I'm going to France, and I want to give my girlfriend an engagement ring while there. What's the safest way to get the ring there without her knowing? I don't want her to see it during a carry-on bag check, but don't want it stolen from my checked bag. Any suggestions?

In your wallet well wrapped so it doesn't get scratched (the ring, not the diamond). You certainly don't want to lose it! You can stick the little box in your checked luggage.

Congratulations and good luck.

t

I put thing like that in my checked bag in the toe of my shoe as its my habit to then stuff my shoes with socks, etc. For some reason my wife refuses to stick her nose in my shoes.

While it may be safe and a good idea to hide the ring in your checked luggage, I'd be paranoid all the way over in the plane until I reclaimed my baggage in France and checked to make sure the ring was still there!
I would keep it in my carry-on luggage. If they should happen to go through your bag at security, it is unlikely that your future fiancee would be hovering over you at that point.

"I'd put thing like that in my checked bag in the toe of my shoe as its my habit to then stuff my shoes with socks, etc"

Please don't put anything of value in your checked luggage. If it was lost and/or stolen you would be out of luck. Terms of carrige limit the airline liablity to just a few hundred dollars and electronics/jewerly are not covered.

Buy a coin money belt and put the ring inside, tell your girlfriend to go ahead in the line to the securite check (that you have a surprise ) she can't know about.
and if the ring makes the machine go off just tell the guard to be discrete
about the ring. Good luck!!
Let us know what happen.

I would never in a million years put that in checked luggage -- why? A ring isn't that big, surely you can wrap it slightly in paper or something and put it securely in some inside pocket of yours in what you are wearing, can't you? Some jackets, for example, have inside pockets. A ring is really not that big that you have to put it inside anything. IF it's the box, I agree you might put the box in the checked baggage so you can use it later.

I don't think a ring would fit in a wallet very well (not mine, anyway), but if so, fine -- I think SalB's got the right ideas.

You should wrap it in a bit of tissue and try to keep it with you. In you wallet until you've cleared security would be best. It would spend the least amount of time "away" from you this way. If you have to put it in your carry on put the ring all wrap in a clear zip lock bag- a big one. It's easy to palm a ring or ring box- not so easy with a zip bag.
I often pack my carry on items in zip bags- security can see everything and I can find things faster. Good luck!