IRC help! :)

[CarlaBrandi]

IRCs confuse me completely! Please help
I'm wanting to send from the UK to France and get a reply, so im thinking im gonna need one...
How many would i need exactly?
& what exactly are they, e.g. are they the same as stamps?
I know what they are for just not how to properly use them :/
Do I need to use British stamps aswell?
Where do I put an IRC? include it/them or actually on the envelope?
& one last thing, I get them from the post office right?

Sorry for all the stupid questions..I need it described to me in simple terms as I honestly have no idea when it comes to an IRC

Thankyou!

[neni pa]

Supposed that an IRCs serves to send a letter by post to anywhere in the world.
On the back reads: this coupon is exchangeable in any contry of the universal postal union for the minimum postage for an unregistered priority item or an unregistered letter sent by air to a foreign country.
I always send one IRC
You just have to put a IRC and you want to send, without further complications

[osiris]

Hi CarlaBrandi

IRCs are purchased from the Post Office (you may find they're not available in smaller ones, so hunt around). Make sure they're stamped by the Post Office when you buy them, this makes them valid. You would put the IRC inside your envelope, along with your return envelope, letter and any photos you are sending. You can paperclip them to your return envelope if you like (don't use staples). You do not need to put any more stamps on the return envelope, just write your address on it and "Airmail/Par Avion" on the top left corner. I would suggest using 2. One may cover it, but as you're likely sending photos and what not, 2 would be advisable.

Just a warning that the current ones expire at the end of this year, new ones should be available now so make sure if you buy one it has an expiry date after that.

[TheBritishBloke]

As said above, they're very hard to come by in the UK, especially in smaller towns, I even went to my regional post office, and they said they won't have any for another 6 months due to reissuing, don't think thats right though seeing that they are valid until end of 2011 right now.

[kimmylee]

Not in all of the UK; I walk into a central, 7 window post office and can get IRC's just like that. They are even so freely available they keep them in the stamp books.

[TheBritishBloke]

Not in all of the UK; I walk into a central, 7 window post office and can get IRC's just like that. They are even so freely available they keep them in the stamp books.

Exactly. A CENTRAL post office. There's such a small amount of them, not easy for everyone to get to and as I said, nor did my central one actually carry any.

It's better value to trade with people on here for US or other foreign stamps.

[CarlaBrandi]

Thankyou everyone who answered..they are really hard to get where i am :/
x