Italy: postage stamp cost, postcards

That is interesting. In the US international postage, be it postcard or letter, is $1.15. Used to be $1.20, but postage rates recently went down. €2.20 is about $2.52US, so it is more than double. Nowadays people don't use snail mail as much as before since it is faster via email. Still, it is nice to get postcards , although one that I sent myself from Istanbul arrived 3 weeks after returning home. Makes one wonder how mail travels, by boat or donkeycart. Yet, foreign stamps are beautiful, the larger the better. Of course, the exception is when using on a postcard.

When I mailed some post cards from the Vatican a year ago each one averaged about the equivalent of 3 USD. The stamps were very attractive. I rarely send these anymore but knew those getting them would appreciate the picture of the Pope.

Thanks for sharing this, will help me avoid the sticker shock next month :)

You might consider sending postcards to some of your friends, and emailing some photos to others. Lessens the sticker shock.