How to ship boxes to Germany??

Since everything is pretty much packed, I have no place to keep scraps of paper with the info for how best ship the boxes now. So I'll try to track it here. So confusing. Everyone wrote on the Web that the M-Bag is the best way to ship books to Germany, but the post office doesn't seem to know about the great rates people have mentioned. So let me research a bit.

M-Bags

Now I've found something with rates per pound for books going in M-bags (Postage Statement-International M-Bag)

Let's see, if I mailed 25 lbs, I would be charged $11.55 per sack and 14 lbs x 1.05=$14.70, so $26.25. That would be great. I wonder if it's true. (7/6/10 note: it's not--old information still on the Web)

The USPS woman (Menlo Park-Bohannan-650-323-2701) definitely did not quote anything that low, I think because she said M-bags now have to go airmail. She thought you could fit two file boxes of books in an M-bag, although she seemed to think they might rip the bag. That's strange because somewhere I read the contents could be up to 66 pounds. It's really hard to find anything about M-bag rates on the USPS website, just information about what can go in them, but now I see this:

Airmail M-bags (260) —

Direct Sack to One Addressee Price Group 5

Weight not over 11 lbs. Each additional pound or fraction of a pound	$35.75 3.25
Weight Limit: 66 pounds

Hmm, for 25 lbs, $35.75 base + $3.25 x 14 lbs or $45.50 + 35.75= $81.25. That's a lot more than I calculated with the postage statement, but this is airmail, and maybe the other does go surface after all. What a labyrinth of information on the U.S. post office's website. (Note: the woman from the post office says this is old information too)

Now I've gone to the post office to see how big the M-bags are (see photo). One bag would fit two file boxes of books. For 60 lbs, I was quoted $195. Oh my.

262.12 Economy (Surface) M-bags is what I want if I can get it, but then it can't be insured and the bags take a beating apparently. Is it worth the risk?

In any case, Germany is Price Group 5

General USPS parcel post to Germany (is this information from the Web accurate?):

5 lbs-$23

10 lbs-$32.75

20 lbs-$49.75

Use bubble wrap to avoid too much damage.

The woman on the phone said if something is less than 20 lbs, there is a flat-rate box for $43.45 (11 x 8 x 5 1/2) Hmm, how big is that?

Bigger flat-rate box (12 x 12 x 5 1/2) $55.95

Now I've been to the p.o. Those are teeny sized boxes. Won't work for me.

If I mail my file box (11 x 17 x 13), it'll be $101.20 for 25 lbs (using the price calculator)

FedEx

10 and 25 kg box

I think they don't do small or slow shipments either--just the $250 rate for express delivery of a 25 lb box!

UPS

UPS's website is Greek to me. I think they don't do small shipments to Germany either.

DHL

DHL seems to need Dimensional Weight and Actual Weight to calculate rates. Dimensional weight is LxWxH/ 166. The higher weight is used for the calculation.

Germany is Zone C.

For some reason, I don't think DHL is for small shipments, but to calculate: www.dhl-usa.com

United Airlines Extra Baggage

1 free bag; 62 linear inches, 50 pounds

2nd bag $50

What's the third bag? $200 (ouch!)

Extra baggage is looking like the best option, but how would we get it all to and from the airports along with ourselves and our regular baggage?!

Thought a website like Seven Seas Worldwide, which does baggage shipping might have some good rates, but $199 for a book box from CA to Germany!

Any advice is welcome....