Leaving Manipal? How to Ship, Store or Carry Your Stuff (2026 Guide)
Last updated: October 2026 · Written by the Get My Bag team in Manipal. We pack and ship for MAHE students, so we’ve included the cheaper do-it-yourself options too.
Every year in late November and again in May, thousands of MAHE students pack up hostel rooms and flats in the same few days. Some carry everything home on the train, some ship it, and some store it until next semester. This guide covers every option, what each one costs, and how to choose.
Step 1: Sort your things into four piles
- Carry: laptop, documents, cash, jewellery and what you need for your first week at home.
- Ship: clothes, books, bedding and kitchen things you want at home but can’t carry.
- Store: things you’ll need again next semester, if you’re coming back.
- Sell or give away: buckets, mattresses, old notes, extension boards. Juniors and the next batch will usually take them.
Then weigh one packed bag on a bathroom scale and multiply by the number of bags and boxes. Most students guess low. A full hostel room with books, bedding and kitchen things often comes to 100 kg or more.
Step 2: Compare your options
| Option | Door to door? | What it costs (October 2026) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carry it on a flight | Comes with you | IndiGo: 15 kg check-in included; extra baggage ₹750/kg prebooked, ₹800/kg at the airport | One or two bags |
| Carry it on the train | Comes with you | Free allowance: 40 kg in Sleeper and AC 3-tier, 35 kg in Second class | Going home by train |
| Bus parcel | Depot to depot | Charged per kg at the parcel counter | A few bags to cities on direct bus routes |
| India Post parcel | Post office to door | Distance-based tariff since 1 August 2026, plus 18% GST; 35 kg maximum per parcel | Small, well-packed boxes |
| Railway parcel from Udupi | Station to station | Freight is cheap; add packing, porters and two station trips | Heavy items and bikes |
| Book a courier yourself | Door to door, you pack | About ₹750–1,050 for 20 kg by surface, before packing; bulky boxes are billed on size | Sturdy boxes you’ve packed well |
| Packers and movers | Door to door, packed for you | Per kg by destination | A full room, fragile things, or no time |
For the full cost breakdown of each method, see How to send luggage home from Manipal: 6 ways compared.
Carrying it with you
Flying from Mangaluru: extra baggage is the most expensive way to move things. On IndiGo, 20 kg of prebooked extra baggage costs ₹15,000. Air India Express has a student fare that adds 10 kg of check-in baggage, which is worth checking if you’re flying anyway. Beyond 5–10 kg extra, shipping almost always works out cheaper.
Taking the train from Udupi: the free allowance is generous (40 kg in Sleeper and AC 3-tier, 50 kg in AC 2-tier), and you can pay to carry more in some classes. In AC 3-tier and AC Chair Car, trunks and suitcases must fit within 55 × 45 × 22.5 cm. Big cartons are a hassle on platforms, so ship those.
Your bike or scooter
You can send a two-wheeler by railway parcel from Udupi station or by road with a mover. The train is cheaper but needs documents, an empty fuel tank and trips to both stations. Read How to transport your bike or scooter from Manipal before you decide.
Storing things until next semester
If you’re coming back, storing can be cheaper than shipping things home and back. Your hostel may have a luggage room for heavy items, but it isn’t meant for electronics or valuables. See Student storage in Manipal for all the options, and MAHE hostel move-out rules for what the hostel allows.
A move-out timeline that works
- 2–3 weeks before: check your hostel notice board for vacating dates. Decide what you’ll ship and what you’ll store. If you’re using a packing service, book now: May and December slots fill fast.
- 1 week before: sell or give away what you don’t need. Collect cartons and tape. Photograph anything valuable.
- 2–3 days before: pack and weigh. Label every box with your name, phone number and destination address. Keep documents and your laptop separate.
- Move-out day: clear your dues, hand over keys and get your room checked. Keep every receipt and tracking number.
What you shouldn’t ship
Couriers and parcel services generally refuse cash, jewellery, flammable items (lighters, aerosol sprays), loose lithium batteries and perishable food. Carry original documents and certificates with you.
Where Get My Bag fits
We’re a packers and movers company in Manipal (Shop 16, Mandavi Emerald). If you’d rather not do it yourself, our team comes to your hostel or flat with cartons, packs on the spot, weighs right after packing and ships door to door across India.
- No volumetric charges: you pay for what the scale says, with a 20 kg minimum.
- Insurance included when our team packs.
- Live photos while we pack and WhatsApp updates until delivery.
See our luggage shipping service, check your price in the rate calculator, or message us on WhatsApp.
Frequently asked questions
How early should I book a packing slot?
At least 1–2 weeks ahead in May and December. Off-season, a couple of days is usually enough.
How long does shipping from Manipal take?
By surface, typical times from Manipal and Udupi are 3–4 days to Bengaluru, 5–6 days to Mumbai, 7–8 days to Delhi and 8–9 days to the North-East.
Is it cheaper to ship or to carry extra baggage on a flight?
Shipping, by a wide margin. Extra baggage on domestic flights costs ₹750–800 per kg; shipping by surface usually costs a small fraction of that.
What if I don’t know how much my stuff weighs?
Weigh one packed bag and multiply. If you’re using a packing service, send them a photo of your room and they can estimate.