Living in Paris..taxes...residency...blah blah blah

So I'm def out of here in August! Yay me!

New question: Shipping stuff.
I have some things I cannot do without, mostly my books. I need them around for reference and mental health. Shipping books sounds like it's gonna be a big old bitch of a problem.
Ideas?

Also a delecate TV that is brand new that I figure I might as well take.

So...does anybody here know what my options are here?
I have a few ideas but none of them seem too sweet. But this might be an area where i just have to suck it up and deal with it.
So that said, any suggestions would be helpful.
Thanks!

We had a similar discussion here

I've had to move my shit to four different continents in the last 2 1/2 years. Always a pain in the arse. Anyway...

Shipping to Europe will likely run you at least $3/lb, if not more. It's generally gets more cost effective when each box gets closer to 50-60 lbs. Shipping back can even be more expensive. (When we eventually leave London it's going to cost quite a bit more than it did getting it here)

TV...probably isn't going to run on the same voltage. I am guessing your tv is probably 110 VAC only. Plus if you end up with cable tv, etc. the connections are usually different. With the cost of shipping (there and maybe eventually back) it might not really be worth it anyway. Plus, many places in the world the rentals come standard fully furnished, tv and all, but I don't know how Paris works. With all that said, I never ship any large size electronics (tv, computer monitor, etc). And on smaller size electronics I generally don't bother unless the country is the same voltage as the USA (like Japan) or the item I have is 110-240 VAC compliant. You could buy a voltage transformer, but personally I find them to be a pain in the ass, so if its something I need I just buy the 240 VAC version while I am there.

I tend to carry on about 40 lbs worth of computer equipment/personal files in my carryon and then max out my suitcases with 50 lbs each. One of the bags is a rolling suitcase, the other a duffle bag that I throw a trolley in. Having the trolley makes life a little bit easier later when moving around within a country. The trolley and duffle bag also weigh less than the suitcase allowing me to cram a few more lbs in that bag. After that, it is usually about 2-3 boxes of 40 to 50 lbs that I ship over.

Most of the other stuff I end up needing I just buy when I am there and then have a "leaving the country" (very common if you end up in a large expat centers and I am sure Paris will qualify) sale to get rid of it when I go. The "leaving the country" sales work both ways as it is also a good way pick up stuff cheap from expats on their way out of the country when you first get there. Many places also have some cheap shit 99 cent stores (pound stores, 100 yen stores, etc) where you can pick up some cheap stuff for your place to get you by.

Leave the TV. It's probably 110 and it runs on some different kind of frequency thingy and probably doesn't have the necessary language settings. American appliances are a bust everywhere but the US and Japan. And take no electric alarm clock, it also will not work in Europe.

Consider shipping the books through the Post Office. I don't know if the extra cheap book rate applies to international shipments, but I do know people who have Post Officed stuff all over the world. Slow, but it gets there.

Congratulations on your exciting move. I wish you a happily ever after.

P.S. You just reminded me I have a garage full of 220 appliances--TV set for like 8 languages, stereo, Euro alarm clock, sell it to ya cheap!

I will really take you up on that in the next few weeks.

Euro Alarm Clock here I come!