OctopusPass

I am leaving for Europe in a week. Many people recommended getting the chocolate in Switzerland, and by all means, I do want to bring some back home to share with my friends and family. Is there any way I can bring any back without having them melted?

I am visiting Lucerne in early July, 1.5 weeks before I return to home in North America. I will be travelling around with my backpack, so I could only do so much about not squeezing the chocolate containers.

Is mailing it an feasible option? What is the best place to send the mail?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks,
OP

janisj

Many of the great Swiss and Belgian chocolates are available in the States. Since the best are high in cacao content and basically melt at body temps - it is really hard to carry w/ you.

ordering some from home would be my choice . . .

kleeblatt

Agree. For some Swiss treats in your backpack, get Willisauer Ringli or Nussstengeli. No chocolate but nice cookies to eat on the go.

Dukey

If you are flying out of Switzerland directly back home there will be all sorts of Swiss chocolate on sale at the airport for you to bring back home.

shandy

Buy your chocolate at the airport on the way home. This is how I always get rid of my left over coins which can't be converted back to my own currency. For that matter, you can probably pick up Swiss chocolate at your home airport duty free before you
pass through customs if you are still concerned about it melting during the flight. Mind you, it doesn't seem quite the same as saying you really bought it in Switzerland.

Dukey

And I would add to my original rec that all the "major" airports I've passed through in Europe will be selling these.

suze

You can buy Swiss chocolates the least expensive at a grocery store, such as Migros. You can mail them home by going to a regular post office, purchase a shipping box available there, pack them up, and mail. The postage will cost about the same as the chocolates did, but this will be the easiest and you can say they really came from Switzerland. Toss in a couple postcards that show the town/city you were visiting. I have done this myself, so know it works.

BTilke

Mailing is an option, but there is no guarantee that the chocolate won't be exposed to heat en route or even by the recipient's mail carrier. My mother lives in Florida and mailing chocolate to her would virtually guarantee she recieved a sticky melted mess rather than pristing chocolates.

Agree with the suggestion you buy chocolate at the airport and keep it in your carryon (NOT in your checked luggage).

nytraveler

Mailing is fine - but in the middle of the summe - unless it going in some sort of frozen container the recipient will simply get a puddle of chocolate. Or - they will get choclate that has melted and resolidified in some other shape/form.

(The post office doesn;t store mail in air conditioned facillities much of the time.)

OctopusPass

Thanks all! Now I know I should hold back (and really try to hold back) my wallet when I visit the chocolate shops in town. I would really go for the authentic treats too...I am a treat/cookie monster...

suze

Thanks for the correction. You are right, that my mailing of Swiss chocolate has to do with Christmas time.

That said, I always pack it back simply in my checked luggage and have never had it melt. I usually buy severaal bags of the mini chocolate bars at the Migros.

For OP... maybe you should just eat the chocolate yourself in Switzerland