|
|
6. French Post Office – La Poste
2. Postal Tariffs and Services in FranceLetters up to 3kg in weight are accepted for posting within the French borders, and up to 2kg in weight if posted internationally. The use of the five digit French postcode for national post is imperative. Stamps are sold in local newsagents and tabacs, as well as La Poste. As there are often queues in small post-offices it pays to buy a book (carnet), or roll of stamps. You can also buy pre-paid stamps and envelopes, but they are not good value for money. You can also buy stamps on-line from La Poste. They also offer a number of collectors and themed stamps, but the stamp used for everyday use is called the Marianne. Mail is delivered in France six days a week. 2.1. National Letter TariffsThe standard letter delivery service in France is (somewhat confusingly) called lettre prioritaire. The cost of sending a letter using this service will depend on the weight of the letter. Post weighing less than 20 grammes can be sent for 0.56€, rising to €5.93 for a letter weighing 3kg. The indicative delivery time is 1 to 2 days. It is also possible send more cheaply using their Ecopli service, with a standard letter price of 0.50€, although it is only possible to send letters up to 250g using this service. The delivery time is between 3 and 5 days. The service is more generally used for mass mailings, such as bank statements and bills. 2.2. International Letter TariffsThe standard prices for international letters are shown below. There is both First and Second Class post, although the latter only makes sense for letters weighing 100g or more.
There is an automatic calculator on the web site of La Poste that will be able to tell you the cost of posting a particular item. 2.3. Registered/Recorded Delivery PostThere is a recorded delivery service available, which comes in various forms, the most useful form of which is called recommandé avec accusé de réception. This service gives you, by return, an acknowledgement of receipt signed by the recipient. A letter only sent recommandé gives no such receipt, although the recipient is still required to sign for delivery.  A letter sent recommandé does have insurance cover, and you can buy different levels of insurance cover - R1 would give insurance cover of €16, whilst R3 has insurance cover of €458.  The service is available for both national and international post. In the latter case, it is known as Lettre Recommandée Internationale. For particularly valuable items, you can also pay for additional cover and use a service called Valeur Déclarée. Expect to pay at least around €4 for sending a recorded delivery letter, which can rise significantly, depending on destination and insurance cover.
Top Tip!
You will find that you are often required to return or submit paperwork using a registered delivery letter. In the case of disputes, its use is almost obligatory to post in this manner, in order to obtain proof of action. Similarly, if you were sending anything of value in the post you would be wise to use the registered delivery post.2.4. Redirection ServiceIf you are relocating within or outside of France, then there La Poste offers a postal redirection service. The service is also available for temporary relocation. The service is called réexpédition du courrier. The cost ranges from €22 to €100, depending on destination and duration. If you are going away on a prolonged absence, La Poste will also look after your post for you until you return, through their Garde du courrier service. The cost is €18 for up to 2 months retention of post. If you wish the post sent on to you, the price will depend on destination and duration, up to €100. 2.5. Post BoxIf you wish to collect your post from the post office you can do so using a service called Poste Restante. The sender merely needs to write your name on the envelope, followed by the words Poste Restante and the name and postal code of the commune. If there is more than one post office in the locality, then the name of the post office from which you wish to recover the post should be stated. The cost is 0.55€ for letters and 0.28€ for newspapers and journals. Next: Parcel Delivery in France Back: Introduction to La Poste The IFP Guides are published for general information only. Please visit our Disclaimer for full details. Couldn't find what you are looking for? Search again now!! |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Copyright © Internet French Property
Guides to France