Post Offices & Stamps

Send a postcard home from Italy

Post offices are located all across Italy. You can spot them by their distinctive circular shop-sign – look for a yellow circle containing a blue "PT". The Italian Post Office is called "Poste Italiane".

All post offices are open from 8:20 AM – 2 PM, Monday to Friday. In larger places, they may be open later in the afternoon as well. Poste Italiane generally runs shorter hours on Saturdays and is closed on Sundays and public holidays.

You can buy stamps ("francobolli") at any post office, or from tobacconists ("tabacchi"). Tabacchi are little tobacco shops which you'll spot by their logo – a blue sign with a white "T". When you're buying stamps, make sure you mention which country you're sending your postcard or letter to, so that you get the right kind.

For simple cards, a stamp is all you'll need – just buy one, apply it to your postcard and drop it in any red post box you see. If you want to send anything larger, you'll have to send it from a post office and pay for its weight. You might also need to fill out a customs form.

Here's a helpful tip – If you're buying stamps from a tobacconist, tell them you don't want "GPS" stamps. These come from a private company outside of the Italian post service and often lead to higher prices and misdelivered mail. You'll also need to drop your post into a specific type of post box for it to be sent.