Donna_B

We are leaving on Friday for a three week trip to the South of France. (Landing in Nice, going West, leaving from Toulouse.)

I am trying to pack light, but by bringing a small suitcase, I'm concerned I won't have room to bring stuff home. Also, would like to buy wine. I'm wondering how practical it is to ship stuff back to the US. What are the ramifications for duty/tariffs, how expensive is it, how easy/difficult is it to find a place from which to ship? Will wineries and/or wine co-ops ship for me? Can I ship to someone else? How much wine can I send to myself or to others as gifts?

Also, I have received recommendations for staying in small villages, but for dining in other towns. I am concerned about driving after drinking with dinner. Don't want to crash, get arrested, or get lost. How strict are the laws in France? Bottom line, would you suggest staying in a small village and driving to/from dinner elsewhere, or stay in a larger town/city in which we could get dinner (esp for more than one night) locally?

Thanks,
Donna

Dave_in_Paris

Donna,

If you're driving after dinner, you need to limit yourself to one glass of wine. Any more is most likely to put you over the legal limit, and the French authorities have become pretty serious about this. Also good to remember that in France, there is no need for "probable cause" in a police check, including a check of your sobriety. You can be pulled over at will.

ekscrunchy

There is a long thread on shipping wine that is current. You can take a look and see if it answers any of your questions.

rex

Don't ship wine home (you may or may not find it impossoble, or prohibitively impossible).

See http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34783082

and

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34776197

Best wishes,

Rex

Neopolitan

While it's nice to bring back a bottle of wine from a really great vintage that you picked up at a winery you visited, I normally wouldn't do any more than that. I can't imagine where you live if in the US that doesn't have a remarkable wine store somewhere near you where you can get equally good wines at at equally good price (especially taking into account the shipping, which really is a big pain). I realize that the wine you drink while sitting at a table in a wonderful French bistro will taste better than anything you ever drank at home, but in 9 cases out of 10, that same wine wouldn't taste nearly so good if you were drinking it at your kitchen table at home.

Regarding drinking and driving, you've just mentioned the reason I've never been attracted to staying in a remote village or villa. We enjoy wine with dinner and don't like restricting ourselves to one glass so we can drive back small and unfamiliar roads at night. That's why we like staying in larger towns and villages that have great restaurants near by. Just our personal preference.

nessundorma

In Italy, I stay in "albergo ristorantes" so I only have to crawl up one flight of stairs to get to my bed!

I plan my trips around the notion that unless I'm staying in a good restaurant that is also a small hotel, I'll be staying in a town large enough to have a choice of at least two or three restaurants within walking distance. But I also want a town small enough that it is relatively easy to find parking.

StCirq

Maybe bring home a very special bottle or two - if your state allows it - but otherwise, bringing wine back is usually more trouble than it's worth.

As mentioned, France is hugely strict on drinking and driving now - you can be pulled over without any reason whatsoever and breatholyzed on the spot. It's happened to me, and my 84-year-old neighbor, on our way to the hardware store on a Tuesday morning. Make sure you know how much you've had to drink and how long it takes to be sober again before getting in the car.

littlemountain

The legal limit in France is .05. That will ordinarily be hit by a 175 lb. person drinking two 5 oz. glasses of medium-strength wine. Two glasses of wine will put a lighter person over the limit. Now, one does metabolize about .015 of alcohol per hour which means, roughly speaking, a 125 lb. person could drink 2 glasses of wine evenly over two hours and then be fit to drive [0.69 - 0.015 - 0.015 = 0.039]. But those are only rough approximations; different people have different metabolisms and, as noted above, there is no small talk at French roadblocks. I ran into one at 2 p.m. on a weekday in rural Provence and was simply handed a roadside screening device to blow into. Fortunately, I don't drink anything when I drive in Europe; there is so much unfamiliar stuff to be aware of I feel I need all my wits and reflexes about me. Interestingly, no sooner had I cleared the roadblock than the road got really, really twisty with high cliffs below. It was reassuring to know the police thought it a good idea to keep that particular stretch of road clear of drunk drivers.

ira

Hi D,

Re drinking and driving: a good rule of thumb is one glass of wine per hour. Have a cup of coffee in the last 1/2 hr before driving.

walkinaround

ira's advice (as it often is) is from a US point of view. i would do what he recommends (minus the coffee) in the US but not in europe. it is much stricter here and you don't want to mess with it. some americans are fooled by a seemingly more relaxed attitude to alcohol use over here but this attitude does not apply to driving. i would never drive anywhere in europe after drinking 4 glasses of wine over a four hour dinner party(this even includes a mile or so back to my house on familiar roads). in the US, no problem.

i'n not at all pontificating and i understand that everything is a measured risk but in europe it's just not worth it.

