How to write the address on a postcard so it actually arrives
Published on 9 July 2026 · 3 min read
You picked your best photo, wrote a few words straight from the heart, and then the card gets lost along the way because of a messy address. It's silly, and it happens more often than you'd think. A clear address is what separates a card that makes your grandmother smile from one that sits for weeks in a sorting centre. A few simple habits are enough to make sure your mail always arrives.
An address reads from top to bottom
The postie, and above all the sorting machine, read an address in a set order. First line, the person's first and last name. Just below, the house number and street name, with the floor or building if it's a big block. On the last line, the postcode and then the town. This name-street-town trio, in that order, is what the sorting system looks for first. Swap the postcode and the town, or forget the number, and the card still leaves, but it takes the scenic route.
Legible first, pretty second
We all want our handwriting to look nice on a card. But the address doesn't need to be beautiful, it needs to be read. Write it with a black or dark blue ballpoint, in clearly separated letters, no flourishes. Skip the pencil that rubs off and the pale markers that smudge. If your card is heading abroad, add the country, spelled out in full, on the last line. And always double-check the postcode: one wrong digit, and your card for Lyon ends up in Limoges.
With UnCoucou, you write nothing by hand
That's exactly where we make life easier. You type the address once, comfortably from your sofa, and we print everything neatly before posting the card for you. No crossings-out, no unreadable postcode, no forgotten stamp. You choose your photo, you write your little note, and we handle the rest, from just €2.49 all in. The card is posted within France, arrives quickly, and your grandmother just has to stick it on the fridge.