No, there isn't anything standard about international
mail. Each country will have it's own prices/type
of service. The shipping is nearly never the
same from country A to country B and from B to A...

> As for all packages insured in Switzerland...  
> Isn't that because you're mostly socialist? ^_~

Don't think so :) It's just they way they are
setting their services/rates : you can't get
a packet registered without it being insured
at the same time for some amount.
It's the same for EMS : there isn't any special
insurance to take. It's always insured.

Cheers,
Yann Stettler