Getting something in the post is always special – especially for students who have just left home. And receiving a parcel can be just as exciting as opening it. In order to make you children’s holiday even more special we have prepared a quick guide to sending them the perfect care package.
1. Write them a letter. Even if you speak to them regularly on the phone, a handwritten letter is a more personal reminder that you’re thinking about them. Chances are they will recognise your handwriting as soon as the envelope falls through the letterbox, which makes the post even more special. You can also include some family or pets photos.
2. Make your Christmas gifts more personal. How about sending an exclusive pair of pyjamas? You can have them printed in a nearby shop with a nice phrase or cute picture. A good addition, if you are an artistic parent, would be a handmade scarf or hat.
3. Homemade food will help them to feel less lonely. A food parcel is perhaps the most obvious choice and is most likely to cheer up a student who’s been living on jacket potatoes. Home-baked goods are always a good idea. Just remember to make sure that they don’t have cream or anything highly perishable. Pack the items tightly in a plastic container. – Take a look at our restricted items list at www.parceldirect.ie/resources/restricted-items
4. Small Toiletries will help them to save some money. If there are customs restrictions on sending food to where they are studying, you could send small toiletries as travel-sized bottles of nice shampoo and conditioner. You would be helping them save some money and make sure they would have their favourite perfume around.
With care and love into your parcel, your kid will be able to feel a little closer to home, and you can make their holidays even more special.
We all know what we can or not bring in our hand luggage until we have to pack one. So if you are travelling with only hand luggage, here is a complete list of restrictions for most major airlines flying out of Ireland.
EVERYDAY ITEMS:
YES:
Nail Clipper; Tweezers; Knitting needles; Umbrella; Cane; Wheelchair; Children’s stroller; Liquid for contact lenses.
NO:
Corkscrew; Cutlery; Knife (with sharp or fixed blade more than 6 cm); Folding blade knife; Scissors with blades longer than 6 cm; Razor Blades; Cutter; Lighter; Safety Matches; Printer cartridge.
ELETRONICS:
YES:
Laptop; Tablet; Smartphones; Hairdryer or Straightener; Camera and camera equipment; Travel iron; Electronic razor; E-cigarettes (only a maximum of 100 milliliters of vaping liquid).
MEDICINE:
YES:
Cooling gel pack; Medical equipment; Drugs and pills; Syrups and other medicines in liquid form; Hypodermic syringes; Inhalers.
NO:
Scalpels
NOTE: You will have to contact the company directly if you need to bring Bottles of oxygen with you.
BABIE’S NEED:
YES:
Milk, powder, cow or soya; Sterile water for baby; Baby food; Dried Fruit; Nuts.
NO:
Any drink (water, fruit juice, tea, coffee); Jam; Syrup; Honey; Fresh cheese in liquid or malleable form (cheese, spreadable); Yoghurt; Soup; Sauce; Oil; Vinegar.
SPORTS EQUIPMENT:
YES:
Sports parachute.
NO:
Bats and rackets; Golf clubs; Darts game; Hiking stick; Ice skates; Fishing rod, harpoon or rifle; Firearms (including reproductions); Martial arts equipment; Diving equipment; Crossbows, arrows and arrows; Fronds and catapults; Crampons; Javelins; Ice axes and ice picks; Swords; Canoes and paddles.
WORK TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT:
NO:
Blade or cutting tools larger than 6 cm (screwdriver); Drill and accessories; Professional knives; Cutting mats; Saws (including portable electric saws); Hammer; Machete; Aerosol paint; Turpentine and paint thinner.
GENERAL QUESTIONS:
– Can I bring my photography equipment on board?
YES, as long as your cameras and tripods can all fit in a hand luggage bag that meets the airlines’ restrictions
– Can I bring camping equipment in hand luggage?
Tents will need to go in the hold during the flight, as the poles can be considered dangerous. Gas for the fire is not permitted onboard, and any of your camping snacks (tinned fish) need to fit the 100ml liquid limit.
– Can I bring my drone as hand luggage?
A drone or “unmanned aerial vehicle” (UAV) can be safely carried on TUI flights provided the following precautions are followed: If lithium-ion or lithium polymer batteries are used, the drone can be carried as checked baggage or carry-on baggage, as long as the drone can be protected from inadvertent activation. The size and weight limits of checked or carry-on baggage are not exceeded. Spare batteries must be protected from short circuits and damage and can be carried in carry-on baggage only. For drones powered by batteries up to 100Wh, prior approval by TUI is not required. For drones with batteries exceeding 100Wh but not exceeding 160Wh, prior approval by TUI is required. Drones and batteries exceeding 160Wh are forbidden from the carriage.