Alec

IIRC, in France any drink-drive offence between 50mg/litre and 80mg/litre of blood ends up with a fine (up to 135 euro, payable on the spot) plus six penalty points, anything above will result in a court appearance and driving ban plus a huge fine (up to 4500 euro). Vehicle confiscation and imprisonment is also possible in serious cases. In case of a rental car, your insurance is probably void and you have to pay the full replacement cost of the car to the rental company.

bellastarr

re Ira's advice;
I know most people here seem to agree with almost anything Ira says, but this suggestion is just plain wrong, if not irresponsible coming from someone who is riding on the respect of all who read this board.

littlemontain is correct. The fact is that drinking wine affects men and women differently, and affects every person differently depending their weight, size, and on the wine itself.
There is only one "rule of thumb" that applies to drinking and driving anywhere on the planet, including the USA. That rule is

Don't.

Travel with a designated driver, or if you love to enjoy wine with your meal, go to a restaurant where you can walk home, or take a taxi, or eat at your remote villa that evening. Sorry if that comes across sounding harsh, but I think the rule can be followed and one can still have an amazing travel experience. I love to drink wine with my meals when traveling, and the last trip I made to Italy, I had a rented car, so I gave up drinking wine unless I was on foot for at least 2 or more hours after the meal, or eating in the village I stayed in, so I could walk home.

ira

Dear W and B.

I am fully aware that the level for DUI in many European countries is much lower than in the US.

I have seen breathalyzers in bars and cafes in Europe and seen people wait another 1/2 hr before leaving.

I did not tell anyone what or what not to do.

I assume that the OP is an adult and can make her own decisions.

You might find this calculator interesting:
http://www.coolnurse.com/alcohol_calculator.htm

Neopolitan

"I assume that the OP is an adult and can make her own decisions."

Yes, ira, of course. But the OP is asking for information so he/she can intelligently make such a decision and suggesting that he'll be perfectly fine if he "only" drinks four glasses of wine (Italian glasses) in a four hour period will not help the OP make an intelligent decision. And to suggest than by waiting a half hour -- the effects will wear off, well...I'm not even going to go there!

Pausanias

I once returned to the U.S. with a few extra bottles of wine and port. When asked if I had anything to declare I said yes. When I told them what, they waved me through. Apparently the duty on wine is very low, and they don't often collect it. Your mileage may vary.

One reason I usually stay in towns or cities is the drinking and driving problem. I will drive after a beer or glass of wine at lunch, but I typically consume more at dinner, so I don't drive. If I do stay in the country it is always at an inn with a good restaurant.

ekscrunchy

Ira, I am going to jump in here and "hijack" this thread for a moment.

I notice that you regularly post rather authoritive answers to a vast range of queries but you rarely ask a question yourself.......

Just an observation with no disrespect intended!

Michael

Rather than wine, I would bring back local liqueurs and alcohol (Armagnac, special apéritifs you might discover). This is particularly applicable in your case since I do not see your itinerary going through a major (Burgundy, Bordeaux) wine region, although you will be hitting the Rhone area.

Donna_B

Thanks all for your advice. It does seem like it would not be a bargain to ship or carry wine home.

Likewise for drinking and driving, not smart at all. So, I need to find places with good lodging and restaurants. Would you give me suggestions for two segments for next week for towns that would fit the bill?

We want to spend a few days in the Luberon, and also try to spend Easter in L'Isle-Sur-La-Sorgue and/or Nimes (don't know if we can fit activities in in both places. We will be in Nice this weekend (Sat, Sun, Mon), and need to be in La Grand Motte (for DH's meeting) the following Monday night, so we have a week to do the Luberon, Valcluse, etc area. I assume that I need to make sure I have a reservation for Easter weekend, but may wing it for the weekdays, depending on what we find interesting.

Also, back to the shipping question--Is it feasible to ship anything back home to the US? Pottery, etc; heavy, breakable items?

Merci,
Donna

Budman

Donna, you can bring wine home with your checked bagggage. They make wine carriers with styrofoam inserts. You are allowed 2 pieces of checked baggage -- one can be a case of wine, and the other a suitcase. So, if you find a nice wine and you want to bring some back, most wine shops will have those cartons. Additionally, you can bring some back with your carry-on.

The chances they will stop you at customs is slim. If they do, the duty on still wine is so minimal, it will cost them more just to process the paperwork.

ira

My dear ekscrunchy
>Ira, ....I notice that you regularly post rather authoritive answers to a vast range of queries but you rarely ask a question yourself....... <

When I am planning a trip I ask many questions.

When I am able to help others in planning their trips, I do so.

There are others on this board who do the same thing.

>...rather authoritive answers....

I try to check my responses before I post. Occasionally, a mistake slips through. I don't claim to be perfect.