We will be backpacking in Italy this July. I am counting on stumbling upon some things I would like to take home like wine. How would we go about mailing souvenirs so that they will not weigh us down on our journey? Also, how would we go about sending postcards home?
Thank you in advance!
Rick Steve's talks about how he usually just will buy things here and there and once it is too much he finds a post office and ships them back. Might be a little pricey to do with everything, but that is what we are planning on. If it is a winery, maybe they will ship things home for you.
Using the mail in Italy is a challenge. Living here we do not rely on this service. There are many expat blogs that talk of the trials of the Italian Post Office service!
If you ship DHL - the cheapest vendor - it can get very expensive. I wnated to send a 10 lb. package to my son in Atlanta. Best price from fedex, UPS, etc. was $154.
In Rome I send everything from the Vatican. It's a different country and all Vatican mail goes through Switzerland, not Italy! So far no issues! The Vatican Post office is in St. Peter's Square.
You can have a vendor send your wine back, I did that once in Montepulciano. Just know in my case, the shipping cost was as much as the cost of the wine. In the end, i just carried back wine, olio, etc. in my luggage. The cost of even an extra bag in todays tough airline economy is cheaper than DHL and more reliable than the Italian Mail system.
Just like going to market here, once you buy it, you have to cary it! Good Luck!
Ron said, "I wanted to send a 10 lb. package to my son in Atlanta. Best price from fedex, UPS, etc. was $154."
That's true, but let me mention that 2 years ago I bought 24 bottles of wine at Marche Aux Vins in Beaune France and had them ship it home for me. Now, when I open one of those bottles (yes, I have a few left) I never think about what it cost me. All I think about is the delicious French wine and the wonderful time we had in Beaune!
I can't tell you how many times I've been in far away places and been too tight to spend a few dollars on a product or admission, only to regret it hugely after returning home.
Patrick: You are so right! If you love it, buy it. My home is full of travel purchases and I wouldn't trade all the decorators in this country (or state!) for it.
Patrick you are so right... When I was "visiting" these countries I did not hesitate to carry things home - or "ship" that special purchase.
But now living on the economy in Italy, it's a different perspective! Mailing home "standard" items to my kids has become an "event" due to costs. Good news - We are paid in Euros which is a blessing now!!
We do travel to other countries from Italy, especially by plane. On the low-cost European Airlines you have to pay a premium for luggage - number of pieces AND weight. So we pay that price to "carry back" wine, souvenirs, and gifts.
Indirectly it's the same - we carry rather than ship... But that being said, I just would not trust anything I valued to the Italian Post Office.
Be it Murano glass, wine, pottery, etc., I would first work through the vendor before considering other "mailing" options!
Have a great time Tennille; Wish I could get my wife to backpack Europe!!!
Ciao,
Ron
Thank you Ron!
This has always been a dream of mine and now it is becoming a reality!
Thanks to you all for answering my questions. Such a resource having all of you!
