International Shipping Methods for Household Goods
Full container, shared container, air freight and car shipping compared: cost, speed, handling and which fits your move.
Short answer
Ship a whole home in a full 20- or 40-foot container (FCL), a smaller load in a shared container (LCL) to pay only for your space, and a few urgent boxes by air freight. Many families combine air for essentials with sea for everything else. Cars go roll-on/roll-off or inside a container.
The methods compared
| Method | Priced by | Speed | Handling | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full container (FCL) | The whole 20- or 40-foot box | Sails when you are ready | Sealed at origin, opened at customs or delivery | A whole home |
| Shared container (LCL, groupage) | Volume you use, often with a minimum | Slower: waits for the container to fill | Handled again at each end | Apartments and partial moves |
| Air freight | Chargeable weight (actual or size-based, whichever is greater) | Fastest | Boxes or a small crate | A few urgent boxes |
| Roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) | Per vehicle | Depends on vehicle-carrier sailings | Car driven on and off the ship | A running car |
Full container (FCL)
A 20-foot or 40-foot ocean container used only for your goods. It is typically sealed at or near origin and not opened again until customs or delivery. You pay for the container whether it is full or half empty, so it becomes better value as you fill it.
Shared container (LCL, groupage or consolidation)
Your crated or wrapped goods travel in a container with other shipments going the same way. Shared loads are priced by the volume you occupy. They can wait at a warehouse until enough cargo is gathered, and they are handled again when the container is unloaded at the far end.
Air freight
Goods fly as cargo, usually in boxes. It is the fastest and, per cubic foot, the most expensive. Furniture is bulky for its weight, so air is usually kept for essentials while the rest goes by sea.
Container capacity
| Container | Internal space | Typical household fit |
|---|---|---|
| 20-foot | About 33 m³ (1,170 cu ft) | Small apartment to a 2-bedroom home |
| 40-foot | About 67 m³ (2,390 cu ft) | Larger family home |
| 40-foot high cube | About 76 m³ (2,700 cu ft) | Large home or bulky furniture |
No load uses every inch. Convert your volume with the container size estimator.
Door-to-door or port-to-port?
Door-to-door means one company coordinates packing, export, the sailing, customs clearance and delivery. Port-to-port covers only the ocean leg, leaving you to arrange trucking, clearance and delivery at both ends. Most families moving a home choose door-to-door; ask exactly which destination charges are included.
Everything in this guide
- Container size estimatorTool: which container size fits my volume?
- Shipping a car overseasHow to ship a car or other vehicle abroad as part of a move
2 supporting pages in this cluster. All link back here.
Prices by method are in the cost guide. Restricted items apply to every method: see what you can't ship.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest way to ship household goods overseas?
For small loads, a shared container (LCL) is usually cheapest because you pay only for the space you use. For a whole home, a full container is usually better value per cubic foot.
Is a shared container cheaper than a full container?
For smaller loads, usually yes. It can take longer while the container fills, and your goods are handled more.
When is air freight worth it?
For a few boxes you need soon after you arrive. It costs far more per cubic foot than sea freight.
How much fits in a 20-foot container?
About 33 cubic meters (roughly 1,170 cubic feet) of internal space; in practice about 1,000 cubic feet of packed household goods.
What is door-to-door versus port-to-port?
Door-to-door includes packing, export, the sailing, customs clearance and delivery to your new home. Port-to-port covers only the ocean leg, and you arrange the rest.
Can I ship a car with my household goods?
Yes, in a container if the mover allows it, or separately by roll-on/roll-off. See our car shipping guide.
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