What is the best method for mailing purchases, such as pottery, cermaics, and other breakables, home? I can take bubble wrap but probably not enough for several mailings. Are there places like Mailboxes,Etc. in the larger towns that would box and wrap things? Thank you.

Go to the Post Office and explain what you want to send home. They will provide you with the appropriate-sized box for your wares (you provide the bubble-wrap, etc.). Fill out the forms for insurance purposes, and there you go! Otherwise, wrap the packages yourself with materials gathered from here and there (supermaket - cartons; bubble wrap - papetières; string - maison de la presse) and head for the Poste.

Haven't been to Paris or Provence for few yrs, but there were Mailboxes,Etc., in Florence and Rome last summer.

From a previous posting; plagiarizing myself (excerpted):<BR><BR>Author: Rex ([email protected])<BR>Date: 03/19/2001, 10:19 pm<BR><BR>Message: I'm sorry that this answer is not based on personal experience, but I believe that there have been a number of good experiences reported here, using Mailboxes Etc - - www.mbe.com - - and they will counsel in which courier to use. <BR><BR>Hope this helps. <BR><BR>Best wishes, <BR><BR>Rex <BR>

I neglected to add that we did use Mailboxes in Florence, and it sure beat buying all the stuff you need to send a pkg. home, as I've done on earlier trips. The pkg. arrived shortly after we did; I had mailed it midway thru our 2 wk trip. I'll probably be looking around Paris for a MBE in a couple of weeks.

There is a Mailboxes in Avignon - on the rue Carnot. I had visiting friends use them to mail something home - it was almost twice as expensive as using the post office.<BR><BR>PB

Make sure you know the regulations for import or you'll be charged duty on the items. <BR><BR>I too found La Poste to be the best way to mail things -- all the Christmas presents we sent to the states arrived without a problem.

topping<BR>