We have been asked to mail a check as a room deposit - I'm not wild about this but the hotel is a place I have wanted to stay and the price is right! I must admit I am concerned about the reliability of the mail but maybe that is an out of date prejudice. Has anyone here done this? Any problems? How much is the postage (US to Italy)? And does all mail go by air now or do you pay more for that? Grazie! SueC1

Postage to Italy for a letter-size envelope is $0.84.

Why would you be concerned about the reliability of mail? I send mail to and receive mail from all over the world without problems (well, it's really, really slow getting to and coming from Ethiopia). Italy's a modern nation!

It goes by air.

I beg to differ slightly with StCirq. Mail to and from Italy tends to take longer than to and from other European countries. Also, I would advise disguising the fact that it is a cheque by folding it in a sheet of white paper.

Hi S,

Also write "for deposit only" on the back.

I would suggest you use the USPS Global Priority delivery service rather than just sticking it in a regular envelope. It is well worth the modest cost (around $5 or something).

SueC1,

I mailed a deposit on an apartment in Umbria, using the US Postal Service. No problems. It took a few days, but I see no issues. Just go to the Post Office to insure you have correct postage.
Have a great Trip.

Cesca1

Yeah, we mailed our deposit for an apartment and it was just fine. Take it to the post office so you get the right postage on it - rates all just changed.

Won't they take a card? It's very Italian to demand a cheque! Do take all the precautions the other people posting recommend. 'There's a lot of it about'

I mail/receive letters (and money, vice versa) to/from Italy all the time. Mail from California to Italy gets there within 7 days' time. (I have received 800 euros in the regular post mail from Italy just fine - it is unlikely you will even have to send that much!) I wouldn't worry about it if I were you. If you do decide on regular post mail, send it in a security envelope, enclosed in card.

Alternatively, you can also either 1) wire the money to the hotel's bank account OR 2) send via DHL. I have done both as well. If wiring the money, you would need the bank's routing number and intl code, it takes about 1 day for the transaction to post. DHL has expedited delivery (w/i 3 days) and you can get a signature release on your envelope as proof it was received.