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I am going to start my graduate studies in the US this September. I am planning on visiting Europe on my way from India. Since I am moving to the US, travelling light is out of the question. I expect to have 2 large (80 x 50 x 30 cm) bags with me at least.

My main destination and port of entry is going to be Amsterdam (as I disclosed on my visa application). I had planned a 10-day trip earlier, covering 3 cities, anticipating a delay in the visa approval. Now that I have the visa, I am thinking of expanding the trip to 20 days or more. The problem, of course, is luggage.

I have searched for luggage storage facilities in Amsterdam, Berlin, and they cost way too much (15-16 euros a day per bag). Does anyone have an alternative? I am also willing to consider adding a destination city to my itinerary for cheap enough luggage storage.

Apart from luggage storage, is there any other option? Can I ship my luggage from my first destination to last destination, where they will keep it until I pick it up? Does anyone ave an experience with this? How much does it usually cost? Any suggestions/tips are welcome.

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    I have VtC this question with the Off-Topic/Expatriates rule. I know that this traveler is asking about what to do during a short-term tourism trip, but the root cause of his travel issue is what to do with luggage for the long-term move. While the current answers are what I would expect, I feel perhaps others more experienced with the transport of long-term luggage (or more colloquially: household goods) would more appropriately concentrate in Expatriates
    – CGCampbell
    Jul 20, 2018 at 12:06
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    @CGCampbell I disagree. Storing a bag or two for one to three weeks is a problem that any traveler could face. Expatriates might be a better place to ask about shipping goods directly to the US (and, cauthon14, you might consider that, since even at €5 a day for 20 days you're looking at €100 per bag; shipping would be worthwhile even if it costs somewhat more since it would be rather more convenient).
    – phoog
    Jul 20, 2018 at 12:43
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    Note that asking for a visa for ten days and then staying for 20 might cause the Schengen authorities to be more skeptical about visa applications you make in the future.
    – David Richerby
    Jul 20, 2018 at 14:02
  • @phoog, I checked shipping cost, and it's upwards of 400€ :(
    – cauthon14
    Jul 21, 2018 at 7:24

3 Answers 3

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Luggage storage in train stations, bus stations and airports is often quite expensive. They also often have a maximum storage time of a few days, as they are in busy places and meant more for short-term storage.

If you have friends or family in Europe, one possible way would be to ask them if you can store your luggage at their place. If that is not possible, I would search for a luggage storage where local people might store their furniture for example. These storages are usually not that centrally located, but also much cheaper.

From Amsterdam for example after a short googling I found a place offering self storage which is already much cheaper compared to train station storage.

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  • I was going to put an answer in about self storage in Amsterdam, but see you already did. There are several companies that offer it.
    – Willeke ♦
    Jul 20, 2018 at 13:58
  • This is amazing. What is the catch here? Why is this so much cheaper than normal luggage storage?
    – cauthon14
    Jul 21, 2018 at 7:30
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    @cauthon14 There are two likely reasons: luggage storage in the train station is more convenient and has a more limited market, so supply and demand allow higher prices. Also, train stations tend to be centrally located, where property is more expensive.
    – phoog
    Jul 21, 2018 at 16:24
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According to Berlin's official website,

At the Central Bus Station Berlin ZOB video-monitored lockers are available even in "jumbo-sizes". They cost between 2 to 5 Euro per day.

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Large lockers are available at all major (and even medium) German train stations and should cost around 4-6€ per day, depending on the station. Some stations, such as Munich (at least a few years ago) also have a "proper" luggage storage (i.e. one with a person behind a counter), which might be better if you have large pieces of luggage.

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