Airmail is the most efficient way to send mail home from Germany. Aerogrammes, printed sheets that fold into envelopes and travel via airmail, are available at post offices. Write “airmail,” “par avion,” or “luftpost” on the front. Most post offices will charge exorbitant fees or simply refuse to send aerogrammes with enclosures. Surface mail is by far the cheapest and slowest way to send mail. It takes one to two months to cross the Atlantic and one to three to cross the Pacific—good for heavy items you won’t need for a while, such as souvenirs that you’ve acquired along the way. These are standard rates for mail in and from Germany.
The standard time for mail to be delivered from Germany to:
To ensure timely delivery, mark envelopes “airmail” or “par avion.” In addition to the standard postage system, whose rates are listed below, Federal Express (Australia ☎+61 13 26 10, Canada and the US +1-800-463-3339, Ireland +353 800 535 800, New Zealand +64 800 733 339, the UK +44 8456 070 809; www.fedex.com) handles express mail services between most countries and Germany.
There are several ways to arrange pick up of letters sent to you while you are abroad. Mail can be sent via Poste Restante (General Delivery; Postlagernde Briefe) to almost any city or town in Germany with a post office, and it is very reliable. Address Poste Restante letters like so:
The mail will go to a special desk in the central post office, unless you specify a post office by street address or postal code. Use the largest post office, since mail may be sent there regardless. It is usually safer and quicker, though more expensive, to send mail express or registered. Bring your passport (or other photo ID) for pickup. There may be a small fee. If the clerks say there is nothing for you, ask them to check under your first name as well. Let’s Go lists post offices in the Practical Information section for each city and most towns.
American Express’s travel offices throughout the world offer a free Client Letter Service (mail held up to 30 days and forwarded upon request) for cardholders who contact them in advance. Some offices provide these services to non-cardholders (especially AmEx Travelers Cheque holders), but call ahead to make sure. Let’s Go lists AmEx locations for most large cities in Practical Information sections; for a complete list, call ☎+1-800-528-4800 or visit www.americanexpress.com/travel.
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For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
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