<p>I once had to ship my daughter’s viola to Aspen (she decided to play viola in chamber.) I took it to a luthier to set it up for shipping, but it involves removing the bridge for transport. The instrument needs to be taken to a local luthier to be re-set up on arrival. Then, when you go back, you have to re-ship it. So if there is no luthier readily available at the camp to set it up and also to ship back home, I’d avoid shipping.</p>
<p>Ha. We are flying with the bass in a bass trunk. Always fun. We had our first experience with this last summer. We check the bass in as oversize luggage and on Southwest airlines it costs $75 each way. We have heard from many folks that they are the best airline to fly on with instruments. So far so good with the bass.</p>
<p>Another idea: drive, and combine the trip there and back with college visits. We drove from Minneapolis to the Berkshires last year and stopped at Oberlin, CIM, and Eastman on the trip to and from. We were really glad we’d killed two birds with one stone come audition time. We’ll be doing the same thing this year–only doing the college visits for son number 2, a high school senior next year.</p>
<p>So far. Decided to pay for a one way plane ticket and driving down to see a few concerts with my mom and maybe visiting one or 2 colleges on the way back. Phew. That would be exhausting.</p>
<p>She isn’t decided on where she’s going yet, but the ones she is considering are all within driving distance. </p>
<p>I know you all are mostly talking about the large string instruments, but I have an interesting story with D2’s horn. She first needed to fly with it around ninth grade and refused to get her bell cut so she could carry it on a regional jet. So we fed-exed it both ways for about $150 total, which was cheaper than buying it a seat. A few months later her horn teacher called us and said he had something for D2 and bring our checkbook to the next lesson (never a good thing!). He had found an excellent quality but terribly (really bad!) scratched horn with a detachable bell, but it was still about $2000 - and he said it would pay for itself in no time. We told D2 no way was she getting a second horn, but she negotiated to trade all birthday and Christmas gifts that year if she got it. We reluctantly gave in and bought “Junior,” as horn number two is now affectionately known. Junior stays at high school during the week so is played regularly, and has now traveled to numerous summer camps, all our vacations, college visits, auditions and will soon go to China. The good horn is still preferred by far for anywhere we can drive. But I concede, Junior has paid for himself. And gives D2 a good story to tell when people wonder why she pulls out such an ugly looking horn. 
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<p>I just got off the phone with an amazing amtrak agent who found a train route that doesn’t require staying overnite at a hotel. And he would arrive at the correct time. Now we just have to deal with their contradictory policy. Their online policy states that cellos can be used as carry on baggage. But when she called to confirm, they said we have to buy it a ticket…ridiculous. she said to print the policy and take with. Which I will do. But how can employees operate this way?</p>
<p>cellomom6,
Paul Katz wrote an article about this very topic, Amtrak and cellos:</p>
<p><a href=“http://cellobello.com/blog/index.php/amtrak-charging-for-cellos/”>http://cellobello.com/blog/index.php/amtrak-charging-for-cellos/</a></p>
<p>See if this helps!</p>
<p>That would be using logic happycello. On the phone, they said it was a ticket that was needed not a service fee. They are confused. So this great agent is researching this for me. We might have to take a road trip and visit colleges along the way after all. I planned on driving for the way back to attend some concerts and enjoy the scenery. But wow. Scary to send your kid to these places unaccompanied.</p>