How to Ship Skis Overseas with Send My Bag's Ski Delivery Service

Shipping skis is one of our specialities. In fact, at certain times of the year we're more Send My Skis than Send My Bag, especially with low cost airline charges rising and legacy carriers reducing luggage allowances.

Get a quick quote now.

To help you make the most of your winter sports trip we’ve compiled our top tips for shipping skis and snowboards:

1. Ski Delivery Address

It’s common for skis to arrive ahead of vacationers’ own arrival, and resort reps will usually be happy to help in these cases. If you’re staying in accommodation, such as a chalet, that does not receive regular post or courier deliveries, please enquire with your ski resort as to the best on-site delivery and collection point, and use this address when booking. If you’re a seasonaire, check with your employer as you may use a different location. We always recommend sending to a resort address where someone is available to sign for the delivery throughout the day.

2. Ski Shipping Arrival Date

Due to the nature of ski resort locations, on your return leg your bag may need to be collected the day after the date you originally requested. If this is the case, having items collected from a resort address (as opposed to a personal accommodation address) will avoid disruption.

Due to the nature of ski resorts, accessibility can change quickly. Weather conditions within a 50 mile radius can affect our drivers’ schedules. We, therefore, advise that you arrange for your luggage to arrive at least 3 working days before your own arrival. If you receive a remote area pop-up during booking, we suggest your skis be scheduled to arrive at least 5 days in advance of your arrival to allow for any unexpected delays.

3. Your Contact Details

As standard, Send My Bag does not call ahead before a collection takes place. In some areas, however, this may be necessary; so if you receive a call from an unknown number please answer it. Please also provide a local telephone number as the depot may be unable to call an international mobile. If you are unable to provide a local number and your collection does fail please request a free call back from Send My Bag or use one of our local rate international numbers.

4. Measuring your Ski Shipment

Send My Bag prices are based on both size and weight. When booking your ski delivery, please measure your items accurately, taking measurements from the longest and widest points. On collection, items will be measured electronically by a laser scan. If your item is found to have larger dimensions than you originally submitted, an extra charge may be due. To keep your shipment compact, we also advise securing any straps that may flap around.

5. Packaging your Ski Shipment

Pack your skis appropriately for travel on our automated network, to protect your items all ski gear should be well packaged inside freight-approved hard cases. Send My Bag cover can only apply when your equipment is sent in such a case, if your equipment is sent packaged in any other way please ensure your sports or travel insurance has you fully covered.

If a freight approved case is not available, placing the equipment first in a standard soft sided or hardshell carry case and then securely packaging this case within a double walled cardboard box is recommended. For carry cases that may not fit in a standard square box, such as golf clubs or skis, you'll find many online stores selling cardboard boxes specifically designed for these items.

If you do not have a carry case we recommend packaging your ski equipment extensively with bubble wrap and other suitable packaging materials before securing it inside a double walled cardboard box. When items such as skis are placed inside boxes without sufficient packaging damage can eaisly occur. Extra protection should also be added to any points that may be particularly susceptible to damage. Your sports equipment will travel on automated belts and slide down sorting chutes and you must ensure it is thoroughly packaged.

Send My Bag cannot assess the suitability of your packaging and it is the sender's responsibility to package the sports equipment thoroughly and appropriately. Sporting equipment sent in a soft sided case may be rejected by the collecting driver, if it is accepted this is not an acknowledgement that the packaging is sufficient and complimentary cover does not apply.

On many routes (as displayed as an alert during the order process) Send My Bag no longer accepts holdalls, rucksacks or duffle bags. These items cannot be stacked, straps get caught and they do not offer protection to contents. If shipping skis please ensure you do not use large holdalls for accompanying gear and instead use a standard suitcase. See below for more details on how to ship skis.

You can also check out our FAQ on preparing sports equipment.

6. Ski Shipping Cover

Ensure you ship your skis in a freight approved hard case for Send My Bag cover to apply. Extend your cover during the booking process to between £250 - £1500 per item. If you are not shipping in a freight approved hard case or your gear is valued at more than £1500, please ensure you have appropriate specialist sports equipment insurance, home insurance (valuable items outside the home clause), or travel insurance in place to cover you to the full value you require before travelling.

7. Labelling your Ski Shipment

Please label your items correctly, ideally using our free Send My Bag label holders, which you can request during booking. Book your shipment at least a week in advance to ensure your label holders arrive by post before you travel.

8. Tracking your Skis Online

We’ll send you alerts when your bag is collected, and again when it’s out for delivery, but we highly recommend you use the Send My Bag App or log-in to your account to track you bag. Never wait in for a delivery unless our tracking shows the bag as out for delivery.

9. Share your Link!

If you know of friends who are also travelling with skis, you should log in to your Send My Bag account, once your own bags have been booked. There you can access your My Rewards link, which you can share with friends. By following your link to sign up, your link friends will receive a discount on their first order. We’ll also reward you with Send My Bag points just for sharing, and when someone uses your link we’ll add more points. Points can be converted into credit to save money on future shipments, whether that's ski shipping, golf club shipping or luggage shipping.

Read reviews of Send My Bag to see how happy others are with our service and book today.

How to Ship Skis

Follow these steps for shipping your skis safely and securely:

  1. Lock your ski brakes into the ‘up’ position using cable ties, so that the brakes are flush with the board and do not stick out.
  2. Protect vulnerable parts of your skis by wrapping the bindings in bubble wrap and securing with tape. You should protect the tips of your skis and ski sticks in the same way.
  3. Place your skis and sticks into a freight-approved hard case. If one is not available, place your skis into your softsided carry case and place this into a sturdy double-walled cardboard box. Skis should be turned tip to tail, so that the bindings fit together, before placing into the box.
  4. Book in your collection with Send My Bag and print your labels.
  5. Include a backup label in your shipping container.
  6. Pad out empty space in your container with packaging material, such as packaging peanuts or paper, so that your items do not move around in transit and bang into each other.
  7. Seal your container securely. If using a cardboard box, make sure you use plenty of tape that doubles back on itself, to seal the box shut and to reinforce the edges.
  8. Attach your label securely to your container.
  9. Wait for your collection. A friend, family member or receptionist at a hotel or resort can hand your item over to our driver.
  10. Track your skis. You can track your skis along its journey using the Send My Bag app.

Why Ship Skis? 

Ski shipping often works out cheaper than checking in your skis when you fly, saving you unexpected excess baggage or overweight fees and allowing you to travel lighter!

By shipping skis to your destination you can travel luggage-free and avoid the hassle of waiting around in airport queues or at luggage carousels.

Your onward journey will be much easier, as you can jump into a taxi or onto a train or bus without dragging skis and the rest of your luggage behind you.

Find out about sending the rest of your luggage.

Our Ski Shipping Service

With our convenient and efficient ski shipping service you can ship skis around the world and have them delivered to your ski resort, ready for your arrival.

We are always improving our courier routes, allowing us to offer the best prices worldwide for shipping skis from one destination to another.

Shipping skis overseas with Send My Bag couldn’t be easier. We don’t have a minimum booking fee, nor do we have any hidden charges or fees, we simply pride ourselves on our streamlined ski shipping booking service. This makes us a convenient one-stop shop when you are looking to send skis and thereby avoid airline costs.

We’ll organise one of our drivers to come and collect your skis on the agreed day and will take care of the rest for you. Once you’ve caught your flight, there’s no need to worry, you can even track your skis every step of the way on the Send My Bag app.

We recommend planning the arrival of your skis a few days in advance of your arrival to ensure they are there waiting for you, thus making your trip worry and stress free.

Find out how it works.

Get a Quick Quote