I'm going back to france, after spending one year in Canada, and I was
wondering what are the options to mov some of the stuff I bought here.
I don't have a lot of things, most of them could probably fit in a
couple of suitcases, but I have some bigger items (a bike) that I'd
like to bring back too.
What I'm looking for is:
Where can I find information related to this kind of issue (not moving
a full house but just a couple of things)
Is there a not too expensive way to do this

Hi Motdiem,

One of the most important ways to save on your international move is
simple  preparation.  The more time you lend to planning your move the
cheaper your costs will be.  Spend ample time figuring out what you
want to ship, getting various shipping company estimates, and
timetables for your shipment to arrive.

There are several key areas that you should familiarize yourself with.
 First, have a good idea on how many items you are moving.  There are
two basic units of measurements for moving companies.  For larger
moves, you can pay for a freight container ranging from 20’ – 40’. 
Typically, items from a small family would fit in a 20’ freight
container and a large household would require a 40’ freight container.

It sounds like your needs don’t fit the aforementioned specifications.
 Smaller shipments can be shipped at a method called “LCL” or less
than container load.  LCL shipments range from 60-160 cubic feet.  
What is a cubic foot of space?  Sefco.com does a good job summarizing
this question:

Sefco.com
Sefco Guidance and Support for Shipping Overseas
http://207.86.247.65/sefco/SEFCO.html

Now that you know the required sized container, start calling/emailing
moving companies for estimates.  Good moving companies will offer free
estimates provided you have a good indication of the size of your
shipment.  Feel free to describe the contents of your shipment and
they’ll lend some shipping advice.

I wasn’t sure if you are moving a bicycle or a motorcycle.  If you are
just moving a bicycle, then you might avoid the costs of shipping a
container and send the bike through traditional shipping methods
(Fedex, DHL, Airborne Express).   Are you flying to France?  Another
avenue that you might explore is shipping the bike through the
airlines.  Airlines typically offer shipment of bikes for a nominal
fee.

If your bike is indeed a motorcycle, there are various movers that
specialize in motorcycle shipments.  Here are a few that ship out of
Canada:

Motorcycle Shippers
http://www.motorcycleshippers.com/freight_international.htm

Motorcycle Express
http://www.motorcycleexpress.com/express/home.asp

Motorcycle Shipping Testimonials
Micapeak.com
http://www.micapeak.com/~marcl/pages/shipbike.html

Will you need a combination of the aforementioned services?  Maybe you
can send most of your items via LCL freight container, specialized
motorcycle shipping, and important times taken in suitcases during
your flight to France?

Here are other items that you should consider:

- Have you purchased insurance for your move?  Always purchase
insurance for the items that you are shipping in case there is damage
or items lost.
 
- Do you want to pack the items yourself or by the moving company? 
Some moving companies will only insure the items that they have packed
themselves.  Also, moving abroad often lends to a higher quality of
packing.

- How long do you want the shipment to take?  Obviously, the shorter
the delivery time the more expensive the freight.

- Is there a minimum weight/volume the shipping company will send? 
Some companies have a minimum for shipments abroad.

- What are the customs regulations for shipping your items to France? 
Here’s a website that will be of some value:

French Customs 
http://www.info-france-usa.org/intheus/customs/index.asp

Lastly, try looking at the following tips for moving internationally. 
The more you learn about other people’s experience and moving
companies' tips, the less stress and mistakes you’ll make.  Here are a
few that I’ve gathered:

Escapeartist.com
http://www.escapeartist.com/moving/moving.htm

Moving Check list
http://www.worldwidemove.com/index.html

Overseas moving Tips
http://www.insiders.com/relocation/19ove.htm

epinions.con
Tips on moving
http://www.epinions.com/srvc-review-6158-C0F948-39EEF5E1-prod1

Sgt. Mom’s Tips so You are going Overseas
http://www.sgtmoms.com/pcs/pcs15.htm

Websites that may interest you:

Canadian Moving Companies

Yahoo! Moving
Canadian Moving Companies
http://dir.yahoo.com/Regional/Countries/Canada/Business_and_Economy/Business_to_Business/Shipping/Movers/

Moving Center
http://movingcenter.com/mc.dll?page=home

Sefco Export Management
http://www.sefco-export.com/

SEFCO
Freight Sizes for Moving Abroad
http://207.86.247.65/sefco/SEFCO.html

Williams Moving and Storage
http://www.williamsmoving.com/main.asp

AMJ Campbell
http://www.amj-international.com/Main.htm

Discount Moving International
http://www.discountmoving.com/english/pagesAnglais/index2.htm

King’s Transfer Van Lines
http://www.kingstransfer.com/kingse.html

Pac N Save Shipping
http://www.pacnsavesam.com/moving_estimates_submit.htm

Two Small Men Canada Moving Company
http://www.moving.ca/international.html

Shipping and Moving.com
France Page
http://www.shippingandmoving.com/europe/france.htm

United Van Lines
http://www.uvl.ca/

Keywords Used:

canada movers
://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&querytime=gY5vV&q=canada+movers

shipping motorcycle canada
://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&q=shipping+motorcycle+canada

canada international move
://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&querytime=oFemD&q=canada+international+move

international move tips
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=international+move+tips&spell=1

Regards,

Trailhead

Very good answer, very useful and timely. Thanks a lot!

You may find this website useful: http://www.sefco-export.com/