Mail Delivery within Europe

I am not sure "Poste Restante" even exist any longer. It may have gone the same way as telegrams, others will have to advise.

Reckon 1-2 days, often overnight, within a country; and 3-8 days for international mail. There should be no customs problems within the EU, But, if you are sending outside the EU, you will have to fill in a green customs declaration form when you hand over the parcel at the post office, and there is a risk the customs authorities in the destination country could charge you customs duty on the contents.

(8" x 10" x 3") - no post office outside the USA uses inches, it is all cm.

details of poste restante in the UK

http://www.postoffice.co.uk/mail/poste-restante

I'd be concerned that the packages would arrive so early that you'd end up violating some sort of limit on the retention period, and they'd be sent back to their city of origin before you pick them up. I don't know whether that could happen, but I suspect that it might. A related issue is that the longer something hangs around a postal facility, the greater the odds that it will get misplaced.

Hi Christi:

I would offer one thought. If what you are mailing is something you have to have or need an rx to get I would be cautious. If a package did not arrive in time, or got lost, would you be able to survive until you got the next one. If not, then it might be better to keep the things with you or find a way to be able to replace it if necessary.

Thanks for the help.

I was reading and they will only hold so long...hmmm...plan B! In Texas they've held for 4 to 6 weeks.

Perhaps I will have to book some rooms and send to hotel or B&B.

(8" x 10" x 3") - no post office outside the USA uses inches, it is all cm.

I do realize that - I was just too tired to convert!

Just curious, how long is "quite long?"

Hi,

I've mailed within Europe, such as Austria to Germany, Germany to France, inside Germany, etc. Usually, you can count on its arrival within a day or two, depending on the last pick up (letzte Leerung). These were always postcards, no packages.

If you plan on sending packages to a hotel before you arrive, it might not be possible for them to hold them, due to security and insurance advisories.

Even then, there is no guarantee when mail - especially packages - will be delivered.
If you're planning to stay in an apartment, there won't be anybody who knows who you are, so the packages will likely not be delivered. Only the tenant who has his name on the long-term lease has the privilege of having mail delivery.
If the packages contain prescription medications, or special food, you will have to declare this on the Customs Declaration, and they might not be delivered or will be destroyed. If you are talking about cosmetics, this might also be the case.
If what you need is available in Europe - and in many cases, it might be - I'd think about purchasing it there.

Just curious, how long is "quite long?"

80 - 90 days of which the last 15 will be on a cruise ship.

If you plan on sending packages to a hotel before you arrive, it might not be possible for them to hold them, due to security and insurance advisories.

Even then, there is no guarantee when mail - especially packages - will be delivered.
If you're planning to stay in an apartment, there won't be anybody who knows who you are, so the packages will likely not be delivered. Only the tenant who has his name on the long-term lease has the privilege of having mail delivery.
If the packages contain prescription medications, or special food, you will have to declare this on the Customs Declaration, and they might not be delivered or will be destroyed. If you are talking about cosmetics, this might also be the case.
If what you need is available in Europe - and in many cases, it might be - I'd think about purchasing it there.

I will contact the hotels in advance to make arrangements for receiving my packages.

If mailing within the EU there will still need to be a customs declaration?

No apartments - I like having my bed made for me!

I have already check with my cat's food manufacturer and it is not available in Europe - would be easier to to not carry a 3 month supply.

Definitely not cosmetics - I think I can pack 3 months of lipstick!

Christi - "If mailing within the EU there will still need to be a customs declaration?" - no, as I said earlier, you only need these if sending outside the EU. All the countiries you list (Netherlands, France, Germany, Italy, UK) are in the EU and no customs forms are needed.
If you are sending outside the EU, when you hand over the parcel at the post office, they will (should, sometimes they forget) ask you to fill in a small form with the contenst and value. This is attached to the parcel and used by the customs at the destination to determine if any customs tax is payable.
But, within the EU. no customs and no form.

if you are sending cat food then check customs requirements , may not be allowed into the countries you are hoping to visit.

I took my cat to Italy 20 years ago. I packed a few cans of her favorite food, but alternated it with what I bought on arrival. After a few days she was "eating like a local" with no problem.

If your cat has special dietary needs, you can probably find pet stores to accommodate that need. Europeans live their pets, lots of stuff is available there. You might send Laurel in Rome a PM, she has two cats (adorable).

So not only are they largeish packages they weigh a lot too? If you do decide to mail them to yourself you need to be prepared for a fairly hefty postage bill.

Are you sure that you can't get something comparable here? Even if the cats just lick the gravy off the packages they will soon get into the can/package as they find that it is food and they are hungry.

Getting hold of Laurel is a good plan, although she is on vacation at the moment.

She brought over those two cats that Zoe spoke of when they moved from the States to Rome several years ago and they have made the transition to Italian food quite well.

I considered switching her diet but it has to be done slowly then I would just have to switch back at the end of the trip.

Fortunately I have a year to work these kinks out. I did find out I can bring in a total of 4 kg of food (2 kg for each traveler) but I really do not want to carry it all the whole time.

Contacting Laurel is a great idea thanks.

Bit by bit and with y'alls help I am sure I'll get it sorted.

I know I'll get heat for this, but I'll put it out there for consideration, anyway.

Is your cat sick? Even a healthy cat can have digestive problems when moving around from place to place - but if your cat is ill, this might be more of a problem than you realize. You don't want to have to run around looking for a vet, medicine, etc.

I have taken a dog and cat when I moved from the US to Paris - but I would never do it again, because it's too stressful, both for the animal and the owner.
When I travel with my little dog, she must remain cooped up in a carrier on the train, bus or Metro, and is not at all happy about that. Animals require a separate paid ticket on trains.

Most hotels ask you to keep your companion in the carrier if you leave your room, for insurance and security purposes. I assume you have checked to see that cats are allowed? Many hotels will allow dogs, but not cats, because of allergy problems and litter boxes.

Animals are generally not allowed in stores, even when in carrier bags. This means that you'll be leaving your cat alone in the carrier in the hotel, if you want to go see the sights. Dogs are allowed in many cafes and some restaurants, but I've never seen any cats.

It's obvious that you care for your cat, and would rather not leave her behind. But all things considered, it doesn't sound like much fun for her - and probably not you, either.
You might be doing your cat a big favor if you could find someone reliable to babysit her while you are away. Even though it's a long time, your cat won't actually know the difference and will just be glad to see you when you get back. Plus, you won't have to deal with the food problem.

What Chexbres says makes a lot of sense. Christi, I know you're not considering taking your cat without having put a lot of thought into it, but I would find it stressful for all the reasons Chexbres mentions.

My cats are "native" Frenchies, so I've never had to do the long trans-Atlantic (and half trans-continental American) trip with them, but the thought of having to leave them in a carrier in the hotel while I was out and about would really hamper my ability to enjoy the time that I was out.

I know you are an eminently sensible person and wouldn't do this without forethought, and I don't want to pile on, but do think about the issues that Chexbres has brought up.

If I can be of any help in the cat food search, let me know. I imagine that cats here have the same issues that cats at home have, so surely there is something similar to what you need. I can at least ask my vet for France.