amount of belongings who are flexible on transit time.
For customers looking for faster delivery, Aliyah Air Freight may be an excellent fit. This service is generally ideal for approximately 5–15 boxes (more or less may also work depending on the shipment). The client self-packs the boxes, FedEx picks them up directly from the residence, and the shipment is flown to Israel for door-to-door delivery.
Surprisingly, at certain shipment sizes and volumes, Aliyah Air Freight can actually be more cost-effective than Economy Sea Freight. While many people automatically assume air freight is always more expensive, the additional handling, palletizing, trucking, warehouse, and ocean freight costs associated with sea shipping can sometimes make air freight the better value for smaller shipments.
At the end of the day, it really comes down to what matters most to you—keeping it simple, saving money, getting faster delivery, or bringing more with you.
Got questions? No worries, we have answers. Set up a 20-minute Clarity Call to discuss your shipping needs HERE
