Luggage Storage, Shipping & Delivery Services for Travelers
Travel Without the Extra Weight: The Complete Guide to Luggage Storage & Shipping for Hands-Free Travel Around the World
Dear Readers,
Today’s travelers have more ways than ever to move through the world hands-free, from luggage storage apps and airport delivery services to international suitcase shipping.
I will admit that I am not a light packer. No matter how hard I try, I always bring more than I need on a trip. And knowing this, there is a moment I know all too well: Paul and I have checked out of our hotel or vacation rental, and the next leg of the journey isn’t for several hours. Suddenly, our luggage becomes the heaviest part of the day.
If you’ve ever found yourself wandering a beautiful city while dragging a suitcase behind you, you probably know exactly that feeling.
Over the past few years, a quiet category of travel tools has emerged. Not just apps, but services designed to help travelers move through the world more lightly. Some ship your bags ahead. Others store them while you explore. A few even rethink how luggage moves across borders entirely.
When Paul and I moved from the United States to Portugal, we used a luggage shipping service to send the bulk of our suitcases from Arizona to Rhode Island while we stopped in Florida to visit family. From a friend’s home in Rhode Island, we collected our luggage and continued on to New York to begin the final journey to Portugal.
Experiences like this are becoming increasingly common as travel shifts toward longer stays, multi-city journeys, and slower ways of moving through the world, and the tools that support that kind of travel are evolving just as quickly.
This guide isn’t about traveling with more gear. It’s about discovering how the right tools quietly give you back something far more valuable: freedom of movement.
Why Luggage Services Are Becoming Essential for Modern Travel
Travel itself has changed. Longer stays, remote work, and multi-city itineraries mean luggage often moves through trains, cobblestone streets, and short-term rentals that weren’t designed for rolling suitcases.
Luggage storage and shipping services have emerged as practical solutions to that reality. Whether sending bags ahead, storing them during a layover, or arranging airport collection, these tools allow travelers to move more freely anywhere in the world.
Luggage Storage Apps & Urban Drop-Off Networks
These services connect travelers with cafés, hotels, and local businesses that securely store luggage for a few hours or an entire day.
Bounce - One of the largest global luggage storage networks, with thousands of locations worldwide. Website: https://bounce.com/
LuggageHero - Flexible hourly pricing and real-time booking make this a favorite for short city stops. Website: https://luggagehero.com/
Radical Storage - Widely used across Europe, especially in historic districts where lockers are limited. Website: https://radicalstorage.com
Apps: iOS | Android
Nannybag - A rapidly growing storage network operating in hundreds of cities, often partnering with local shops and hotels to provide insured bag storage. Website: https://www.nannybag.com/en
Stasher - An emerging luggage storage platform expanding quickly across major travel hubs. Website: https://stasher.com
Ship Your Bags Ahead: International Luggage Shipping Services
For longer trips, relocations, or multi-destination journeys, these services allow you to send suitcases directly to your next stop.
Sherpr - International luggage delivery designed to help travelers bypass baggage claim and airline handling. Website: https://www.sherpr.com
ShipGo - Offers scheduled pickup windows and predictable delivery timelines. Website: https://www.shipgo.com
AiroLuggage - Global luggage shipping with customs support and real-time tracking. Website: https://airoluggage.com
Send My Bag - A widely used international luggage shipping platform popular with students and long-term travelers. Delivery timelines vary depending on customs and destination, so planning ahead is essential. Website: https://www.sendmybag.com
LuggageToShip - A logistics-focused service that works with major carriers like FedEx and DHL to transport luggage worldwide.
Website: https://www.luggagetoship.com/
Premium & White-Glove Luggage Services
Some luggage solutions go beyond basic shipping or storage, offering a more concierge-style approach to travel logistics. These services are designed for travelers who prefer a higher level of coordination - arranging pickup, delivery, and handling in ways that reduce friction throughout a journey.
While still an emerging category, white-glove luggage services reflect a broader shift toward hands-free travel, particularly among slow travelers, multi-city itineraries, and longer stays abroad.
