Stamps (francobolli) may be purchased at either the post office or a tabacchi that displays the large blue or black "T". The Italian postal system offers two services: Posta Ordinaria (regular) and Posta Prioritaria (priority). Posta Prioritaria offers an accelerated delivery at a higher rate.

The main post office for the city of Florence is centrally located near Piazza della Repubblica at Via Pellicceria, 3. Hours of operation are Monday - Saturday, 8:30 A.M. - 7:00 P.M.

The smaller neighborhood post offices in Florence have morning hours only. Their hours are generally Monday - Friday 8:15 A.M. - 1:30 P.M. and Saturday 8:15 A.M. - 12:30 P.M. All post offices close early the last day of the month.

Post Office Vocabulary
English	Italian	English	Italian	English	Italian
Air Mail	Via Aerea	Glue	Colla	Postcard	Cartolina
Books	Libri	Kilogram	Chilogrammo	Postman	Postino
Box	Scatola	Letter	Lettera	Post Office	Ufficio Postale
Bubble Wrap	Pluribol	Magic Marker	Pennarello	Stamp	Francobollo
Contents	Contenuto	Package	Pacco	String	Corda
Envelope	Busta	Packing Tape	Scotch da pacchi	Value	Valore
Express	Espresso	Pen	Penna

Helpful mailing tips

Typical Florentine Mailboxes

Stamp vendors appreciate exact change
Post office workers do not attach stamps to mail. It is the responsibility of the sender.
When writing postcards, it is important to leave adequate space for stamps.

The red mailboxes throughout the city and outside of the post office accept mail for the city of Florence (per la città) and for outside of the city (per tutte le altre destinazioni).

Receiving Mail

When a package arrives, the Italian Postal System often charges a fee for customs and the inspection and handling of the item, depending on the declared value. Beware that this can add up to very high customs fees.

To avoid custom charges, encourage your friends and family members to declare no value on these packages. In addition, insuring the package in the United States can also mean higher taxes for you. If the postal carrier in the United States requires insurance or an exact value, they should declare a minimal value.

Delivery Time

Airmail letters and postcards from the United States take a minimum of 10 days to two weeks to reach Florence. Airmail packages take a minimum of two to three weeks to arrive in Florence, whereas items shipped by sea can take three months or longer.

Overnight letters and packages from the United States do not arrive in Italy "overnight." Please warn friends and family members, and plan accordingly. Overnight mail from various couriers can take up to a week.

Shipping Services

There are several economic and efficient ways to ship items home, from a small gift to an entire suitcase. Please ask the Resident Director for information about various local shipping services.