Over the many years, Irish people have also moved to all four corners of the globe. We might love to visit all our family and friends over the Christmas period, but with the current restrictions and situation with Covid-19, unfortunately this will not be possible for a lot of people this year.
This is why so many people choose to send their friends and family those precious Christmas gifts and Irish Goodies by courier.
The run-up to Christmas is the busiest time of the year for sending parcels, so to help make sure your Christmas presents are posted and delivered on time, here’s our guide to Sending Gifts To Family & Friends This Christmas by courier.
1. Don’t Wait Until The Last Minute
This time of year is extremely busy for sending parcels, and especially this year with a lot of the travel restrictions still in place. Unfortunately this surge in deliveries can lead to delays, so your parcel may take a little longer than normal to get to it’s final destination. If you want to make sure your Christmas presents arrive in time, get them sent as early as you can. Hopefully they will not be tempted to have a sneaky look! If you’re a last-minute shopper, please be sure to check the final sending dates, and choose an express courier service.
2. Avoid The Post Office Queues
You can avoid those long queues at the Post Office in this cold and wet weather by booking a courier who will collect your parcel right from your door, while you sit back and relax with a cuppa. You can also choose a handy Local Drop-Off option, and drop your parcel off at a time and place that suits you, even at night or the weekend. A really handy option if you can’t wait in for the courier, or have some extra shopping to do. As an added bonus, you will save loads of money.
3. Pick Presents That Are Suitable For Sending
If you’re still choosing which gifts to send, try and pick gifts that will travel well and are easy to pack and are not restricted in the country you are sending them to. A number of items aren’t allowed to be sent with couriers (restricted and prohibited items) so make sure you don’t buy these items to send. If an item is restricted or prohibited, we suggest ordering it directly from the retailer and having it delivered directly to the receiver.
We do advise you check with the local customs websites to see if your items are prohibited or not. If you need any advice at all, Parcel Direct is a great resource for sending parcels all over the world.
4. Packing Your Christmas Presents
Packing is very important to ensure your Christmas gifts arrive in the same great way you sent them. Your parcel will be travelling for thousands of miles, along conveyor belts, and in and out of trucks and planes, so it is important to remember this when packing your parcel.
It can also be tempting to add some festive decorations to the outside of your parcel, but we’d advise against this. Tinsel, bows, ribbons etc, can get tangled up when the parcel is being processed by the couriers. If you want to decorate your parcel, we suggest using two boxes, and put your nicely decorated box in a larger plain box. Remember to use padding to protect your gift box.
Parcel Direct have created some great resources on their website and blog to help you with this
5. Sending Christmas Presents Abroad
If you’re sending Christmas presents abroad, there are some things you should remember. If the parcel is staying within the EU, then you won’t have to complete any extra paperwork, like commercial invoices.
If your Christmas presents are being sent outside the EU, then you will need to complete a commercial invoice and send 3 copies with your gifts. Completing this is easy with Parcel Direct, and will be completed as you make your booking online.
6. Sending Christmas Presents To The UK
This year will be so different for so many people sending gifts to the UK. Remember, the UK is no longer part of the EU, so sending your Christmas presents there make take longer than usual, as they will now have to pass through customs and require customs documentation. Completing this is easy with Parcel Direct.
7. Customs Clearance For Non EU Shipments
You’ll also need to check the different customs and import procedures and charges for each country. In most countries, there are no duties for gifts, but this is not always the case, so it’s best to find these out in advance, rather than leave the receiver of the gift with an unwanted bill.
If you still think you need some more advice on sending your Christmas presents to family and friends this year, Parcel Direct provide lots of great shipping advice on their website and blog pages and you can contact them through phone, email and messenger.
Thinking of sending some Irish made food to your friends and family abroad? Nothing cures homesickness like a bunch of your favourite goodies from home, so we have put together list to help you ship your food safely and hassle-free.
When it comes to sending food abroad via courier, it is pretty straight forward, just remember the golden rule:
You can’t send any food items that are perishables (things that can go off or that can spoil during transit).
As long as you remember this you
should be fine!
