It’s moving to Italy time!
After months of planning and prep work I board my flight in a matter of hours (for more deets on the back story, check out ABOUT THE WINO). I spent my last week in Colorado, the place I’ve called home for nearly 17 years, wrapping up details and seeing friends. Renters moved into my town home at the end of May, so I’ve been living with good friends for the last 10 days.
I got to see the people I love the most with dinners, lunches, happy hours, and a fantastic going away party. It doesn’t get much better than that! Read on for some tips and tricks I learned during my prep to move to Italy.
5 Tips for Moving to Italy from the U.S.
- Change of address: USPS doesn’t forward mail outside the U.S. You can set up an international mail forwarding service, but it’s really expensive. Some good friends are taking in my mail and will scan/send anything of dire importance. I was also able to change my driver’s license address to their house so I can renew my license and I can still access an absentee ballot to vote.
- Luggage: Most international flights allow the first two checked bags for free, up to 70lbs; additional bags run $200 for 50lbs. I got myself one extra large suitcase to go with my other two large suitcases, opting to pay to check a plus one. I can only seem to get about 45lbs in the two large suitcases, but a whopping 90lbs in the XL. My plan of attack is to put one 50lber on the scale right before Gigantor joins it in hopes of tricking the system. By my calculations, the numbers are about where there they should be, but my weight distribution is just a bit off. I also found the most brillant invention ever made: SPACE BAGS. Here’s a great review of Space Bags from the travel know-it-alls at Carpe Travel.
- Credit Card/Bank Account: I had to actually call everyone to change my address since it’s international. I was pleased to receive phone and email verifications to ensure my changes weren’t fraudulent activity.
- Shipping: I shipped three boxes, two with clothes and other goods and one with some framed art. Shipping UPS or FedEx is really expensive, so I aborted that mission very early on. USPS does a great job with international shipping. I took the framed pieces to FedEx to pack them. It only cost about $25 and they did a brilliant job. The frames made it safely to Italy. There are a number of options to ship internationally. Check them out on the USPS Manage Global Shipping page.
- Expat Info: I found some great Expat websites with tips for moving to Italy. Check out: Expats in Italy, Expat Exchange, Expat Arrivals, and LinkedIn Group: Expat Network Italy.
That’s the big stuff. I’ve been doing my research on VISA needs. That’s going to take some time to sort out. Stay tuned
Ciao Ciao! V-Dawg OUT.
Any tips you to share or questions about moving to Italy? Do tell!
