Question:
Does it cost the same or less to send a postcard from Europe to theU.S.?What are postal rates like for postcards to U.S. in various Europeancountries?Just trying to get a rough idea.Thanks for your help.

Answer: Don't forget to add that postage rates in all the EU countries are exactlyuniform -- a la their common currency (the "Euro")...this cuts downconsiderably on any confusion that might arise They are not uniform.But the rates are not very different.

I personally appreciate seeing a stamp of the country where the card issupposed to come from. A stamp from a different country means theperson who sent it forgot to mail it in time, unless that was anattempt to save a few cents, as I can see now.I have often noticed that a card in a envelope - at letter rate - tendsto get home faster. In some countries the rate is the same. In somecountries your get a free envelope with each card.Cards posted on the first days of your trip may get home before you.Cards posted at the last minute (at the airport ...) never will, in anycountry.Shops in France make no profit with stamps. They buy them the sameprice as you and me. They sell them as a courtesy to their customers.Very often they have only the internal rate. Mail for Europe is now 2cents extra. Except in very touristy places, no reason for them tostore stamps to far distant countries. Tobbaconists do make a smallprofit. They genrally do not know the rate for foreign countries.Post offices are marked "la Poste" outside.Many have automatic machines in French and English that will deliverlabels for any card or letter, accordng to the weight, for any country.Stamps are on the way out. If you want "collectors" stamps there is aspecial teller for them.