Things to Remember
when Shipping Store Bought Food
Foods must be in the original packaging.
Foods must have a shelf life of longer than 6 months from the date of shipping.
Food labels must list all ingredients.
Food packaging must be sealed.
Any foods with a shelf life of less than 6 months will be deemed as perishables, and can’t be sent through our couriers, even if you bought it in a store. Check our Prohibited Pages for more info
Shipping Food
Items
Don’t send food items that must be kept in specific temperatures as the couriers can’t provide temperature-controlled shipping and they will spoil by the time they reach their destination.
Make sure that the labels clearly display the ingredients and the Best Before Date because customs may need to check these when they arrive.
Always package your food items so that they can survive the parcel being placed upside down during transit, and always wrap each individual item with bubble wrap to ensure the best protection.
Every year, more and more people send Christmas hampers to their loved ones. And at Parcel Direct we can see why! There’s nothing better than a taste of home to warm you up at Christmas.
As long as you remember the golden rule, sending Christmas Hampers should be simple! Alcohol and flammable liquids are prohibited items but give us a call before booking your parcel and we can assist.
Shipping Christmas Hampers
Don’t forget that chocolates can be affected by hot weather. Chocolate has a tendency to turn white if exposed to heat, so bear that in mind when shipping chocolates to hot countries.
Make sure to put plenty of layers of protection on the inside of the box too, this will ensure that the items don’t move around during transit.
Make sure to declare each individual item on your customs details. If you don’t do this, customs may have to open your parcel to see exactly what you shipped.
Feel free to gift wrap the hamper, but we can’t guarantee they will save the wrapping paper if they need to open the parcel for any reason.
Make sure all items inside the hamper are wrapped individually and cannot move around in the box, there should be no noise from the parcel if you shake it.
Once you have wrapped each item in bubble wrap, also wrap the hamper itself in bubble wrap, this will provide even more protection from any minor knocks or bumps that the parcel may take in transit.
Check if any of the goods you are sending are restricted or prohibited at the destination country, Parcel Direct provides a list of these which you can access when you are filling out your order or just click the link below.
Be specific on your customs information when filling out your order.
Home-made Goods
A lot of the time, home-made and baked
goods are classed as perishables as they do not contain the preservatives to
stop them from spoiling in transit.
Any food items considered as perishables cannot be transported via courier, but we have still made a list of tips to help you get your loved one’s favourite home-made treats delivered to them.
Shipping Home-made Food:
Do not try to pass off your home-made food as store bought food as these will be stopped and disposed of, you may also face some penalties for attempting this.
As we have previously mentioned, make sure that you are able to send your goods by checking if any of the ingredients are restricted or prohibited at the destination country.
Although it is hard to send home-made food via courier, you could send them your recipe and they can try and re-create your masterpiece in their own kitchen.
You could send them any store-bought cake mixes and utensils to help them with their re-creation.
Any store bought sweets like chocolates, crisps, jellies etc can still be sent, so maybe you could send things from home that they cannot obtain where they are.
Customs
Clearance for your Parcel
If your parcel is being shipped to a
country within the EU, you will not have to worry about customs clearance, your
parcel will go right through to delivery.
If you are sending your parcel to a country outside the EU, your parcel will be subjected to customs clearance and it will need a customs invoice to be cleared. When completing your order on Parcel Direct, we ask for the information so that we can generate the customs invoice for you and it will be sent to you with your shipping labels.
How to Make Sure You Have the Correct Information for Customs:
Remember to make sure you are very specific when declaring the contents of your parcel and try to refrain from using any “Slang” names that we may use here in Ireland as the customs officer may not use the same word. Our advice would be to use the name that is on the packaging.
Make sure to declare the true value of each item when filling out this information, this will help your parcel to breeze through the customs process.
When listing each item, make sure to include the manufacturer/brand name, this will help to describe exactly what you have sent.
Make sure your description is as detailed as possible Example: instead of simply saying “Chocolate bar” say “Dairy Milk Golden Crisp Chocolate bar”.
Customs may need to get in touch with the receiver in the destination country to get more information, make sure they are aware of this and make sure the delivery contact details are correct when filling out your order.
The receiver may be asked to provide an import license or may be asked to pay import tax to get this cleared, unfortunately, Parcel Direct cannot interfere with this and any charges will need to be paid to get your parcel cleared and delivered.
