Royal Mail has announced its latest recommended Christmas dates for sending international economy surface mail to Eastern and Western Europe.

Economy Surface mail to Eastern Europe, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Malta and Iceland must be in the Royal Mail system by Thursday 2 November 2017, if parcels and cards are to arrive in time for Christmas Day.

Economy mail to the rest of Western Europe, including France, Germany and Italy, should be posted by Thursday, November 16 2017 to arrive in time for the festive season.

Andy Pickering, head of network, Royal Mail, which has a branch in Station Street, Burton, said; "Economy surface mail products provide value for money for those sending cards, letters and parcels to Europe. In the modern world, it is easy to forget that it can still take a long time to reach some destinations by land and sea.

"We don't want anyone to be disappointed if they are waiting for Christmas mail. As always, we urge customers to post all mail as early as possible as Royal Mail builds up to its busiest time of year."

Airmail recommended posting dates for around the globe are typically in early December and will be announced at a later date.