shipping "stuff" to US. Any suggestions?

[Griffin]

My wife and her daughter will be flying to Houston from Tashkent.  She will have to deal with a change of terminals in Moscow and an overnight layover in Frankfurt, all the while tending to her two year old daughter.  (I have booked her in a hotel in Frankfurt.)

I had intended to ship most of their clothing and personal items prior to the flight so that she wouldn't have the additional hassle of having to deal with luggage.

I can't find anything, air or sea, for less than a thosand dollars.

Any suggestions?

If I have to buy new I will, but it seems like such a waste.

[Dan]

... in response to shipping "stuff" to US.  Any s..., posted by Griffin on Jan 9, 2003

Griff:

Does your lady have a *visa* for Germany - or did you arrange her overnight stay with the airline - WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT SHE HAS NO VISA FOR GERMANY? If the answer to both these questions is "No" - you'd better get cracking to make some quick alternative plans.

- Dan

[Dan]

... in response to Potentially BIG Problem With Your Plan ...., posted by Dan on Jan 9, 2003

I see you guys already covered this down below.

Sorry for the alarmist message subject.

- Dan

[MarkInTx]

... in response to shipping "stuff" to US.  Any s..., posted by Griffin on Jan 9, 2003

How close is Splendora to Houston?

[Griffin]

... in response to BTW, posted by MarkInTx on Jan 9, 2003

[tfcrew]

... in response to shipping "stuff" to US.  Any s..., posted by Griffin on Jan 9, 2003

Sounds like a big mess flight anyway (who is it with?) but for "less than a thousand bucks" you could have flown there yourself with a back-pack...
and brought back at least 2 X 66 lbs of stuff for each person not including carry-ons...
This is only my understanding.
Another alternative is to stash the not so needed now stuff with family or friends and get it on a return trip assuming there will be one.
Also what is up with the layover in Frankfurt?
I wouldn't advise anyone go with that unless they are there to escort.
My travel agent would have to do better.
Best of luck to you & for your new family.........
Karl

[MarkInTx]

... in response to Yikes ! This bothers me., posted by tfcrew on Jan 9, 2003

Are you sure that your wife will be ALLLOWED an extended lay-over in Frankfort?

I don't know... but when we were in Paris, we had a six hour lay-over, and Victoria was not allowed into Paris. (We had thought we could do some sight-seeing.) We were told she would need a french Visa to gain entry to the country. My American passport would have gained me entry, of course, but not her...

I was curious about this, so I asked them what would have happened if we had been forced to get a connecting flight out the next day (as had happened to me when I connected through London) and the response I got was typical French: "But, she did not... next please!"

So... I didn't get an answer to this. You might want to double check to see if she needs a letter from the airline or something... I think I read something about that once...

[Griffin]

... in response to Yikes ! This bothers me., posted by tfcrew on Jan 9, 2003

but it meets several conditions:

I wanted Houston to be Port of Entry so they wouldn't have to fend for themselves in a non-Russian speaking environment for the rest of the trip.

I wanted to break up the travel.  Instead of being in a plane or an airport for 42 hours non-stop, they will arive in Frankfurt just after noon, go to the hotel and rest, and the next morning catch a 10:15 direct flight to Houston.

Alternatives to Frankfurt were Amsterdam and London with greater costs in both time and money.  Besides, what have you got against jarheads?  :-)

Thanks for the good wishes.

By the way, what is the deal with so many people from Texas posting on this board?  You'd think distribution would be random.

[Philb]

... in response to It is a goat dance, posted by Griffin on Jan 9, 2003

Yeah, why is it no one else is from Wyoming? :-)

[John F]

... in response to It is a goat dance, posted by Griffin on Jan 9, 2003

But ..... if she leaves the airport transit lounge in Frankfurt, won't she need a German visa?  I may be wrong, but I believe all will go well as long as she doesn't leave the secure area of the airport.  But if she goes to a hotel she then will need a visa.

[Griffin]

... in response to Re: It is a goat dance, posted by John F on Jan 9, 2003

[LP]

... in response to It is a goat dance, posted by Griffin on Jan 9, 2003

...yer question just begs for an answer. I'll leave it for others....

[wizard]

... in response to lol..., posted by LP on Jan 9, 2003

It probably has something to do with Texas women having BIG blonde hair, starched jeans, cowboy boots and driving pickup trucks... If I wanted to marry a calf roper, I'd look local...

I should know, I moved to Houston last year and the description above describes "the pick of the litter"...

wizard

[Jack]

... in response to I'll bite..., posted by wizard on Jan 9, 2003

Your close wizard. It is because we have so many of these type women as you described here that so many Texan men have had to look elsewhere for quality ladies. Thus, so many Russian ladies here!

[Philb]

... in response to Re: I'll bite..., posted by Jack on Jan 9, 2003

I think that there are so many from Texas because of the fine reputation of Honest Jack Bragg and his agency First Dream.  ;-)