Holy Postcard Stamps, Batman, Vatican City Has its Own Post Office!
If you know anyone who still collects stamps (is that even still possible with all the self-adhesive jobbies out there nowadays?) and you’re going to Rome, you’ll do them a big favor by swinging into the Vatican City post office. You won’t get your passport stamped, and you won’t realize that you’ve crossed a border, but Vatican City is its own little country within the city limits of Rome - and consequently has its own post office.
The Italian postal system is notoriously slow, in direct contrast to the Poste Vaticane, and according to some people has more issues than just lack of speed. There’s only one post office in Vatican City, and it’s worth it to stop in if only to send a Pope postcard to the Catholics you know. On my first Italian trip in 2001, I only sent one postcard from the Vatican’s post office, and it was near the end of our trip… And that card made it to its destination faster than the ones I’d sent from Venice during our first few days in Italy.
Shelley of At Home in Rome has an anecdote of what a trip to the Vatican’s post office is like.
By Jessica | Permalink
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Comments
I am planning a trip to Italy in December and would like to send some postcards from the Vatican post office. I need to know what size post cards are to send with postcard stamps and how much in Euros each stamp (only the stamp) will cost. Thank you, Belinda Patterson
Thanks for the question, Belinda - last time I was in Rome, it was the usual size postcards that I was sending from the Vatican Post Office. As for the cost, you’ll have to ask at the post office counter when you arrive - just like in any country, stamp costs change occasionally, so it’s best if you just ask when you get up to the counter. (I will say that postage costs in the US tend to be much lower than postage in other countries, so be prepared for it to be higher than you might expect.) Bring the postcards you wish to send with you, and ask how much it would cost to send that postcard to whatever country you’re sending it to. Have a great trip!
Hi,
I just sent a postcard right before New Years and the postage cost was .80 Euros for the standard post cards from the vatican. How long did it take for yours to get to their destinations?
Thanks
Hi, Bruce, and thanks for the current postage costs! Unfortunately, my experience with the Vatican post office wasn’t great, but it was also my own fault. I only sent one postcard from Vatican City (to my Catholic postcard-collecting friend!), and I used the wrong zip code. So, it took forever. But I hear that generally speaking the Vatican post office is a zillion times faster and more reliable than the Italian post. Provided you use the right zip code, of course… 
Why can’t I Just GET THE OFFICIAL ZIP CODE FOR VATICAN CITY ROME ITALY? EVERY THING ELSE IS ALL OVER THE NET BUT THAT PLEASE REPLY ASAP THANX
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[…] even need your passport. You can, however, send a postcard or two with Vatican stamps from the Vatican post office. Keep reading for tips on visiting Vatican City, especially during the extremely busy summer […]