For many visitors, the Cinque Terre are postcard villages before anything else, the whole point of the trip is to see, in person, the glimpses that circulate endlessly online. Alongside the souvenir photos, plenty of guests still love sending a real, physical postcard to friends and family. If that's you, here's what actually works, and what to avoid.
Where to buy postcards
You can buy postcards almost anywhere: traditional stationers, tobacconists, souvenir shops, shops selling local products, and often bars. Our advice is to look past the most generic, mass-produced ones, an easy but very personal preference.
If you're staying with us, we also sell postcards at the hotel, our own photographs, refreshed with new shots whenever we reprint, so returning guests always find something new. Postcard prices across the Cinque Terre generally range from €2 to €3-4, depending on size and where you buy them.
Where to buy stamps, and where not to
This is the part that actually causes problems, and it's the reason we keep writing about it.
Our advice: don't buy stamps at souvenir shops, tobacconists or stationery stores. Many of these only sell stamps from private postal operators, which cost more and, critically, can only be posted in special boxes located at those same shops. Those boxes aren't collected by the regular postman, they're emptied by a separate service that often only comes around every three to four weeks. Guests who don't know this end up wondering, weeks later, why their postcard never arrived, or arrived long after they got home.
Go to the post office instead, the same reliable option it's always been. Mornings tend to be busy, so early afternoon is usually a calmer time to go.
If you're our guest, we'll take care of it for you: official Poste Italiane postage, sent out daily.
Official postage rates, 2026
A significant change happened in May 2026: Poste Italiane removed priority mail from its universal service, both domestically and internationally. The old fast "Posta Prioritaria" stamp no longer exists for postcards. What's left is the standard service, Posta Ordinaria for Italy and Postamail Internazionale for abroad, with official 2026 rates as follows:
- Italy (Posta Ordinaria): from €1.50
- Europe (Postamail Internazionale, Zone 1): €2
- Mediterranean basin and Middle East (Zone 2): €2
- Americas, Africa and Asia (Zone 3): €2.80
- Oceania (Zone 4): €3.50
Since priority mail no longer exists as a standard, stamp-based option, delivery times have generally slowed down across the board, even sending the right way, through the post office, now takes a little longer than it used to. It's a good idea to set expectations accordingly, and to post your cards early in your trip rather than on your last day.
Where to actually post them
If you've followed our advice above, posting is simple: use the standard postal boxes, red for domestic mail in Italy, sometimes blue for international, usually found outside post offices and near tobacconists.
If you've bought a different kind of stamp from a private operator, you'll generally need to post it at the shop where you bought it, or check the collection points listed on the stamp itself or the operator's website.
FAQ
Why did my Cinque Terre postcard take weeks to arrive?
Almost certainly because it was posted with a stamp from a private postal operator, sold at many souvenir shops and tobacconists, which is only collected every three to four weeks from special boxes at those shops. Official Poste Italiane stamps, posted in the standard red boxes, are far more reliable.
Is there still a fast, priority option for sending postcards?
No. Poste Italiane removed priority mail from its universal service in May 2026. Standard post is now the only stamp-based option, and it takes a little longer than the old priority service used to.
Can I buy stamps and postcards at the Oasi?
Yes. We sell our own postcards at the hotel, and if you're staying with us, we take care of official postage and daily posting for you.
