How much does it cost to mail a 1st class letter from Paris to the US? Do the postcards at the tourist areas already have the postage on them? Do the post offices have the self serve machines where you weigh your own letter and buy the postage?

A letter is about a euro to 1.5 euro's. Postcards do not have postage, you have to buy postage at a post office or some tobacco shops sell stamps. You will have to get a stamp that says "airmail" on it as well as a postage stamp or the letter or postcard will take 4 to 6 weeks to get home. I did not see any self service machines. You had to walk up to the clerk and they will weigh the letter and tell you the amount due.
JBritt

From France to North America, a postcard or a letter under 20 grams is 0.85 Euros, 1.70 Euros for 20-50 grams.
The post-card in the tourists area don't have stamps (the postage price varies depending on the destination) - The post offices sell pre-stamped envelopes (but don't have a large choice of cards)
You have self service weighing machines in most post offices/
But you generally have to ask a post office clerk for the 'by mail' stamp (some automats have this facilty but not all of them)

85 euro cents up to 20 grams.

I thought that "air mail" terminology went out with the last century. It's called "priority" now, "prioritie" I think in France. Get some stickers from the post office so you don't have to answer questions in French. Priority mail is air mail.

I live in France. I just give the letter (to USA, etc) to the clerk, they do everything and just ask for the money. No problem.

Any one know what it costs from UK to US

The advantage with dealing with the post office clerk is that they will often propose you with prettier stamps than the standard red ones found at tobacconists

It should even be mentioned that when the postal rates changed the last time (October 1st, 2006), the rate was reduced from 90 cents to 85 cents for the rest of the world (while French rates went from 53 to 54 and European rates went from 55 to 60).

What is the present rate for a fist class letter from the the US to the UK? Thanks.

www.usps.com

You can find all rates for postage leaving the U.S.

In Europe, I do what Kaneda does. I buy postcards along the way (no they do not have stamps on them), write them out, then take them to a post office, stand in line, and pay whatever the clerk asks.

I am glad that some people are still sending real mail. To me, it counts about 100 times more than e-mail.

Not Paris, but FYI the postage for postcards from either Austria or Germany is 1 Euro.