This site might have more ideas for your situation: expatexchange.com/guatemala/liveinguatemala.…

Thanks, hopefulist and DC_in_MD. Both of you have provided good advice. Hope to meet you there in 2016!

Wish I could take my car, but it's just not worth the hassle and expense...

Love the checked luggage option. Enough back and forth journeys could get everything I really want with me in country.

Are suitcases recommended or would a something like a US Army duffel bag work okay?

It could be packed so anything that could conceivably break would be well cushioned in the center.

We have packed fragil-ish things in our carryons and have used towels and bedding to pad around the rest in a big generic duffle bag, like this:

tlbox.com/wp-content/…Northstar-1050-HD.jpg

Then on the way home we roll up the duffle and stick it in a carryon. We shopped for a lot of what we needed in Xela but for towels, bedding, and some of the kitchen things we couldn't find what we wanted, or the cost was really high compared to value. We're not moving down, though, just setting up shop for more extended visits.

Congrats!

Two companies you will want to get to know. Not just for this, but living in Guate too. Both are freight forwarders who give you an address in Miami that includes your account number. Stuff gets sent to that address and then forwarded on to Guate.

CPX. Air cargo service geared toward Internet based purchases, but can ship most anything for you. Large or heavy items get spendy though. Visit www.cpxbox.com. Very good customer service.

TransCargo. Ocean Freight. Slower, but much less expensive for larger or heavy items. They just charge a flat rate on dimensional weight of package. No extra charges for Customs (SAT). Ive always been a little suspect that was not a legitimate arrangement, so hopefully the SAT scandal has not effected their service. Customer service is not always so good, but Ive never had any actual problems with delivery. They are your best option for heavy/bulky household stuff. www.aquienguate.com/perfil/trans-cargo.

If you decide to ship more sfuff, like a full container load, then it may be best to work with a forwarded direcly. Like Krystal Logistics in Miami. I shipped my Jeep Cherokee down...cheaper than driving it,

BZ...thanks! Great info, very helpful. Now you have my interest piqued about sending my car...hmmm. Not sure what your tolerance is for sharing $$ info on a public site, but I'd be interested in knowing how expensive that is. Maybe PM me if you feel more comfortable that way?

Again, thanks...and thanks to all of you!

Scott

De nada.

Cost me $750 to ship my Jeep (that was in 2006 so likely more now), but import duties can be stiff for older vehicles...typically a significant % of their market value.

Are you planning to get residency in Guate?

Yes. And my wife is a Guatemalan citizen (born and raised in Zona 1 of the capital).