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Sending postcards and letters from France


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1. French domestic postage rates at a glance 


Inland domestic postage within France  - 2026


There are 2 rates for letters up to 250 grammes, and two for letters up to 3 kg.

The standard rates for letters / postcards up to 20 grams are:
  • Lettre verte rate: 1.52€  (1 lettre verte stamp)
  • Service plus rate : 3.41 €  (1 service plus stamp)
  • Ecopli rate: no longer available
The standard rates for letters weighing 20 - 100 grams are:
  • First-class or service plus rate :4.57 €   -
  • Lettre verte rate: 2 lettre verte stamps  =  3.10 €  (2 lettre verte stamps)
  • Ecopli rate: no longer available
The standard rates for letters weighing 100 - 250 grams are:
First-class or priority rate : 5.78 €   - 
Lettre verte rate: =  5.24 €
For all other rates, ask at a post office (bureau de poste).
Note:  the 20g - 50g rate has been suppressed, purportedly in order to simplify the system. 

Stamps can be bought online at the French post office website, and printed out on a normal printer.

2. French international postage rates at a glance 


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Below you will find the main international air-mail postage rates for France, and the cheapest - or rather, least expensive -  rates for sending parcels from France.

For all other postal rates (notably pre-paid envelopes, recorded delivery, heavier items), it is best to visit a local post office.  

It is advisable to include an air-mail sticker on international mail, though this is not essential. Virtually all international mail within the European Union is sent by airmail unless surface mail is faster.

   Last collections from mail boxes in urban areas are usually around 4 p.m., but later from main post offices. In rural areas, letter boxes are often emptied just once a day, frequently before midday.   Stamps can be bought in post offices, but often also from "tabacs", or tobacconists selling postcards.

2.1. Postcards and simple letter rates from France 2026

How much does it cost to send a postcard abroad from France ? 

Destination Cost:
All countries worldwide (same price everywhere) €2.25

How much does it cost to send a letter up to 20 gm from France ?

Destination Cost (airmail)
All countries worldwide (same price everywhere) €2.25 

2.2. Documents and heavier letters  

Take care !  Sending International packages from France

La Poste's postal rates are complex , and information is not always clear - not even to all post-office staff.
   By shopping around, you may be able to get rates 50% cheaper than La Poste's rates, for tracked delivery.
    It is a good idea to check rates online before taking a parcel or package to a post office. 
For alternative offers, see shop around below

How much does it cost to send heavier international mail from France?

(for books & brochures, see below)

There is only one tariff category for letters : it is called "priority international letter". There is no second-class or economy rate, nor surface mail rate, for letters
LETTRE Internationale
Weight/
Destination		 Whole world ( same price everywhere)
20-100 gms € 4.85 
100-250 grams € 11.65   
250-500 gms € 16.60  
500  gms - 2 kg € 31.70

2.3. Small packages - parcels

IMPORTANT : SHOP AROUND and beware of sending to the UK
   "La Poste" has no monopoly over parcels delivery, neither within France nor abroad. Cheaper rates (up to 50% off)  can often be found by using other carriers, specially if sending city-to-city.

    Check out Mondial Relay, which works with thousands of drop-off points (points relais) all over France.
  Or check other options on this price comparison site.  Packlink.fr  (in French)

Packages for the UK

Rates and conditions
Example: a 1 kg package to the UK costs over 23.39 € with Colissimo, even more with with Chronopost (at a post office). Mondial Relay no longer accept packages for the United Kingdom because of the Brexit-related bureaucracy involved. Packlink will send a 1 kg package via Chronopost for 24.06 € , by UPS for 19.00 € with 3 day delivery.  UPS offers a direct rate of 15.80 €, if dropped off at a pick-up point.
However since Brexit deliveries to the UK must be accompanied by a customs declaration. Check with your local point relais or pick-up point.

2.3.1. Standard rate ; use the Lettre prio internationale rates up to 2 kg, if appropriate  (packets no more than 3 cm deep), but  be ready to insist  when handing over your package for franking..... see above.   For other packages, see Colissimo below.

2.3.2. Colissimo International - fast package rate,  - anything up to 30 kg for Europe, or up to 20 kg for other countries..  

Colissimo International
Main destinations		 Europe (see list of countries)
(For UK, add 4 € Brexit supplement to all rates)		 Norway, Serbia, Turkey, Russia etc Rest of world
Up to 500 g € 14.99 23.79 35.19
Up to 1 kg € 19.39 28.39 39.19
Up to 2 kg € 22.19 31.09 53.99
Up to 5 kg € 28.59 39.89 78.69
Up to 10 kg € 46.99 66.04 148.99
Up to 15 kg € 67.99 89.59 210.79

Colissimo packages are accepted up to 30 kg, at degressive rates (7kg, 8 kg, etc.)

While the existence of a "priority" rate supposes the existence of another non-priority rate, this is no longer the case. There is no longer any eco or slow international parcel rate from "La Poste". For alternative options, use a different carrier (see above)

2.3. Books and brochures

The special Books and brochures rate has been discontinued "for economic reasons"  since July 1st 2025


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