Alternatives to Post Office –Modern Delivery Options

TL;DR

• Courier services, such as DHL, FedEx, GLS, and DPD, are a common alternative to post offices, offering faster delivery options and home pick-up services.
• Door-to-door delivery and parcel lockers provide convenient ways to send parcels without visiting a post office.
• Online shipping comparison tools like Eurosender allow you to find the best courier deals and book shipments directly from home.
• Benefits of using these alternatives include saving time, avoiding heavy lifting, flexible booking options, and potentially lower costs for larger shipments.

Do you need to send a letter or a parcel, but you don’t have the time to go to the post office, or you don’t want to use Royal Mail, Deutsche Post, La Poste or the local postal company?

Luckily for you, there are different alternatives to the postal services without needing to go to the post office to send packages or mail.

What are the alternatives to going to the post office to mail your parcel?

There are different alternative solutions that will help you avoid going to the post office and waiting in the queue with your parcel.

To save time and ship without spending a lot of money, you may consider these alternatives to postal services:

• Courier services
• Door-to-door shipping services
• Online price comparators

Courier services: alternative option to Royal Mail, Deutsche Post and other postal services

The most common alternative to post office and postal services is shipping via courier. Courier companies specialise in parcel deliveries but allow you also to send envelopes.

These companies offer many options for different budgets and urgency. Delivery times are usually shorter than postal services, and some options may even be cheaper than those offered at the post office (especially for heavier shipments).

Courier companies are a good alternative to postal services and can offer different solutions for collection, helping you to avoid long queues at the post office.

• Door-to-door delivery: the courier will come to your address to pick up the parcel. This is the best alternative if you want to avoid going to the post office and send a parcel without going out from home or the office.
• Dropoff at a parcel shop: you will leave the parcel inside a designated automatic locker for the courier to collect it later. This option is ideal for those who need to send small parcels and cannot wait for the courier at home.
• Dropoff at the courier hub: you will need to bring the parcel to the courier’s hub or office, similar to the post office.

What are the most popular courier services?

• DHL is one of the most famous companies, offering express and standard parcel deliveries worldwide.
• FedEx is also one of the main companies specialised in express shipping all over the globe.
• GLS offers affordable parcel delivery services in Europe and North America.
• The DPD group offers mainly standard shipping services: which are good if you need low-cost parcel delivery.

There are many other logistics companies operating in Europe and around the world. To get more information about some of the main couriers, read our dedicated pages.

Ship from home: alternative to spending time at the post office

Both postal and courier services may offer door-to-door delivery, which is ideal when you want to avoid going to the post office. This option is a time-saving alternative to the post office since you won’t need to bring your parcel to the office. While both offer home collection, when scheduling home collection with the courier, you may have more flexibility.

How it works?

The courier or the postman will come directly to your address to collect the parcel. Depending on the service, home collections can occur at an agreed timeframe or date. This option is available not only from home but from any location, like your office or the hotel where you are staying.

The most common ways to book a home collection are via phone call or using the postal company or courier website.

Online shipping comparison: a digital alternative to post office

A great alternative to the post office is using your laptop or smartphone to find online the best option for your shipment in a few clicks.

There are many websites and companies that compare for you the offers of different couriers to find the best and cheapest alternative solution to the post office. The online shipping comparison tools will find the best shipping solution based on your shipment information, such as destination, weight and dimensions, and urgency. Once you provide all the information, you will get a quote, and you can book the shipping service directly on the website.

At Eurosender, we developed an algorithm to find the best courier service based on your requirements within seconds. Using our online calculator, you can immediately see your shipment’s costs without signing contracts or waiting for an answer from the courier.

You may be interested in:

• How to book a shipment online
• How do standard courier services work?
• How to send a parcel from home
• Arrange a parcel collection
• Alternatives to DHL

What are the advantages of using alternatives to postal services?

Choosing alternatives to the post office, like courier comparison platform, can offer many advantages, especially if you need to send frequently.

Here are some benefits you get when booking online alternative solutions to the post office:

• Save time by not going to the post office. With courier services and home collection, you can say goodbye to the long queues and waiting times at the post office.
• Avoid carrying heavy boxes. The courier will collect the package directly at your address, saving you from backache and long walks with the box in your hands.
• Save money. Even though postal services offer you different options, comparing different couriers online will let you find the best and cheapest solution.
• Book when it’s comfortable for you. Online courier service allows you to book any time you want, without the need to adjust to the post office opening hours.
• Send everything you need at once. Couriers offer more service options than post offices, with greater size and weight limits. Send boxes up to 30 or 70 kg depending on the courier, with no extra fees.

Don’t waste your time anymore and book in just a few clicks your next shipment with Eurosender free online comparison tool.