International shipping newbie

[Craig Sheppard]

Could anyone explain the best way to ship a package internationally from the US? I've followed the debates/arguments on shipping from TW, but what about in general? Specifically I'm talking about shipping from US->UK. Nothing overly large or heavy, just a normal package, maybe size of a shoebox or two... What is the best way to do it, taking into account cost & time. I would rather it be cheaper, but rather it not take weeks either. A few days would be ideal. Any ideas/tips etc.? USPS/UPS/FedEx/DHL/etc?

P.S. Just to be clear, I don't mean choosing internet shipping from an online site, I mean me packing and shipping something myself, such as a gift.

 

[TokyopunK]

USPS International Priority Mail is cheap and fast.

I recently shipped an ipod package to Italy, and it cost $25 via USPS priority, and I compared it to $58 UPS Standard Express International (Like Priority time).

I don't know about Fedex or those other ones though.
And you can check on the USPS website for the exact price and even print out the label if you know the package weight.