Shipping parcels, documents and pallets to Italy

Choosing a courier to send your parcel to Italy is not always easy or straightforward.

The aspects to be considered are:

• How quickly should the parcel arrive at its destination?
• How much does it weigh and how big is what I am sending?
• Where do I send to, metropolitan areas or more isolated geo-graphical areas?
• How important and dear to me is what I am shipping? Should I track the shipment?
• Do I need to insure the goods?

If, for example, I am sending something of little value and do not urgently need it to reach its destination quickly, a courier service without tracking is probably the cheapest but certainly not the most convenient solution.

If I want to ship conveniently with home collection for example, tracking and with the possibility of insuring the goods, an express courier is what I need. TNT and BRT offer excellent options competing on the final price of the shipping parcels based on the weight of the parcel itself.

If I send an important document instead, I probably want to entrust my envelope to the most reliable courier at the expense of the best price: DHL or UPS.

A ranking drawn up in 2019 by altroconsumo based on various factors such as punctuality, undamaged delivery of the parcel and general sender and recipient satisfaction, sees DHL, UPS and TNT tied at the top as the best express couriers. They are followed by GLS and BRT, followed by FedEx, SDA and Nexive, with the Italian Post Office at the bottom of the ranking.

Here are some tips on how to ship fragile items to Italy the right way:

1. The box only needs to be slightly larger than the article.
2. Wrap objects in cushioning material.
3. If necessary, coat the object with modelling foam.
4. Use air cushions and/or packaging fillers.
5. Label the box as “fragile”.
6. If necessary, attach a tilt or impact detector to the casing.

The waybill is usually attached to the outside of the parcel so that whoever handles the shipment can easily access the important details of the shipment.

1. Once you have received the waybill by email in pdf format, go ahead and print it out. (at least two copies, some couriers require multiple copies).
2. Take a copy and cut or fold it in two following the dotted line in it.
3. Attach the Waybill, also known as AWB, to the parcel, making sure that all data on the sender, consignee, goods and tracking number are clearly visible.

Here are the steps for convenient shipping from Italy:

1. Choose your box

   Use a suitable box to safely contain what you are sending. To avoid fees due to dimensions that are not easily handled, stick to standard Italian sizes as much as possible.

2. Prepare the parcel

   Prepare the box to protect your goods and ensure that the package arrives intact. Reinforce the box with tape so that it closes on all sides without bulging. Also remember to reinforce the flaps with 5 cm wide tape.

3. Address your parcel

   If you are ordering your online shipping from Italy, please ensure that you have the necessary recipient data: first name and surname, address including postcode, telephone number and email.

4. Measure the package

   It measures the three dimensions of the package, width, length and depth, as well as its weight in KG.

5. Choose the service

   The best way to send your parcel depends on how fast you want your shipment to reach its destination, its size and weight. SpedizioneComoda offers a variety of services with different parcel delivery speeds and extras such as insurance, non-overlap and non-standard dimensions.

6. Sending a parcel

   Once the online payment has been completed, you will receive the waybill by email.

   Make sure you attach it well to the parcel, leaving the data on it visible.

   Depending on your choice and the options offered by the courier in Italy, wait for collection at the address you specify or take your box to the courier's collection point nearest to you.

To track a parcel in Italy, simply go to the website of the courier you shipped with and search for shipments by entering the tracking number in the space provided.

If you do not know the courier by which your parcel was sent, we recommend services such as 17TRACK, Track IT International tracking system or Packagetrackr where you can track-a-shipping-international or in Italy without knowing the details.

The cost of a parcel delivery to Italy depends on several factors, some of which are manageable and changeable, while others are objective and unchangeable. .

Among the points where we have options are:

• How quickly do we want the parcel to arrive?
• Which service do you prefer: express or postal courier?
• Do we need to track the parcel?
• Shall we insure the goods?

Factors that we cannot change include:

• The weight and dimensions of the goods.
• The geographical area of destination: the more remote this is, the more expensive it will be to send.
• Possible peak periods where shipping costs may increase due to heavy freight traffic or an excessive increase in fuel costs.

The actual weight of the parcel is not always the chargeable weight. Some couriers in fact require not only the weight but also the dimensions of the parcel in order to compare the real weight with the volumetric weight, choosing the greater of the two for the calculation of the final cost.

Below are the costs for 3 different weights if you choose to ship with one of the 4 couriers listed:

The time it takes for a parcel to be delivered in Italy basically depends on two factors:

• The service you are using to send, whether express or postal courier.
• How remote is the location to be reached.

Generally speaking, we can say that an express service such as TNT, BRT or DHL takes 24 to 48 hours to reach metropolitan areas, and about 72 to 96 hours for more remote areas.

If necessary and at an additional cost, DHL offers express services with next-day morning delivery. However, this service is only available in specific geographical areas.