HELP I need tips for writing postcards....
 

I know this sounds a little crazy, but...

I usually travel on tours and find that I barely have enough time on these "rushed" tours to write postcards to all my freinds.
On my most recent trips I have written a one line postcard to my freinds. I simply write "been there, done that".

Can fodorites recommend other something else I can write on the postcards? I need a sentence or two that I can write in future. Thanks.

Miss you much,
Wish you were here,
Gotta run,
It's time for a beer.

Just kidding. You're doing better than I already as I never even manage to send postcards!!

I hate spending time writing postcards and have in fact, abandoned the entire production. This won't help with what to write to people, but when I used to write cards I would bring labels with me that had each person's address on them so I didn't have to hand address the cards. Saved a lot of time.

Try to write a sentence about what you're doing at the time...

I'm enjoying the view of xyz from my hotel in xyz. I'll tell you all about it when I get back.

or...

I had fun trying to speak french at the market when buying a croissant.. wish you were here to translate.

or...

Having a wonderful time, and you're not here. What a coincidence! (this one I actually wrote, and have been given grief about it for the past 15 years!)

Buy a bunch of appropriate cards on eBay and write them before you leave, or possibly on the long boring plane flight to get there, while you have plenty of time to write long, thoughtful messages. Then when you arrive, you just have to buy local stamps.

I second what JNN said. Don't give a blow-by-blow account of the trip, just a quick sentence or two about what you've seen or done that day. I don't send lots of post cards when I travel, but I do send one or two.

I usually write them during meals because I'm sitting and relaxed and have a moment to think. My rule is that it should be completed within 3 bites-2 for the message and 1 for the address.

You can also try using other "down" times like when you're on the bus or waiting in line.

Weather is here, wish you were hot.

or a simple:

Yada Yada Yada

I do what Margie and Anonymous do!!

Write the same thing to everyone - no one ever compares postcard messages.

Addressing postcards can be very time consuming. You have to look up the address and write it down. What I do is make address labels for everyone I want to send postcards to before I leave. I get the clear labels incase there's something on the postcard I don't want to cover up. It makes addressing them so fast and easy!

I guess you even type up some of the above mentioned messages including the name of places you will visit and just stick them on the postcards too!

Utahtea

As Jimmy Buffett says: "The weather is here, wish you were beautiful."

Seriously: I bring labels ready from home and just write a line or two about what's on the front of the card. example: "We toured the Alamo this morning. What an awe-inspiring place. Will be home Tuesday night. Love, (insert names here)." or "Having a great time in Arizona -- enjoying the scenery and food..."

And I always have my postcard stamps ready.

If you're gone for a week or less it doesn't matter, they won't get the cards until after you return home!

ttt.

"Being here, doing this"?

"You'd love this place."

"Can't wait to tell you...."

Hi retiredinflordia, I love what my friends in Italy do (an Italiam custom I guess). When any of them go on vacation they just sign their name and have anyone that is around them sign their name also. No message except for baci etc. It is too sweet.

I do not send postcards anymore. It just seems like more paperwork, which I have to much of at home. Lazy me, LOL, but I finally decided that when I am on vacation I don't want to feel like I have all the "have too's" that I have at home.

My faves:

"Wish you were beer".

"Wish you no fear".

"Fish, you, and beer".

My postcards are like letters. Each one is individual and might only be a sentence or two but there is no formula. I don't send them to everyone I know, just those I really want to share with.

If you feel the need to send a card but don't have the time or interest in writing, just send the card with your name on it, something like Love, Retiredinflorida..
at least the recipient will know that you did think of them.

or you could say,
Hug you, Kiss you,Love you, Miss you ((L))

I love sending postcards to my friends. It's a fun diversion especially when you're traveling solo. Doesn't matter what you say. I send 'em out from Hawaii with "aloha" only. The message doesn't matter but the photo/postcard and the stamp and post office cancellation make it great. From Mexico I write in my bad Spanish. I've seen posted where people write to themselves as a kind of travel journel.

I usually go all the way and end up running out of space..! Thanks for the concept of two-sentence cards. Yes, during a leisurely lunch is a good time to write. I suppose general impressions of a particular site are good; no itinerary rehash needed.

I love to send cards and usually always send one to myself along with the others, with a note about something I did or a place I toured or even the hotel I stayed in (if I have a post card from the hotel). One of the best things I've learned is to go to the hotel gift shop or other nearby shop and buy the cards soon after arriving so they can go into the mail promptly. I can't tell you how many times I've either sent them at the last minute or ended up not getting them mailed at all because I put it off too long. Addressing and stamping them the first night in a new hotel is a good way to wind down and get to sleep! Lulled or dulled - your choice :)

babs001, I also send postcards to myself...I'm constantly asked why I do that....I'm gald I'm not the only person doing this.

Cut your postcard list to elderly widows and little children.

I travel a great deal and not without being told to send a postcard, to take photos of this or that, or to bring back something or other. My response: "I'm sorry, I will be on vacation and I won't have any time to do chores for you."

