Europe By Mail

Airmail is the best way to send mail home from Europe. From Western Europe to North America, delivery time averages about seven days. Aerogrammes, printed sheets that fold into envelopes and travel via airmail, are available at post offices. Write “airmail” or “ par avion ” (or por avión , mit Luftpost , via aerea , etc.) 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. Check the Essentials section of each chapter for country-specific postal info.

Sending Mail To Europe

To ensure timely delivery, mark envelopes “airmail” in both English and the local language. In addition to standard postage systems, 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 from most countries to Europe.

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, Lista de Correos , Fermo Posta , Postlagernde Briefe , etc.) to almost any city or town in Europe with a post office, though it can be unreliable in Eastern Europe. See individual country guides for more info on addressing Poste Restante letters. The mail will go to a special desk in a town’s central post office, unless you specify a post office by street address or postal code. It’s best to use the largest post office, since mail may be sent there regardless. It’s usually safer and quicker, though more expensive, to send mail express or registered. Bring your passport for pick-up; there may be a small fee. If the clerks insist that 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, visit www.americanexpress.com/travel.