How Much It Costs to Send Flowers Overseas, Explained by a Florist
The cost of sending flowers overseas is made of two parts: the bouquet itself and delivery in the destination city. With us, a bouquet sent to a Russian city costs the price of the bouquet plus 500 RUB for city delivery, while remote districts and suburbs are priced by the operator when the order is confirmed. For orders from Russia to other countries, the price on the country or city page is already converted to rubles and already includes delivery, so the figure you see at checkout is the figure you pay.
In our Saint Petersburg shops, which we have run since 2011, this is one of the most frequent questions from customers whose children, parents or friends live in another country. The honest answer is that the total depends far more on the bouquet you choose and the date you send it than on the distance. Below we break down where the money goes, what pushes the price up, and how to send something lovely without overpaying.
What you actually pay for in an international flower order
Customers often expect a large 'international' surcharge on top of everything, and they are surprised by how readable the price turns out to be. Distance alone does not decide the total: the size of the bouquet, the flowers in it and the date of delivery matter much more. A modest bouquet for Berlin or Toronto is not automatically a luxury purchase, and a lavish one for the next street is not automatically cheap. The useful habit is to look at the final price at checkout rather than guessing from the map.
For orders within Russia, our pricing is simple to read. The bouquet price is shown in the catalogue, city delivery costs 500 RUB, and for remote districts and suburbs the operator confirms the delivery price when confirming the order, before anything goes out. A card with your text is free, so the message never adds to the bill.
For orders abroad, the structure is folded into one number. We deliver to 53 countries and more than 1,630 cities, and on each country or city page the bouquet price is already converted to rubles and already includes delivery. You pay online in rubles, and the 500 RUB fee and the Russian time-window conditions do not apply there; the full list of destinations is on the Flower delivery abroad page, which is in Russian.
What makes one bouquet cost more than another
The biggest factor is the number and type of stems. A bouquet of 25 long-stemmed roses costs several times more than a compact mix of seasonal flowers, even though both make a fine gift. Peonies, hydrangeas, ranunculus and garden roses sit at the upper end; chrysanthemums, alstroemeria, carnations and spray roses give a full, generous look for considerably less. When a customer asks us how to make a bouquet look bigger without spending more, we always suggest a mix with spray roses and greenery instead of a single-variety armful.
Season matters almost as much. Peonies in June and tulips in March are at their best and most plentiful; the same flowers out of season are scarcer and pricier. Around the big holidays, especially 8 March and 14 February, demand jumps sharply and choice narrows. Ordering for those dates a few days in advance is the single easiest way to get the bouquet you actually wanted.
Wrapping and presentation add up quietly. A hat box or a basket costs more than a hand-tied bouquet in simple paper, and the simple version often looks more elegant and is easier for the recipient to put straight into a vase. If budget is the priority, put the money into the flowers rather than the container around them. Our customers who send flowers regularly tend to choose a mid-sized hand-tied bouquet and change the flowers with the season, which keeps every delivery fresh and the cost predictable.
Bouquets we can deliver
Sending flowers to Russia from abroad: the cost in practice
Most of our English-speaking customers are sending flowers to Russia from somewhere else: a son in London ordering for his mother in Saint Petersburg, a friend in Spain remembering a birthday in Kazan. You choose a bouquet in the Bouquets catalogue, enter the address and recipient's phone number, write the card and pay online. Foreign bank cards are accepted through Robokassa, and you can also pay by Russian bank card, SBP or Yandex Pay.
The total is the bouquet plus 500 RUB for city delivery. Express delivery in large cities takes 1-2 hours after the order is confirmed; you can also choose an exact time within plus or minus 30 minutes, a window of 09-12, 12-15, 15-18 or 18-21, or pre-order 1 to 30 days ahead. In Saint Petersburg delivery runs around the clock, which helps when you are ordering from a very different time zone.
Remote districts and suburbs are the one place where the delivery price varies, and the operator confirms it when confirming the order. If your family lives in a dacha settlement or a new development outside the city line, mention it in the order comment. Details on payment and timing are collected on the Delivery and payment page.
Hidden costs that are not actually there
Several things that people expect to pay extra for are already included. The greeting card with your own text is free. Delivery is anonymous by default: the courier does not name the sender, so if you want to be recognised, simply sign the card.
A failed delivery is the cost customers worry about most, and it is easy to avoid. The courier calls the recipient about 15 minutes before arrival. If nobody is home, we agree a second delivery the same day, or with your consent leave the flowers with a neighbour or concierge. A correct, active phone number for the recipient is the best protection your money has.
Currency is the last thing to check. Orders on our site are paid in rubles, and your bank converts the amount at its own rate. If you pay with a card issued outside Russia, it is worth looking at your bank's foreign transaction terms before a large order, since that difference comes from the bank, not from the florist.
Spending wisely: what really makes an overseas bouquet feel generous
After many years of taking orders from abroad, we notice that the bouquets people remember are rarely the most expensive ones. What lands well is a bouquet that fits the person: soft pastel roses and eustoma for a mother, a bright seasonal mix for a friend, a few perfect peonies in June for someone who loves them. Mentioning the recipient's favourite colour or flower in the order comment costs nothing and matters more than ten extra stems.
Respect local etiquette, because it saves embarrassment rather than money. In Russia, a gift bouquet traditionally has an odd number of flowers, such as 7, 11 or 15 roses, since even numbers are associated with funerals. Very large bouquets ignore this rule, but for older recipients it is still better to keep to odd numbers. Yellow flowers once carried an association with parting; today they are cheerful, yet for a romantic gesture red or pink remains the safer choice.
Timing is the last lever. For birthdays and anniversaries, a pre-order a week or two ahead lets you choose calmly and pick the delivery window that suits the recipient. For more ideas on special dates, see our guide on sending anniversary flowers to Russia from overseas. If anything in the order is unclear, call us on 8 (812) 507-67-05 and we will go through it with you.
Frequently asked questions
How much does flower delivery cost within a Russian city?
City delivery costs 500 RUB on top of the bouquet price. For remote districts and suburbs, the operator confirms the delivery price when confirming the order.
Is delivery included in the price for orders abroad?
Yes. For orders to other countries, the price on the country or city page is already converted to rubles and already includes delivery.
Can I pay with a foreign bank card?
Yes, foreign bank cards are accepted, with payment processed through Robokassa. Bank cards, SBP and Yandex Pay are also available on the site.
Which countries can you deliver flowers to?
We deliver to 53 countries and more than 1,630 cities, including the USA, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, Poland, Canada and Egypt. The full list is on our Flower delivery abroad page, which is in Russian.
Does the greeting card cost extra?
No, a card with your own text is free. Delivery is anonymous by default, so sign the card if you want the recipient to know who sent the flowers.
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