Every district in Rome has at least one post office, but they don’t all have the same functions. Smaller offices do not usually send larger parcels. For stamps it is not necessary to go to a post office anyway. If you want to be sure that your postcards, letters or parcels reach their destination, you should use the postal service of the Vatican City. It is not recommended to use services such as Globe Postal Service and Friend Post.
Post Offices Rome
Stamps and Post Offices Rome
One of the frequently asked questions is “Where is the nearest post office?” Usually the real meaning of the question is, “Where can I buy stamps?” You can get these of course at post offices, but it is far easier and less time-consuming to get them from tobacco shops. Just show the destination address and you will get the right stamp. The Italian word for stamp is francobollo. Tobacco shops (tabacchi) are recognizable by an exit sign with a white letter “T” on a dark background.
Opening Hours Post Offices Rome
To find out the opening hours of a post office in Rome, please visit the official Poste Italiane website. You will need the street name. Different offices often have different opening hours.
Mailboxes
Letterboxes in Rome have two slots where you can drop your mail, “Roma Città ” (The City of Rome) and “Tutte le Altre Destinazioni” (All Other Destinations). Remember to use only the red Poste Italiane letterboxes.
Receiving mail in Rome
Sometimes people want parcels sent to their hotel, bed and breakfast or hostel. We do not recommend this, as the Italian mail service is not really trustworthy and parcels can sometimes arrive torn, empty or not at all. It is better to pay a little more and use reliable services like FedEx or UPS.
Sending packages from Rome
Not all post offices do this. If you have a hotel or bed and breakfast in the center of Rome, you should go to the branch at Rome Termini, on Via Marsala. Another large post office that has this function is that on the corner of Via delle Terme di Diocleziane, also close to Termini.
Vatican Post Office
The Vatican City has its own postal service, with its own stamps and a service that works much better than the Italian postal service itself. This service has offices at St. Peter’s and in the San Giovanni in Laterano Basilica (inside the giftshop). You have to make sure that you do not use Italian stamps but stamps from the Vatican itself. (Note: Letters or postcards with stamps of the Vatican cannot be thrown in Roman mailboxes either.)
Friend Post and Global Postal Service
When you buy stamps you should first check that they are from the Poste Italiane. Nowadays there are a number of private companies that deliver mail, but they are more expensive and the mail often arrives late or not at all. The best known are Friend Post and Global Postal Service. These companies have special mailboxes, often in the shops where the stamps (stickers, really) are also sold.