Does anyone know about how long it would take a letter to get from Italy to the east coast of the US? I would like to send some birthday cards while we are there, but need to know the timing.
Thanks,

Everytime I have sent postcards to friends/family in New England it has taken 5 days for them to arrive.

We sent several large envelopes home to California from Rome and Florence two years ago. They took almost two months to get home. We definitely got home before they did. They also had been riffled through, though nothing taken. They were full of post cards, travel books no longer needed and other flat stuff. I hope small letters or post cards will take less time. We won't mail from Italy again.

I guess I've been lucky, with only one exception out of many postcard mailings over the years, my postcards arrive with a week, often much less, sometimes they arrive at home before I do.
I'd allow a week, and I'd mail it from the post office if you want a little extra assurance.

Same as BabsB, it took nearly 2 months for my post cards to get home to NYC from Rome.

In my experience the lat few years, the fastest mail from Italy to the US was from Italy. It took between four days and a week, usually five days, except for one postcard mailed at the same time from the same box, which took two months. Much to my amazement, mail was also fast from remote Basilicata. Mail took a little longer--usually around a week--when sent from Florence and from north-central Italy. I think it took between five days and a week from towns in Umbria.

There is a huge difference in the way different levels of mail are treated. For fastest delivery, use posta prioritaria and, in addition to the appropriate postage, apply on the little "posta prioritaria" sticker. It could take as little as four days. The next highest postage below that will get you more erratic service--anything between five days and months.

It used to be so much worse. My postcards sent from Rome in 1973 never did arrive in the US. I suspect that the hotel receptionist peeled off the stamps and reused them, or that there was some racket in the P.O. with postal workers selling stolen mail as paper pulp.

Mial from Italy is VERY slow, snail's pace in fact. I would go with mail, but that's just me.

hehe (sorry, couldn't resist)

LOL Hightide! Hi klapenta, when I am sent postcards from Italy to CA I usually get them within 7 to 10 days. Letters (in an envelope) arrive in about 9 to 10 days. Years ago the mail from Italy was sooooo slow, but in the last ten years it has speeded up considerably. Maybe to be absolutely sure the birthday cards will arrive by the birthday mail them from Italy 12 days ahead of time.

Hey LoveItaly - howse you doing? Leaving for Italy next Tues. and haven't forgotten my promise to bring you 'small' murano piece (long-ago thread, remember?)

Anyhoo - please pardon my hijacking...

Hi Hightide!!! Leaving for Italy next Tuesday!!! Oh cripes, I am envious

Do have a fabulous time. But how could you not, being in Italy. You promised me a small "something" from Murano? Good grief, my memory must get better! Any beautiful Italian glass momento will do. And seriously, have a beautiful trip. Best wishes.

Duplicate thread, but this is the one with the replies.

I sent some postcards from Italy a few years ago. Took over 5 weeks. In fact, I think it was more like 6. WAY slow. From most other countries, it is no problem, but the Italians seem to be on a permanent siesta.

In my experiencve mail from Italy is very uneven (can take from 5 days to 5 weeks for a postcard). We ended up sending everything from the Vatican - which does a booming business in stamps for just this reason.

It's very important to use the correct postage for the level of service that you want. There's a big idfference between prioritaria, which is very fast, and the level just before it, which could happen to be be just as fast if you're lucky or could be delayed for weeks. If you do use prioritaria, you should use the little stickers so that the postal employees can't miss it. The Italian postal system has improved a lot since the 1970s when a 60 Minutes program said that it was the second slowest in the world next to Tibet.

Thanks, all----where do I get the little stickers for "posta prioritaria"?
At the post office?

You should receive these stickers (I think they were dark blue and white) when you buy the stamps from either the P.O. or a tobacco shop.