Addressing to the US
 

Silly question, but are there any special addressing requirements for sending correspondence or packages from Italy to the US? I've never mailed anything from outside the US...nothing.

If my address is:
MDTravel
1234 Street Name
City, State ZIP

What additions/modifications do I need to make to get it from Italy to my house?

USA

Where does that fall? After the ZIP or on a separate line at the end?

Your name
your address
your city, state, zip code
USA

It really doesn't make a difference where you put the USA--on the same line with the city, state and zip or a separate line!

My parents just returned from 3 months in Italy. They sent post cards all the time. Each one came with a stamp (of course) and a small blue sticker saying postaprioritaria (priority mail). When you go to the post office to mail your goods home, you'll want one of those stickers. It's the equivalent of our "par avion" blue stickers--the ones that are hardly used anymore because everything gets rubber-stamped. The post card stamp cost .77 euros.

One handy hint. My parents printed out all the addresses on address label stickers using their computer. It saved them a lot of time when writing home and had the added benefit of making their cards and letters completely legible. Everyone complains about Italian mail delivery, but all our mail came pronto!

The address labels is exactly the root of my question. I'm leaving tomorrow and that's one of the last things on my to do list.

Don't sweat it - one time I forgot to add the "USA" on my labels and simply wrote "USA" on the postcard just below the label.

As long as the USA is there somewhere it will be OK. Even w/o the USA it will usually get there just sometimes takes longer.

Do be sure to use the airmail stickers.

mdtravel, just be sure to write a trip report when you get back. From all the questions you've been asking, it appears that you have all the bases covered. Should be a memorable trip!!!!

are u kidding, just write it on the card! all the post office in europe does is look for the air mail label and the USA and it goes off for handling to the exact address once it arrives in the USA.

By the way, mail handling in Italy is about as bad as it can get. Don't expect anything to arrive at least a week or even two after you return home if ever at all. The only way to get mail handled faster is to mail it from official Vatican City post office with a Vaticn City stamp because they handle their own mail, the Italian gov't never touches it. Letters with Italian stamps cannot be mailed from Vatican city.

My great aunt once sent a postcard to my family from Italy. The address went like this:
The Browns
North side of town over near the railroad tracks
Corning, NY
Yes, she was a bit batty but the card got to us!

For mailing packages you'll need a "Customs Label" which they'll give you to fill out at the Post Office.