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Will Bottle of Champagne Pass Thru Customs at Athens Airport Upon Arrival?

Will Bottle of Champagne Pass Thru Customs at Athens Airport Upon Arrival?

Old Sep 16th, 2017, 05:35 AM
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Will Bottle of Champagne Pass Thru Customs at Athens Airport Upon Arrival?

We will be flying into Athens on our anniversary, therefore planned to buy a bottle of champagne at the duty-free shop before boarding flight from US(regardless of whether we have to pay tax or not). It will of course be hand-carried. My question: will this bottle pass through Customs upon arrival at Athens airport? Sure don't want to give up a nice bottle of bubbly to the officials!
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Old Sep 16th, 2017, 05:38 AM
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Yes.
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Old Sep 16th, 2017, 05:49 AM
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Is there a layover airport requiring additional security check involved? If that is the case, you issue is not the customs.

>>> It will of course be hand-carried

You cannot hand-carry that much liquid across the security check.

Your plan would work if you are flying direct to the Athens airport (therefor no security check AFTER buying the bottle) or layover through an airport exempting passengers coming from the TSA screened airports from further security checks to board inter European flights.
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Old Sep 16th, 2017, 07:19 AM
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"You cannot hand-carry that much liquid across the security check."

Duty free should be after TSA, but a connecting airport would be a problem.

There appears to be a duty free shop in Athens airport for arriving passengers if you are not connecting in an EU country:

http://www.aia.gr/traveler/shopping-...s/arrival-shop

If you are connecting in an EU country I would use that airport's duty free. Or buy your champagne in Greece.
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Old Sep 16th, 2017, 08:13 AM
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Obviously, the duty free shops are after TSA, so it will be hand carried; we are flying non-stop EWR to Athens; thank you @thursdaysd for your link to Athens shops, we might wait and buy it then. We get in rather late and dont want to look for shops once at hotel, we could order through hotel room service (but not at the best price). Thank you all.
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Old Sep 16th, 2017, 09:15 AM
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I don't know of any country that doesn't allow people to bring in one bottle of some alcoholic beverage (except I'm guessing Iran or Saudi Arabia or some place like that). Why would that not be allowed through customs? I think you are confusing security upon departure and customs. in the EU, I think usually countries allow about 4-5 liters of some wine or alcohol, and that doesn't even consider beer. I presume it's the same in all EU countries.
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Old Sep 16th, 2017, 10:03 AM
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You are allowed 2 litres of sparkling wine or fortified wine (port, sherry) or spirits up to 22% or 1 litre of spirits over 22%, plus 4 litres of wine, and 16 litres of beer if you are arriving from outside the EU That's per person btw.
A bottle of champagne is fine. Just go through the green channel on arrival.
Happy anniversary!
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Old Sep 16th, 2017, 10:23 AM
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I'm not confused, Christina, I'm just asking as I'm not familiar with Athens in the least and frankly, we've only brought alcohol back to US with us, never into another country. But all these answers say ok, which is great.
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Old Sep 20th, 2017, 08:36 PM
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Your champagne will be confiscated by security. Even Schengen passengers connecting to other destinations in Greece have to go through security at ATH unless they disembark via bus which takes them directly to Schengen departures. I have been to Greece twice this year, arriving from a Schengen country, disembarking via jet bridge and both times had to go via security to connect to Rhodes. There was no other way. I do not think you can arrive from the US and not go through security if even intra Schengen passengers are subjected to it.
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Old Sep 20th, 2017, 08:47 PM
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>>Your champagne will be confiscated by security. Even Schengen passengers connecting to other destinations in Greece have to go through security at ATH
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Old Sep 20th, 2017, 08:47 PM
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Why don't you just pack it in your check in luggage?
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Old Sep 20th, 2017, 09:38 PM
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If you managed to have it on arrival you'll keep it.
I travel at least once a month per plane and have never been searched and carry alcohol from time to time. As a rule of the tumb, what you can drink yourself during your trip is accepted by customs should you be searched.

(In my case I am allowed a barrel of wine ;-))
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Old Sep 21st, 2017, 05:46 AM
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>>Why don't you just pack it in your check in luggage?
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Old Sep 21st, 2017, 08:48 AM
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Alice, are you speaking of pricey vintage Champagne? If so, duty-free sounds like a decent idea price wise. But keep in mind that duty on wines is a lot less than duty on hard liquor, so you are not going to save a huge amount dollar wise. You might even pay the same or more than you would in a regular store. And some of those airport shops do not have a wide selection of any type of wines.


Certainly if you plan to buy a non-vintage Champagne, or even a sparkling wine, whether French, Italian, or Spanish, or whatever, you should do as well or better at a discount liquor store in NYC (assuming you will be there) or in any decent-size US city.

For example, you can get the Veuve Clicquot non-vintage (the famous yellow label) for about $40 in a NY store. And if you are traveling before Christmas, these often come in a holiday pack with a gift, whether free glasses or something else which you may not find at the airport, where shelf space is at a minimum.


For a few dollar price differential, I would advise just wrapping the bottle in your clothing and checking it in your luggage. But do check before you leave home, to see if there is a duty-free on arrival in Athens, too. Again, no guarantee of selection or savings.

I apologize if I am telling you stuff you already know!!
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Old Sep 27th, 2017, 04:40 AM
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What is a Schengen passenger? We are flying nonstop EWR (Newark-Liberty) to Athens, and do not wish to put the bottle in our checked bags. We wish to buy it in at the airport after TSA screening; I note there are several shops at Athens airport open to arriving customers, but yes, when we drink Champagne, it's French for sure; thinking EWR will have more a variety than in AIA but may be wrong, will check out theirs too. Thank you elscrunchy, we have loads of huge wine & liquor stores here in the Metro area of Jersey. Thank you thursdaysd, for the handy AIA map.
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Old Sep 27th, 2017, 05:02 AM
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But keep in mind that you might not get any discount on champagne at the airport.

As I asked, above:Are you talking vintage Champagne..with prices over $100 and often a lot more..per bottle, or just "normal" Champagne? (See examples I gave above).


Again, I would buy it in a local store to avoid disappointment, and put it in your checked bag.
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Old Sep 27th, 2017, 05:34 AM
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If you are flying nonstop from Newark to Athens you can buy the champagne airside (after you've gone through security) in the duty free shop at Newark and take it with you to Athens. Customs at Athens won't care if you are importing a single bottle of wine, and you don't go through security there either.

I don't know how it works at Newark Liberty, but at some airports in the US the duty free shop will deliver your purchases in a sealed bag to the departure gate.

Tax free sales in Europe are for items that will be exported from the EU, not for consumption within the country. The duty free shops at Athens Airport are in International Departures, and you won't even get there unless you are departing the country.
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