Just put: Let's do lunch. I'll call when I get back...Lots to tell! Love,......
Or: Wait til I tell you what we did here! Can't wait to see you. Love,...
Or: We are sooooOOOOOO busy and having such a great time, I don't have time to write much, and I would rather tell you in person. Can't wait to see you! Love,...
:) Have Fun.

When we toured Europe for three weeks a long time ago, we sent postcards to our parents from most everyplace we visited. My mother-in-law saved them all and gave them to us on our return. I still have them in a scapebook to this day. Makes a good journal. You might want to ask someone to save yours.

I used to send like 40 or more postcards! no joke! but then it became a chore and not fun anymore. (even though I made labels ahead of time)

now, sometimes I send them, if it's to a brand new destination (i.e. not my umpteenth trip to London) and usually now I just limit it to and handful of people if that. Family and a few friends.

I LOVE getting postcards and I like to think others do too, so maybe I'll try to get more in the swing of it again.

what to write? just a quick impression, one or two sentences - I would write them in cafes over a glass of wine which helps too!

maybe write one neat new thing you learned on your trip? a new word in the local language, how they do "xyz" differently... unusual dress (or, just that you notice they dress REALLY well, etc.)

I have a whole picture album of postcards that I have sent to family & friends over the years. They saved the postcards and gave them back to me. I'm working on my second album now. It does make a great picture journal!

Utahtea

"Yes please. I will have another."

Note I sent on the back of a Red Stripe card while in Negril.

mm

This may be unusual, but I always mail a post card to our home address. Especially when we are travelling out of the country. When I arrive home, I look forward to receiving "my postcard from me"; for written on the card, will be the date, time of day, as well as the prevailing weather conditions and the super bonus will be that I will also have an international stamp. I then put this into my travel album along with my photos. I also buy a postcard from every city I visit. Take it home and when I'm putting together my photo album, I use the postcard as a "Lead-In" page since it will have the name of the city on it.

Send only postcards that give you pleasure to write.

Don't send any postcard out of a sense of obligation.

When appropriate, say "I love you."

Avoid the tacky practice of making up lables on your computer at home to stick on postcards once you arrive at your destination.

"I'm too write to drunk".

"The floors here taste good"

"Since you didn't send me a card from Maui, I wanted to let you know I'm not sending you one from Kauai".

"Sell the house, ship the car and say good bye to the dog for us".

The best of all is to keep a few p'cards from other places where you've gone and mail them from the current place you're visiting with <i>&quot;Just where the hell AM I&quot;?</i>

Right before our 3rd trip to Kauai, I told everyone at work I was really nervous because I let Mrs Kal make all the travel arrangements.

Told them she would book a flight that would stop in 3-4 places in order to save a few $$$$....

Then about a month or two before we left, I had friends from Chicago, St Lou, Dallas, New Orleans, Pitt, DC, Tampa Bay, San Diego and maybe a few other cities all buy me a post card and mail it to me...I filled it out, slapped on a stamp and mailed it back to them and told them when they should mail it. (And, yes...I paid them for the card!)o

Every day my workplace would get a p'card from me from a diff place on the mainland with &quot;Why would I travel to DC to go to Kauai&quot; or &quot;Brrrrr...It's cold in Chicago when you only pack shorts and sandals&quot; etc.

The last day on Kauai I mailed one that said &quot;Really enjoyed my one day here&quot;.

I heard they were lining up at the mail room every day to see &quot;Where's Kal-do&quot;.
O:) O:) O:) O:)

Oh Kal, only you would think of that great joke! I love it. You weren't hiding behind a bush when they handed out brains were you? Take care ;;)

Have you though of sending a e-postcard, these would be quicker but you'll need to log on to send them.

SWillams, what do you mean by e-postcards?

Oh Kal, how you do slay me.

PlaceU2, I laughed out loud with yours, too.

Cheers ((D)) Tiff

LoveItaly,

You wrote &quot;I love what my friends in Italy do. . . When any of them go on vacation they just sign their name and have anyone that is around them sign their name also. No message except for baci etc. It is too sweet.&quot;

I'll bet this is a habit from before the Italian postal service was privatized. Postage on postcards were charged at two different rates. A lower rate was charged for messages of less than 10 words. A postcard with more than 10 words was considered a letter and so was charged a higher fee.
A US friend who moved to Italy thought it was great that none of her new Italian friends expected long postcard messages. They all just wrote &quot;Saluti&quot; and signed their name to save money.

Hi ellenem, thanks for the history on the Italian postoffice rates. I never knew that! Leave it to the Italians to always figure out how to get around the rules, LOL.

The one thing that causes confusion is reading ten different names and trying to figure out who is who, in otherwords which friend actualy sent the postcard because it is hard to read the signatures. Love receiving them though. Best wishes!

justshootme, I meant a postcard downloaded from the internet, these are available on some websites, and sent to your freinds by email.

I often write the same thing on several post cards, figuring no one will compare. However, on my last trip to Rio, I sat in a cafe with my two guy friends and ordered a plate of beef tongue. I shared my plate with them, and immediately wrote a postcard to a mutual friend of ours saying, &quot;I gave the boys tongue today.&quot; It was just something we thought was too hilarious to say in a private email!

Actually, my postcards often focus on the best thing I ate that day. hmmm. Seems like a pattern!

ttt