Post Office & Mail

Cibeles (Main Branch)
Lista de Correos
Palacio de Comunicaciones at Plaza de las Cibeles
Metro: Banco de España

For general deliveries:
Monday-Friday 9am-8pm & Saturday 9am-2pm
Tel. 902-197-197

Stamps & general services
Monday-Saturday 8am-midnight & Sundays 8am-10pm
Picking up your mail

You will need to bring your passport in order to pick up your mail.

Have General Delivery mail sent to:
YOUR NAME
Lista de Correos
28014 Madrid (Spain)

Mailboxes
Mailboxes are on many corners. They are yellow and usually have two slots, one marked Ciudad fro mail sent with a Madrid address; the other slot is for mail destined outside Madrid. (If there is only one slot, any destination is allowed).

Stamps
Stamps can be bought at one of the many "estancos" (tobacco shops) around the city. They will even weigh envelopes for you in order to get the precise postage. Generally, letters and post cards to international destinations cost 0.42 euros, with a 0.70 euro airmail surcharge for post to North America.  Postage stamps come in MANY shapes and sizes and can be purchased atany of these "Estancos" throughout the city (on just about every other block in the city center at least). Do not look for the word "Estanco" but rather ""Tabacos" or "Timbres" ("Tabacs" in Cataluña, Valencia and Baleares) for the Estancos are actually tobacconists. Aside from the "Tabacos" shops, you can get stamps at any post office that you may come accross.

"Estancos ("Tabacos") are open during normal Spanish business hours, jejeje, or in other words from 9:00am(ish) to 2:00 pm(ish)Click for the big picture and then in the afternoons from 5:00pm(ish) to 8:00 or 9:00pm(ish) from Mon-Fri and most open on Saturday mornings as well.

Tip: there is also a fully functional post office in the basement of the Corte Ingles department store in the Puerta del Sol that is open from 10:00am to 9:00 pm from Monday to Saturday. It is a good idea to use this post office during the summer months (especially August) when many "Estancos" either cut back their hours or shut down completely. Expect LONG to VERY LONG lines at the Corte Ingles Post office however, especially at midday during the week.

Mailing Rates: rates vary depending on the destination and/or letter weight/size but a normal letter or postcard (up to 20 grams) costs:

* to anywhere within Spain - 0.25 euros or approx. $­0.21 cents.

* to anywhere else in Europe (including Greenland) - 0.45 euros or approx. $­0.40 cents.

* to anywhere else in the world - 0.72 euros or approx. $­0.63 cents.

Although you can find one one just about every other street, there is a great list of Estancos in Madrid and all of Spain at www.cigarros-puros.com/directorio/madrid.htm (website in Spanish but a list is a list).

Note: the official website for the Spanish Postal Service is online at www.correos.es and while it is a very comprehensive and easy to use, it is only in Spanish.