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[wondershot.livejournal.com]

Not directly language related, but I hope you can still help me:

I'm mailing a package from America to a friend in Russia, but I've heard crazy tales about Russian post offices and I'm concerned that my New Year's gifts might not reach their destination unless I take some special precautions. How would you go about sending a package to Russia? This is my first time doing this.

For instance, I need to write the recipient address in English and Russian, right? And fill out the customs forms of course... I bet this will be so expensive :/

If this has been asked before or some other site talks about this, just point me to a link. Thanks.

Comments

[cassandraclue.livejournal.com]

Also bear in mind that what the USPS will tell you is only how long it takes to get to Russia on their side. Once it gets to Russia, it is anyone's guess how long the package will take to get to your friends. It took six weeks or so for a package from my parents to get to me, with the fastest shipping. Best way to send stuff to Russia is fedex.

[firebottle.livejournal.com]

Usually it takes a week or two. The common mistake is the lack of P.O. code - it should be specified both in English and Russian parts of address, as well as city or region:
For example:

Russia, 143400, Moscow region, Krasnogorsk
Россия, 143400, Московская обл., г. Красногорск, ул. Парковая, 54-321
Сидорову И. П.

This example is semi-real: there is Krasnogorsk town in Moscow region, there is Parkovaya street (but only with about 20 buildings in it) and it has P.O. code 143400.

[bokh.livejournal.com]

I never write the complete address in English, just the country name, and that was always enough. It's a good idea to make the postal code stand out by putting it on a separate line, e.g.:

RUSSIA / РОССИЯ
143400
Московская обл., г. Красногорск,
ул. Парковая, 54-321

You do, however, have to write the complete address in English on that aforementioned green customs form, but I doubt is used by the Russian postal service. The green form is for the smaller packages, by the way. If you exceed 3 or 5 pounds (don't remember exactly), you'll get the white form, which is somewhat longer than the green one.

I've recently read somewhere that insuring the package increases the changes that it won't get lost. Personally I never buy insurance and haven't lost a single package so far (knocks on wood).

[wondershot.livejournal.com]

I have everything but a postal code. Rats.

Does Yandex.ru have a googlemaps-esque feature whereby you can punch in a partial address and it'll just happen to give you the postal code along with the official location of the address on a map?

It doesn't look like they have much info for Velikii Novgorod... I'll just have to ask my friend.

Thanks, btw.

[bokh.livejournal.com]

>Does Yandex.ru have a googlemaps-esque feature whereby you can punch in a partial address and it'll just happen to give you the postal code along with the official location of the address on a map?

I haven't seen such a thing.

Here's a couple of links where you can look up the street manually:

http://postindex.ypages.ru/rus/nd16884/qu1200/ic7841668
http://www.ruspostindex.ru/53/1.html

[wondershot.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

[wondershot.livejournal.com]

Perfect, btw.