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Postage Stamps

Interested in hearing from those of you who have actually sent postcards from Italy to the U.S. The last posts I see on this forum about this subject are several years old, so I thought I'd get the CURRENT scoop in case info has changed since 8 to 10 years ago...we're starting out in Bellagio, then Florence, then Rome to finish up starting 10/12. Where might be the best place(s) to purchase postage stamps for postcards? Post offices? Hotels (we'll be at Hotel Florence in Bellagio, Palazzo Guadagni in Florence and Lancelot in Rome)? tobacco shops? newstands? I also saw one resource that stated "use the Vatican post office. Prices are the same, but it's been know to be a bit speedier than the Italian postal system (Plus, they give you cool Vatican stamps.)...any truth to this? And, I believe the correct word for stamp is "francobollo" and postcard is "cartolina"...correct?

Posted by
1738 posts

In theory, tobacco shops should sell stamps, but many of them will tell you they don't have them as their margin is thin. So your best seller are post offices.

Most post offices have an electronic queue system; you take a ticket and wait for your number to be called in a virtual queue. Most people will be queueing for money services (payments), take the ticket for post services (shipments).

It is true that the Vatican post office is more efficient than Italian offices. Also, often Italian stamps are virtual (printed on the spot and not decorative at all).

Posted by
704 posts

Be sure to ask for Airmail postcard stamps for the United States. I forgot to specify airmail when I bought postcard stamps (at a post office in Florence) and the postcards took six weeks to arrive, likely by slow boat!

Posted by
18 posts

@ lachera "Italian stamps are virtual (printed on the spot and not decorative at all)." ...does this apply specifically to Vatican stamps or did you mean stamps in general?

Posted by
6623 posts

FYI, We just returned from Italy. There are “orange” postcard stamps, that I purchased from a gift shop with a postcard. I also purchased stamps from the post office. I later discovered that the orange stamps are from a private company and there are specific mailboxes for them. The boxes are presumably orange, though I never found one other than at the store where I purchased the orange stamp. So, unless you plan to immediately write the postcard and drop it off at a store selling the “orange” stamps, I would be sure to purchase stamps from the post office.

Posted by
18 posts

I also mentioned the specific hotels we'll be staying at as we have had past experiences (mostly U.S. and Canadian hotels) where upon asking about buying postage stamps, the front desk folks were kind enough to just offer to mail the postcard for us at no charge. I was unsure if anyone had that experience at the specific hotels I mentioned above. Probably not but just thought I'd ask.

Posted by
1738 posts

If for example I go to my nearby post office in Florence to mail a letter, they won't sell me a stamp but they will directly stamp the envelope with a stamping machine. If the envelope is too thick, they will stamp a strip of paper and glue it; this is what I mean with "virtual" stamps. Probably they have also traditional stamps but I do not remember having used them much in real life during the last years.

The Vatican post office is not part of the Italian network - it is located in a different state - and has its own stamps and its own shipping channels - this is why it can be more efficient than Italian post offices.

Posted by
2317 posts

A year ago, I got stamps at a post office but it was a loooong wait. I also discovered that, at least in smaller towns, picture postcards are becoming harder and harder to even find. I think people are now taking photos and texting them to friends rather than buying cards.

Posted by
6623 posts

I bought actual stamps at a post office in Bolzano. I told them I would be mailing postcards to the U.S. I always specify, “international post cards to the U.S.”

I’ve had hotels/BnBs offer to mail postcards, but never without stamps.