How do I send a letter to israel ?

relaxation

Fri, Aug 04 2023, 9:03 am

I want to send a surprise letter to a friend of mine who I have her address in israel but I don't know know how to do it practically form USA.
So for example if her address was
38/12 Gershon HaNavi
Ramat Bet Shemesh Gimmel
*******
(this is a fake address)

1 Can I write it in English letters like this ?

2 If I am understanding correclty 38 is the address and 12 is apartment number ?

3 I would take to usps I am assuming and say I want to send to isreal and they would give me the price and would provide a tracking number ?

amother

Tealblue

Fri, Aug 04 2023, 9:10 am

relaxation wrote:

Yes u can write in English or Hebrew. Write Israel under the address. You don’t need to bring to the post office you can just put on 3 stamps and put it in a mailbox. If it’s heavier might need 4 stamps or get weighed at the post office
I never get a tracking number and my relatives get it in about a week

amother

Nemesia

Fri, Aug 04 2023, 9:16 am

amother Tealblue wrote:

I don’t think this works anymore. You need international stamps.

amother

Lime

Sun, Aug 06 2023, 4:28 am

The mail is so unreliable. I've sent stuff to relatives and it gets lost, takes ages to arrive etc. I usually just try and send stuff with people I know. Like I'd send a birthday card to my parents and I would have them pick it up. Most people don't mind taking a small envelope in the case.
Write the address in hebrew if you are posting, but put Israel in english. I think it finds its way better if it's in hebrew.

miriamg

Sun, Aug 06 2023, 6:35 am

I would include a zip code. In Israel every building has its own zip code. Use this website to find it (enter בית שמש as city): https://israelpost.co.il/%D7%A.....7%93/

And make sure you write in big block letters ISRAEL under the city.

juggling

Sun, Aug 06 2023, 6:37 am

Be sure to write Israel under the address. Do not write Jerusalem, Israel, 99999 (fake zip code). If you put the zip code you can write Jerusalem 99999 and then Israel underneath in big letters. If the post office on the US side scans the zip code before realizing it's going to another country, it will end up going to wherever that zip code is in the US, first.

You won't get a tracking number for a letter you mail internationally, unless you use registered mail. If it's something valuable and you want to be sure it gets there you could use registered mail or, even better, a service like FedEx.

imasinger

Sun, Aug 06 2023, 6:39 am

Mail has gotten so awful. Might you know (or find here) someone who lives near her, to whom you could email or text your letter (even scan something handwritten to print out), and they could deliver it?

essie14

Sun, Aug 06 2023, 6:41 am

The mail is so terrible. If all you're sending is a letter, just email it. Even if you handwrite it and scan it, that's better than mailing it.
It can take months to arrive, or possibly not at all.
When people ask me for my address to send me a wedding invitation, I tell them to whatsapp me a picture. It's not worth the money for the postage.
If you want to send something important, send it via FedEx.

DrMom

Sun, Aug 06 2023, 6:46 am

If you send something by registered mail or UPS or some carrier with tracking capability, it is much better.

Otherwise, I'd try to send communication electronically (whstapp, text, email, etc.)

salt

Sun, Aug 06 2023, 6:56 am

Zeleze wrote:

I got a wedding invitation that as sent out a month before the wedding, I received it a few days after the wedding

Thats the service Israel post gives you.

It's not necessarily the post in Israel.

I know of 2 cases - a colleague who tried sending a small package to his family from Israel to US, tracked by registered post. As soon as it arrived in the US, they lost all tracking of it. The Israeli post said it's left Israel, and the US post said it can't be found.

And a case of a friend who tried sending a small package from UK to Israel - after 1 month, it was tracked as not having left the UK.

Shuly

Mon, Aug 07 2023, 5:48 am

relaxation wrote:

1. You can write it in English or Hebrew. Just make sure to write ISRAEL in English in big letters and AIR MAIL on the envelope.

2. Yes 38 is the address and 12 is the apt. In Israel, we usually write the name of the street first - Gershon Hanavi 38/12 or Gershon Hanavi 38 apt 12, but it is still fine to write it the way you wrote it.

3. If you want to go to the post office, they will charge you for an air mail stamp. I'm not sure that the tracking number helps once it leaves the country.

Honestly, if you order her a gift on Amazon that ships to Israel, she will probably get it before the letter.

amother

Violet

Mon, Aug 07 2023, 6:53 am

It's more of a letter of appreciation that I want to send with my own handwrting involved and email won't have the same effect which is why I don't want to do it that way. When I go to usps how much will they charge ?

amother

Violet

Mon, Aug 07 2023, 6:56 am

imasinger wrote:

maybe I could do this although not practical enough. Is there a way I can pay for priority express mail ?

amother

Violet

Mon, Aug 07 2023, 6:57 am

essie14 wrote:

I have never sent via fedex or ups how much would they charge me ? (remember this is just a letter)