NitemareHippieGirl

I'm planning a trip to England/Wales this summer. Like any good Kentuckian I'm planning on bringing a couple of bottles of Kentucky bourbon (Bulleit Bourbon to be precise) to help combat homesickness, ease the burden of paying for drinks, and sharing with new friends.

My question is this:
Any advice for ensuring my glass bottles make the journey in checked luggage? Perhaps I'll have to put them in a different container, and then do I have to worry about getting in trouble for having an open container?

Is it ok to carry alcohol on trains in the UK? I've never taken trains before so I don't know what, if any, security there is to board.

If you have no insight, perhaps we could just discuss the joy of bourbon. It is so very delicious.

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jsull86

Try Using Bottlewise. I have one that I used to carry wine up to Berkley in my checked bag. I didn't have any problems at all.

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Legitikick

I've carried many bottles on flights, and had one break, and ohh . . . it was extremely high thujone absinthe, grrrr . . . . but I had three but anyways, I always just wrap them up in my clothes and hope for the best. I was really worried with my bottles of snake & scorpion rice wine from Vietnam, that would have been an interesting cleanup. But they made it.

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xanthuos

Just as a little FYI - you are limited to 1 litre of spirits when traveling to the UK from a non-EU country. Anything above that, and you'll have to declare it and pay duty (at least, you're supposed to). The current rate is £19.56 per litre of pure alcohol in spirits. Bulleit is 45% ABV. So, each 750ml bottle should probably cost you £6.60 in duty. This is just a guess as I've never imported spirits into the UK.

You can find a number of specially created containers for transporting bottles of wine/spirits. jsull86 posted a link for one, but I'm sure if you look around, you can find ones of similar quality at a lesser price. Other than that, like Legitikick, you can always go with the "wrap in clothes in your suitcase/backpack" method.

Now, this topic has given me a craving for a tumbler of Wiser's Reserve. It would be Maker's Mark or Wild Turkey, but that's a little harder to come by up here.

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mbo108

I've always used the tried and true method of wrapping the booze in clothes. Works for me!

expatben

Packing it in clothes should work OK just to be safe though try putting your bottle in a plastic bag so if it does break at least your clothes wont reek!

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Legitikick

Yeah, I second the plastic bag idea, forgot to mention that. I've done that ever since the bottle broke.

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MeTurk

Bury it deep in your bag surrounded by clothes. Bottles are very strong and designed to take abuse. As long as you check the bag you won't have any problems with security other than them nicking your booze.

I wouldn't think there's any restrictions on taking alcohol on train in the UK some would even have there own bars. The only time I've drank on a train is the one from Barcelona to Paris and they didn't give a toss.

But if the bottle breaks will the glass not just cut the bag open?

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SGRHewitt

Mmm, Makers. Althought my favorite drink of late has been J&B Scotch, so good!

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July 23 - Sept 13: Back in Europe! Off to Brest, France for a French language course. Schedule is open before August 7 and after August 28, suggestions?

NitemareHippieGirl

They don't search your bags on the way through customs do they? Any time I've been through customs, coming back through the US at least, I just lie about what I'm bringing in and they don't seem to care. Not that it would kill me to pay, I'm just cheap.

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SGRHewitt

My bags were never searched, but when we were returning home from a study abroad session, they randomly selected some of us to check bags, but I believe it was carry-on only. This was in England, in the US, I've never had anyone go through my things coming back in from Europe. Granted I've only returned from a foreign destination twice though.

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July 23 - Sept 13: Back in Europe! Off to Brest, France for a French language course. Schedule is open before August 7 and after August 28, suggestions?

Legitikick

I've never had a bag searched by U.S. customs. EU, or German customs I should say, has searched several times because they leave the sticker on it, but I've always skated through the "Nothing to Declare" line with no problems.

Last time I wrapped my bottles in my towel, and then put them in heavy duty ziplocs (huge bags, not sure where I got em though), then buried them in my clothes. This way the glass won't break the bag.

Bring me back a bottle of Liquor 43, I think that's what its called. mmmmmm

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Right Now: Grad schoolin' at the Columbia School of Int'l & Public Affairs
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Canadian Bacon

Thinking ahead - I like that.

No problem brining alcohol in your luggage, just make sure its in the centre of your luggage.

No problem bringing booze on trains anywhere in Europe to the best of my knowledge

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Vincent: "What you mean 'walk the earth'?"
Jules: "You know, like Kane in 'Kung Fu'...go places...meet people...get in adventures."

Trips (only counting recreational travel):
FIRST TRIP (2005): FIRST EUROTRIP EVER! UK, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Holland
SECOND TRIP (2007): First Solo Trip! Greece, Turkey, Syria, Spain
2008: China (Beijing, Shanghai, Yangshuo) ...right before the Olympics!
2009: Japan & HK, Southern Spain
[size=1]2010: All over Lebanon, Ibiza (Spain), Oktoberfest (Germany), Thailand.
2011: India (Goa), Jordan, Jerusalem, San Sebastian (Spain), Amsterdam (again), London, Driving from Vancouver to L.A. (stopping in Portland, Seattle, San Fran and all the little stops), Montpellier (France), Geneva and Lausanne (Switzerland)

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maracle

The computers randomly select people to search and typically there can be pretty high fines for trying to sneak things in. Especially if it's something banned like fresh fruit. So be careful and if you get caught play dumb.

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davidd

Bag searches may be random, but when they select people to wave with that wand to check for bomb residue or something certainly isnt. I had never been checked before until I grew a beard, and then it was four times out of four

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