Sending a parcel to France: costs, times and pallet shipments

Shipping details (address, postcode, intercom/digital code, packaging, tracking)

1) Correct address for France (recommended format)

• Name and Surname (or Company)
• Street and house number
• Postcode (5 digits) + City
• FRANCE
• Telephone + email (very useful for delivery and rescheduling)

If you send to flat buildings/apartments (especially big cities like Paris, Lyon, Marseille), always add:

• Staircase / Interior (if any)
• Floor (étage) and flat number
• Intercom code or digicode (if available) to facilitate delivery

Do you want to check postcodes and locations? La Poste official tool

Special features of addresses in France

• In France it is common to write the last 3-4 lines of the address in CAPITAL letters (especially postcodes and cities) to make it more readable and reduce sorting errors.
• The accents (à, é, ê, etc.) must be inserted correctly: if you use capital letters, the risk of misunderstandings is reduced and the label is clearer.
• The wording “a/s” is the French equivalent of “c/o” (at): useful when the addressee receives at another person or company.
• Titles such as “M.” (Monsieur), “Mme” (Madame) o “Mlle” (Mademoiselle) are frequent in addresses, but are not mandatory.
• In the company addresses you can find company acronyms: SAS (simplified public limited company) and SARL (equivalent of our SRL). Entering them correctly helps to identify the company and facilitates delivery.

📍 Example of address in France

• M. Jean Dupont
• a/s Société ABC SARL
• 12 Rue de la République
• Bâtiment B - 3ème étage - Apt 12
• 75011 PARIS
• FRANCE
• +33 6 12 34 56 78

2) Volumetric weight

For light but bulky packages, the cost may depend on the size (not just the kg). Measure length, width and height and enter the correct values.

3) Recommended packaging (parcels and pallets)

• Use a strong and correctly sized box
• Protect contents with shockproof material (especially fragile objects)
• Seal well with strong tape on all joints
• For pallets: stable goods, stretch film and (if needed) strapping. Make sure the pallets either stackable, penalty of significant surcharges.

4) Insurance (extra cover)

In addition to the basic courier cover, you can add additional insurance cover: the cost is calculated as a percentage of the insured amount. You can view and select it when purchasing online (dedicated check): additional costs and coverage value will be shown.
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