France has a number of options for people who want to track parcels and important letters, including La Poste which allows the tracking of letters and post online.
How can I track a letter or parcel?
Go to your local La Poste branch. Show proof of posting which includes a tracking number and barcode. The counter staff should be able to tell you where your letter is.
Track it online. The La Poste website has a tracking tool that works for both letters and parcels. You can enter the tracking number printed on your proof of postage or receipt. This page is also available in English (and German).
La Poste has a tool that lets you track letters and post online, which is also available in EnglishLaPoste.fr/outils/track-a-parcel
What are the types of trackable post?
The main types are:
Tracked letter
Sent via La Poste
Can be tracked using a tracking number, from the time it enters the postal system to the time it is delivered
Not signed for, but put directly in the recipient’s letterbox
Can be used for items in France and abroad
Small parcels weighing up to 2kg, and up to 3cm deep
Delivery generally takes two days within mainland France
Tracked letters are not the same as ‘registered letters’.
Both are trackable, but the former is delivered directly to the letterbox without proof of receipt. Registered letters offer legal proof of dispatch and receipt requiring a signature from the recipient. They can also be compensated in case of loss.
Tracked parcel
Ad
Sent via Colissimo or Chronopost
Can be tracked using a tracking number, with detailed information at each stage of the delivery
Can get proof of posting and sometimes of signature on delivery
Colissimo can offer signed-for or simple letterbox delivery
Since January 1, La Poste's rates have increased by an average of 6.8%.
The prices for a tracked letter depend on the item’s weight and the level of tracking. The lowest rate for basic tracking, which offers a tracking number but no other details or services, starts at €0.50.
Within mainland France, sent via La Poste, full tracking service rates (which may include more detailed tracking and compensation) are:
Up to 20g: €1.89
Up to 100g: €3.28
Up to 250g: €5.22
Up to 2kg: €10.75
Rates for Colissimo and Chronopost also vary considerably depending on the item’s size, weight, and the level of tracking requested.
Sending parcels by Colissimo, within mainland France:
Up to 500g: €7.35
Up to 1kg: €9.40
Up to 2kg: €10.70
Up to 5kg: €16.60
Up to 10kg: €24.20
Up to 30kg: €37.85
Sending parcels by Chronopost:
For the Chrono 13 service, which is next-day delivery before 13:00, within mainland France:
Up to 2kg: €35
Up to 5kg: €40
Up to 10kg: €49
Up to 20kg: €67
Up to 30kg: €85
What is an ‘avis de passage’?
This is an attempted delivery notice. Postal workers will put one in your letterbox if they tried to deliver the parcel but were unable to do so. If you receive one you can arrange a new delivery or collect the parcel from your local delivery depot / La Poste branch.
You will need your avis de passage and a form of ID to do this.
What can I do if a parcel or letter gets lost?
If a letter or parcel has not yet arrived at its destination, the first step is to check the online tracking to check its status.
After that, there are several options depending on the situation.
The parcel is showing as delivered, but it has not been received by the recipient. In this case and you are the recipient, La Poste recommends that you double check your letterbox, and ask your neighbours or caretaker if they have picked it up by mistake. It may also have been delivered to your local depot or La Poste branch instead.
The parcel is ‘blocked’ or lost. If the parcel appears to be blocked (stuck) or lost, you are advised to contact La Poste or the sender. If you are the intended recipient, you can let the sender know, so that they can make a claim for the lost item. If you are the sender, you can lodge a complaint via the La Poste customer service line on 3631, in a post office, oronline.
Depending on the postal service and type, you may be entitled to compensation if an item is lost. Colissimo and Chronopost especially offer this, depending on the service purchased.
Delivery delays
La Poste has been experiencing major delays in the delivery of letters and parcels recently, with at least 1.2 million letters affected since December 2024.
The delays are of just a few days in some departments. In others, including Gironde, letters are weeks and months behind.
The problem has been exacerbated by postal worker strikes, which workers claim are necessary due to La Poste having cut nearly 20,000 mail service jobs in the past four years.
In its defence, La Poste has said it re-recruited 5,400 people in 2024, with the effects of these new staff members still filtering through.
It also said the delays had been exacerbated by staff absences caused by the winter flu epidemic, and by problems with postal addresses (such as people putting the wrong addresses on letters).
