kittystar98

I live in the united states. my airline ticket is from Venice to Munich to toronto to the usa. i am not visiting the other countries it is just a layover. i want to bring 2 bottles of wine with me. what should i know ? will i have to pay taxes in all the other contries? how much ? is there a process i should know about? i read somewhere that i have to get it registered so it will be admitted in the united states but what about the other contries? will it matter since my bag should be transferred from the plane to the next?

Michael

2 bottles of wine will pass through with no questions asked; you just declare them on the U.S. customs form that the airline personnel will hand out to you. The other countries will not care. But they have to be in your hold luggage. You cannot take them as carry-on.

capxxx

When you are on the plane to the US, you will be given a customs form to declare your overseas purchases -- write down whatever you bought overseas, including the wine, with estimated prices. You won't have to pay any duty on two bottles of wine, unless they are really really expensive bottles. I believe the total declared value must be over $3500 before duties kick in. This counts as ``nothing to declare'' since you don't have to pay duties.

When you are in the US customs area (after landing and going through immigration, and getting your bags back), they will take a look at your customs declaration card and a look at you, and most likely wave you through. Or you may be called aside for a random inspection, but no problem since you are not doing anything wrong. There will likely be cute beagles in the customs area to sniff your bags and detect the illegal fruits and vegetables you are bringing in -- if they are found the customs agent will confiscate them.

There is a remote chance you will be asked to do this in Toronto (a section of the airport was treated as ``US zone'' to relieve congestion in some US airports) but I don't think they do that anymore. You probably won't pass through customs at the in-transit airports, so nobody will ask. If you do (to get from one part of the airport to another, say), just keep saying you are in transit.

You don't have to register in advance, but if you are taking something with you (from the US) that might be mistaken for an expensive overseas purchase, you can register it before you leave to save possible hassles.

Cowboy1968

There is nothing to worry or do for your Venice-Munich leg as well.

Alec

Yes, you have to carry the bottles in your checked luggage because of no liquid rule - due to be reviewed by 2012 but still in force as we speak. You can buy polystyrene wine carrier which will protect them from knocks, but sadly there is no guarantee that the bottles will travel unscathed, as luggage is often dropped while being handled. I suggest you put large red 'Fragile' stickers all over your suitcase.

laurie_ann

You might consider using one of these travel wine protectors. Unlike styrofoam these don't take up any extra room and so you can easily take these with you and then put the wine in when you purchase it.

http://www.amazon.com/Travel-Wine-Pr...7366058&sr=8-5

spaarne

<i>I suggest you put large red 'Fragile' stickers all over your suitcase.</i>

This will do no good, except to arouse the curiosity of any baggage handler who happens to be paying attention to what he is doing. He'll look inside and help himself. Lock your luggage with wire ties if possible, and don't put any signs on it.

I suggest that you slip a sock over each bottle and then place each in a ZipLoc bag in case of breakage. Stuff them in among your dirty clothes to cushion them.

You may have a problem at US Customs if your state is one of those which prohibit import of any alcoholic beverages without a license. In some states it is a felony. Customs enforces those laws and may confiscate the wine. Check with your state alcoholic beverage commission before you go.

Gavin

You will clear US Customs & Immigration in Toronto and your arrival in the US will be as if it were a domestic flight.