How did you travel to grad school?

[Aminoacidalanine]

I'm starting a program in the fall that is distanced from me 26 hours by car and 6-10 hours by plane. I will be traveling across the border (I am an international student). I'm currently deciding between flying there and buying things there vs. buying things ahead of time and driving there (or, I could buy things ahead of time and mail it while I fly). Things I need to buy include most kitchenware and small appliances (lamps, microwave, etc.) bedsheets/duvets, and a laser printer. I plan to arrive at around August 10th.

Starting/moving for grad school is both exciting and nerve-wracking. Any advice on how to travel to grad school is greatly appreciated!

Edited June 14, 2016 by Aminoacidalanine

[sjoh197]

If you're not moving an actual household... like furniture and stuff... I would just fly there and buy stuff once you get there. That 26 hour drive becomes a whole lot longer if you're moving furniture and household items. 

I personally am a long haul driver... and have moved whole households more than once. But if it's a hassle that you don't have to deal with, then don't. 

I'm assuming that the car isn't yours and that you would have to rent one? Otherwise, driving is really kinda the only option lol. 

[CBclone]

I moved about a 30-hour drive from where I used to live to where my M.S. program is located. Luckily, my Dad is retired and volunteered to tow the UHaul trailer with his SUV while I drove my pickup. He drove 16 hours to where I lived at the time, 30 hours to where I attend school, and 14 hours back to his home (he had his wife to keep him company in their vehicle). We made it into a 10-day trip, with stops in my home state to see family and friends and some touristy stuff along the way.

Do you have all your own stuff? Are you attached to it? What's your timeframe before, during, after the move time? I arrived in my new town on a Sunday and school started the following Monday, so I had about a week to get settled in. I had been living solo in an apartment for two years and had all my own furniture, kitchenware, small appliances, etc. and I moved it all except the bed (picked up one from my mom's house along the way). 

FWIW, we drove through part of Canada along the route and they asked at border crossings about the UHaul and fully loaded pickup, but didn't search -- I think because we were returning to the United States and not staying in Canada. I think you may be more likely subject to search if not just "passing through." I had a list of everything that was packed anyway, might not be a bad idea for you if you go that route. 

[fuzzylogician]

Unless you already own furniture that you're attached to, I would fly there first, and then buy the stuff. Driving a truck full of your stuff is of course an option (I've done it myself) but it's a hassle and if you can spare yourself the pain, then you should do it. I'd imagine prices aren't going to be all that different between your current vs. new location, but buying in your current location and then moving the stuff will cost you an extra (not insignificant) amount in truck rental and fuel, not to mention the extra hassle of loading and unloading the truck. Just save yourself all that, to me this is a no-brainer. If you do own furniture and will drive a truck, I'd look into prices, but unless it's a big difference, it still seems to me that buying at the destination rather than the origin of the trip will save you some hassle. 

[GeoDUDE!]

I'd also recommend buying bare 'minimum, then building up, even if you can afford to get more. Me and my roomate stil ldon't have a couches in the living room.... we found we like sitting on the floor ! 

[Gvh]

So I faced a similar dilemma and decided that there were certain things I didn't want to let go, including a large flatscreen TV, an expensive mattress and a boatload of kitchenware. I opted for UPack, which drops a pod at your house, you load it, and then they drive it for you to your destination. It was pretty much the same price as renting a UHaul across state lines plus I don't have to drive it. So there's a winning combo. Now, this hasn't happened yet so it COULD be a total disaster, but people I've talked to seemed to have a good experience. 

Note, I'm not sure if this service is available internationally, but it might be worth looking into. 

[Piagetsky]

Driving a U-Haul from North Carolina to Ontario.  I've done ABF for a cross-country move before, but for where I'm going, I can't beat the price for U-Haul.  Sucks because I don't want to drive that big thing.  I'd rather drive my zippy little car.

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

I chose to drive the 16 hours in one go, while my parents followed me the following day with a U-Haul. IMO you will probably want to split yours into two days of driving... do you have anyone helping you move who would be willing to tow a trailer?

[shadowclaw]

Even if you decide to drive, you should definitely wait until you get to your destination to buy furniture and the like. You will save on gas (and can perhaps get a smaller uhaul or shipping container, which may save some money also).

For me, I already had a lot of things and my own car, so I needed to drive. However, I didn't get a truck. The cheapest option for me was a shipping container (I used a Upack relocube, but other options include pods and the uhaul u-box) for the vast majority of our things, and then we packed up the car and drove. Uhaul trucks get shoddy gas mileage and they are a pain to drive, and the shipping containers were actually a little cheaper than the cost of the truck (and I didn't have to pay for the gas). However, the pricing will ultimately depend on the distance you travel. When pricing uhaul trucks, it was around $800 to drive one from Pennsylvania to Florida, while it was over $2000 to drive to the west coast (plus gas), so it would have made sense to just get a uhaul truck to go to Florida. When you reserve also makes a difference. When I priced the uhaul u-box in June for a September move, I could get two boxes for $1800 to the west coast, but when I actually went to reserve in August, the price had risen to $2500 for a single box. So I went with the relocube, which was just under $2000 if I loaded it at the terminal. Of course, this actually added about $150 to the cost, since I had to get a uhaul truck on each end to load/unload. 

Aside from getting my stuff to my destination, driving was nice because I got to see parts of the country I hadn't seen before. We planned the trip to stop at a few landmarks and take advantage of scenic byways. It took 8 days and we actually went about 1,000 miles further than we needed, but it was a good trip.