A postcard is a souvenir you can send to your friends and family while you’re away to let them know you’re thinking of them and show off the amazing sights you’re seeing while traveling. Unfortunately, sending postcards — or any snail mail — is a bit of a lost art, and you may have never been taught how to properly address a postcard. Keep reading to learn how to address a postcard.

How To Address a Postcard

Follow these steps to learn how to address a postcard:

Write the recipient’s address on the back of your postcard. Many postcards come with pre-printed lines on the back right side where you can write the recipient’s address. If your postcard is blank on the back, make sure you write the address in the top right corner. Don’t write it too big because you also need to write your message on the back side of the postcard.
Greet the recipient on the left side of the back of the postcard. Start your postcard with a fun greeting — perhaps in the native language of the destination you’re writing from — for example, “Bonjour!” or “Hola!”
Write the date in the top right corner of the left side. Writing the date on the postcard is important because it allows the recipient to remember when you sent the postcard when they look back at it later. It allows them to determine the exact day you sent the postcard since it will take some time to get to them. If you’re sending a postcard-style holiday card with a picture from a trip you took earlier, put the date the picture was taken.
Write your message in the middle of the card’s backside. Now it’s time for the main attraction: your message! Use the blank space that’s provided on the back of the postcard to talk a little about your trip, what you’ve seen, what you’ve eaten, what you’ve learned, who you’ve met, and any other details you’d like to share.
Sign your postcard. Don’t forget to end your postcard by signing your name with a fun sign-off like “wish you were here” or “with love, from (destination). This makes your postcard feel a little more personal — and makes you feel a little closer even though you may be on the other side of the world.
Don’t forget your stamp. Before you send your postcard, it needs a stamp. The stamp goes in the upper right corner of the postcard, next to the mailing address of the recipient. Some postcards will have a box on them that says, “stamp goes here.” Depending on how far you’re sending your postcard, it may require extra postage, so be sure to double-check that you have the proper number of stamps on the postcard before you send it.

How To Write a Postcard

It’s not enough to know how to address a postcard. You also need to know how to write a postcard — or, more importantly, what to write about. Here are some ideas:

What you did that day, including sights and attractions you saw, local cuisine you tried, and people you met.
The best thing you’ve eaten.
The craziest thing you’ve seen.
Details about your favorite day of the trip.
Details from a day of the trip that didn’t go to plan.
A funny story about the trip.
A new tradition you learned or took part in.
How the weather is.
A recipe for a local dish.
A fun fact about the city you’re in.
A phrase in the language of the place you’re visiting — with translation.
A story of the postcard’s photo or a fun fact you learned about what’s pictured in the photo.
Where you’re off to next.

What About a Return Address?

If you’re backpacking through Europe or will be back home long before your postcard actually makes it to its recipient, you may be wondering what the heck to put as a return address. The good news is you don’t have to worry about it.

Since you won’t be putting a return address on your postcard, we recommend sending it with First Class Mail. This added service ensures your postcard arrives at the right destination, even if you addressed it incorrectly. Keep in mind you will only be able to use the First Class Mail feature if you are sending your postcard within the United States.

Mixbook Can Help

Now that you know how to address a postcard and how to write a postcard, you need to find the perfect postcard to send. What if you’re not having luck finding the perfect pre-made postcard, or you’re looking to send a postcard-style save-the-date? With Mixbook, you can create custom postcards. Mixbook combines unique, on-trend designs with a powerful editor, allowing you to create one-of-a-kind photo goods that truly reflect your personal style.