How much does it cost to send a package to France?

The cost to send a package to France can vary widely depending on the carrier, parcel size, and delivery time, not to mention a host of other smaller factors. And they can all add up to make shipping quite expensive these days. However, one thing for certain is that the Canadian shipping broker, Secureship, has saved thousands of Canadians a tonne of money by reducing their shipping rates with UPS, FedEx, and Purolator. The basic shipping fee may have extra fees tacked on for its size, insurance, and if it requires additional handling. Thankfully, there are ways to mitigate these costs and they are outlined in this blog.

Table of Contents

• How Much Can Secureship Save Me?
• Parcel Size and Shipping Costs
• Extra Shipping Costs
• Conclusion

How Much Can Secureship Save Me?

Secureship has made bulk purchasing agreements with Purolator, FedEx, and UPS. And because of those, you could easily save upwards of 50% on a shipment, and sometimes even more.

The table below gives you a sense of how expensive shipping can be but also how much Secureship saves you when acting as your broker.

Service	Carrier’s Rate (CAD)	Secureship’s Rate (CAD)	Delivery Time (business days)
FedEx International Economy	$427	$144 (66% savings)	2
FedEx International Priority	$471	$165 (65% savings)	1
UPS Expedited	$409	$184 (55% savings)	5
UPS Express Saver	$435	$196 (55% savings)	1.5
UPS Express	$458	$206 (55% savings)	4

Parcel Size and Shipping Costs

Intuitively, we understand that heavier objects will cost more to ship than lighter ones. But carriers also charge by the size of the box, and that means that the same weight in a larger box will cost more to ship.

The details can be found in Secureship’s Learning Centre concerning dimensional/billable weight, but the diagram below probably shows it better than words.

Extra Shipping Costs

Depending on what you are shipping and how, there may be extra shipping costs. Two common ones are for insurance and additional handling.

Insurance

Taking out insurance may be worth the extra shipping expense when the goods are breakable or particularly valuable. However, jewellery, currency, and personal effects are a few items that are uninsurable.

And if you take insurance, be sure to follow the ISTA 3A packaging standards or insurance may be void in the event of a claim.

Additional handling

Additional handling fees apply when the goods are transported in a metal, wood, or plastic container rather than a cardboard box. So, unless the nature of the goods cannot be safely shipped in a cardboard box, you should be able to avoid this extra charge.

Conclusion

Shipping costs to France, or anywhere internationally or domestically, range due to factors like the carrier, parcel size, delivery time, and other varied extra conditions. Good news, however, Secureship can find you substantially reduced rates with known international carriers like UPS and FedEx. Certain shipping choices – larger boxes, insurance, and non-cardboard containers will also lead to extra charges – but they can often be mitigated or evaded by packing goods more efficiently or only using cardboard boxes to ship goods.