The parcel service keeps people in contact all year round, but that means encountering all sorts of environments and weather conditions.

Here in the UK, it’s not uncommon to see couriers and post men doing their daily rounds on bicycles and in postal vans.

Some even walk their routes, provided they aren’t too long of course.

But there’s plenty more novel ways of getting the post to people, just take a look at these options from around the globe...

By air

Speeedy

Not all post stays within national borders and that might mean a little (or a long) trip by air depending on where a package needs to go.

There’s nothing new about using aircraft to carry mail and its certainly quicker than loading parcel bags onto ships destined for the other side of the globe!

By hovercraft

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In more remote coastal regions of the world, keeping regular lines of contact can be quite difficult, especially if there isn’t space to land a plane.

Instead, a hovercraft is one option used, providing a fast and efficient method of getting parcels and other suppliers between two locations.

By sled

steamboatvacations

In some parts of the world using regular transport is just not an option. In snow covered winter landscapes for example, using sled dogs to travel between settlements is not uncommon.

Sleds can be loaded up with all sorts of parcels, meaning even those in the remote regions can still receive what they need.

By snowmobile 

Lakesuperiortradingpost

A slightly more modern version of the dog sled, the snowmobile merely replaces the dogs with a high powered engine.

Obviously one major limitation with this method of delivery is that it needs to have snowed before hand – it’s safe to say it isn’t summer vehicle!

By rickshaw

nextbillion

In busy Japanese cities, the rickshaw is the ideal postal vehicle. While it isn’t capable of large parcels it can still weave its way through traffic to ensure a prompt delivery.

It is also popular with the Indian postal service for the same reasons, while more recently solar powered rickshaws – Soleckshaws – have entered service.

By missile?

findingdulcinea

OK, so well all know that this doesn’t happen. But for a brief time in the 1950’s it did look like it might!

The US Postal Service and the American Ministry of Defence partnered to launch a missile carrying letters from a submarine – thoughtfully dubbed “missile mail”.

A test in 1959 was successful, but the idea never really took off – probably because the trial was merely a showcasing of American military might at the height of the Cold War.

By Segway?

popularmechanics

Another idea that didn’t really ever work– experiments with Segway’s took place in the early part of the current millennium.

However, when faced with bumpy pavements, kerbs and stairways it was utterly useless and inefficient – so it was dumped shortly after its introduction.

As you can see there are plenty of ways to transport your post around the globe. If history has taught us anything though, it is that people will try out new methods in the future!