Luggage Forward - Website: https://www.luggageforward.com
A premium door-to-door luggage shipping service known for transporting suitcases, sports equipment, and oversized gear directly to a destination. Often used for extended travel or relocation-style journeys, Luggage Forward focuses on convenience and reliability rather than quick urban delivery.
Ship&Play - Website: https://www.shipplay.com
Door-to-door luggage and gear delivery designed for travelers who want to skip airport baggage handling entirely. With coordinated pickup and delivery options, it’s positioned as a lifestyle-focused alternative to traditional baggage shipping, particularly useful for longer journeys or travelers carrying specialty items.
As these higher-touch services evolve, some companies are beginning to extend the same hands-free philosophy directly into the airport experience reshaping how luggage moves from home to departure gate.
Airport Luggage Collection, Check-In & Delivery Services. The Emerging Future of Hands-Free Travel
Airportr - Website: https://airportr.com/en/v3/
In select cities, Airportr collects luggage from your home, checks it into your flight, and delivers it to your destination. Availability varies by airline and region, but it reflects a growing shift toward hands-free airport experiences.
LugLess - Website: https://www.lugless.com
LugLess partners with major carriers such as FedEx and UPS to ship luggage directly between destinations, often positioning itself as an alternative to airline baggage fees. While not tied to airline check-in systems, it serves a similar purpose allowing travelers to skip the airport baggage process entirely.
BagsVIP - Website: https://bagsvip.com
A luggage forwarding and concierge-style delivery service that coordinates pickup and drop-off across hotels, homes, and airports. Its higher-touch approach reflects a growing trend toward premium logistics solutions for travelers who prefer to move without suitcases.
Traditional Courier Services Travelers Often Overlook
Some travelers, especially digital nomads, long-term visitors, and those relocating abroad, rely on established international shipping companies to move suitcases and personal belongings between destinations.
Examples include:
• My Baggage
• DHL, FedEx, or UPS international suitcase shipping
While these options may feel more logistical than lifestyle-oriented, they remain some of the most reliable ways to transport larger amounts of luggage across continents.
International Shipping Restrictions & What to Know
Shipping luggage internationally is different from checking a bag on a flight. Suitcases enter the global freight system, which means customs declarations, prohibited-item rules, and country-specific restrictions apply.
Common limitations may include:
Alcohol or flammable liquids
Liquids, pastes, and gels
Aerosols or pressurized containers
Standalone batteries or electronics
Food products or supplements
Valuables or cash
Travelers are often required to declare contents and allow inspections by customs authorities. Certain luggage height and weight limits may also apply. Because rules vary by destination, it’s best to check with the shipping provider before packing.
When These Tools Make the Biggest Difference
Hands-free luggage solutions aren’t necessary for every trip, but they can transform travel when:
Arriving early or departing late
Navigating multi-city rail journeys
Exploring historic districts
Relocating or traveling long-term
Working remotely while moving between destinations
Helpful if you’re an older traveler, if you are traveling with small children, or have mobility issues
Making Space for the Journey Ahead
Travel apps and services should not dictate how we experience a place. They should quietly support it. From wandering historic streets to catching a train between countries or simply pausing between chapters of a journey, moving without heavy luggage can change the entire rhythm of a day.
For some, this may mean a short visit, for others, a slower lifestyle abroad. My hope is that this guide offers a starting point for exploring the world a little more lightly. And as always, if you have discovered a service or tool that has made travel easier, I would love to hear about it. Feel free to share your suggestions in the comments so this resource can continue to evolve alongside the journeys we’re all taking.
In the end, traveling more lightly isn’t only about what we pack, it’s about creating space to move through a place with curiosity, ease, and a little more freedom than we expected.
Thanks for being on this journey with me.
Thank you for reading Our Portugal Journey. This publication is free and open to everyone, and it exists thanks to the support of readers like you.
If this work resonates with you, you’re warmly invited to subscribe - or, if you’d like, to support it as a paid subscriber and help keep it independent.
You can also buy me a coffee (or a glass of wine) anytime right here.
However you choose to support this work, I’m truly grateful you’re here.
Until next time…
Obrigada!
Carol