Getting tix to Ceremony of the Keys

Rick Steves Britain 2008 book, page 94 and 95: International reply coupons cost $2 eac. available through any US post office although few stock them. Some are unfamiliar with the form: direct your postal worker to section 372 of the International Mail Manual, at the post office or downloadable at (http://pe..usps.gov/DMMdownload.asp)Your post office should be able to order international reply coupons for you just like they order stamps. Allow about a week's turnaround time. I need to do this too. I live in Tigard, Oregon, where do you live? Good luck. It sounds interesting to see but a lot of work to get the tickets.

Your post office can order the IRC's for you. I believe that Rick Steve's book for London even tells you what part of the postal code to direct your postal workers to.

Remember to have them stamp the IRC before you send it in.

Sorry I don't have more info on getting British postage...

Do some checking before you send off your request for tickets. If I remember correctly, not only did I need to include my name on the request, but my friends names that would be travelling with me, everyones address and how we knew each other. Maybe the website for the Tower has all of the information that is required. My request was denied for the above stated purpose.

Thanks for everyone's help. The last post office that my husband contacted said the United Postal Union voted last year to discontinue the IRCs, I wonder if that is true.

We ended up ordering a book of stamps from the Royal Mail service so that we could mail in a self-addressed stamped envelope instead of the IRCs. We got a book of four stamps, but figured we'd use the other three stamps for postcards when we are on our trip. The ordering phone number for Royal Mail is: 08457 641641 (+44 131 316 7483)

Shelley...it sounds, unfortunately, like a lazy postal clerk was getting creative. The Universal Postal Union has not voted to cancel IRC's, and the U-S is still listed as a country that sells them, as of the end of last November. According to the USPS website, "Are International Reply Coupons (IRCs) still available? Yes, the selling price will be $2.00 each. IRCs are exchangeable in any other UPU-member country for a stamp(s) representing the minimum postage for an unregistered air letter." I'd complain about that particular clerk to his/her boss.

I just called the national 800 # for the USPS and they referred me to local post offices. NONE of them have these coupons or are able to order them, though they have been able to in the past. We had hoped to attend the Ceremony of the Keys on our upcomeing trip to London, but we have no way of sending return postage paid envelopes over there. Anyone have any better ideas on how to do this?

Shirley....ask to speak to the postmaster. The idea they can't order any is ridiculous....they're just lazy. Have him/her check the U.S. Postal Service International Mail Manual, Issue 35, Section 381 for details.

Hey Shelley, I live in San Carlos CA and I just purchased three coupons for 2.10 each (sorry folks, the price went up last week) on Tuesday. I went to the Ceremony of the Keys website and followed the instructions for what to put in the letter and how to mail everything. Tomorrow I mail the little monster to Great Britain.
BTW: When I asked for the coupons, they had them stored in the back. I agree with everyone else that you wound up with a lazy worker. But then, that's why we all love to travel to Europe. People there find their jobs and work them well. Well, most do. Maybe that worker needs to go on a RS tour?
Save Travels,
Karen

My local post office branch had the IRCs in February. At first, the postal worker didn't know what I was talking about, but after I explained what it was, she knew they had them. I spent 88 cents to mail the letter which the Post Office said would take 5 - 10 days. To have it delivered in 5 days, the cost would have been $14.00. I followed the directions on the Tower of London website to request the tickets for Ceremony of the Keys. I received the tickets in less than 2 weeks!!