Transporting Carbon Frameset With Courier Overseas

Getting a bike on a plane is one thing. But using a courier to ship it from the UK to mainland Europe is another.
I am looking for a hard shell bike box, ideally something small to fit a 54cm carbon frame set and wheels in.

I don't want to use a soft bag when they might be chucking it around everywhere.

Anyone do this often, post sold bikes abroad? any good companies? What are good hard shell bike boxes to look for?

Thousands of carbon frames come over from China, all in carboard boxes with packaging and fork spacers. That's what I would do.

True, but they are most likely handled a lot better than a pissed DPD driver at 7am or an airport luggage hand baller at 11pm..? And stacked in unison so as to create a more rigid don't fuck with me structure. ?

I've shipped frames to Europe before without issue in cardboard boxes. I used Parcel2Go to find the best price for a courier and packed using pipe lagging around the frame, dropout spacers and cardboard tubes between the width of the box so protect against compression.

Yeah good shout. This might be a better option for now. Go overkill on the protection. It would mean I can then comfortably invest in a good padded soft bag for future plane rides (and not have to worry where the hell I am storing a huge plastic box used once a year!)

If it's for going on holiday with my previous approach has been a soft bag, just a cheap Chain Reaction own brand one, with stolen for sale sign boards in the wheel pockets on the outside edges for extra protection. It's worked well but not perfectly, you've got to be careful of anywhere that bits are touching and stop them rubbing. For example I ended up with some holes in my handle bar tape where they were touching the frame and must have been shaken around a lot and got some scratches on a wheel rim from the axel of the other wheel.

The major upside being how easy a soft bag is to store and how little it weighs compared to a hard case.

It's a bike from ebay (minus wheels).
A friend is sending to cyprus for me.
I think the best way is card bike box, lots of foam tube, loads of bubble wrap, zip ties to keep everything tight, as well as using rolled corrugated card beam supports across the box inside in various places.
THEN invest in a good soft bag for normal plane travel.

Sounds like a good plan. Make sure to use dropout spacers, pad anything that may touch if the box gets squished and you'll be good.

True, but they are most likely handled a lot better than a pissed DPD driver at 7am or an airport luggage hand baller at 11pm..? And stacked in unison so as to create a more rigid don't fuck with me structure. ?

There are bulk shipments but a lot come in singles so would face those same personalities! I've had two come over myself from China with no issues, and sent one to a guy in Northern Ireland without hearing of any issues.

Do as you suggest and most likely you'll be fine. The odd one does get broken but probability of it being yours is tiny!