Is it okay to have bottle(s) of wine or liquor in your carry on bag or must it be inside your checked bags? I've no intention of opening it on board but I'd be wary of placing in the checked luggage. It would only be a couple, or 3, bottles and will easily fit in my pack that I carry on board. Thanks to all who assist!

As long as it fits within your carry-on allowance - you should be fine. I've never seen a problem with it on any airline..

I've done it a number of times without a problem. Which is kind of surprising, since there would be no nastier weapon than a broken bottle. Remember in all of the western movies, in the barroom brawl...

Have you ever tried to actually break a bottle like in the old westerns? I did once in a foolish fishing moment. I forgot to bring a knife, decided to break an empty beer bottle on the rocks to use as a cutting utensil for the fishing line. Ended up with a cut finger and wounded pride. I don't recommend it. In Europe or elsewhere. (See how I got that Europe reference in there?)

Oh Belinda, the things you did wrong. First, it is much easier to break a 'square' bottle like the whisky bottles in the old westerns than a round 'long neck' that has been specifically designed to be reusable ie harder to break.<BR>Second, you need a good hard suface with a sharp edge. A street curb is good, but a rounded cedar railing is bad.<BR>Third, there are these little things called gloves.<BR>Look in your local yellow pages under b for your local syndicated chapter of 'Bar Room Brawls R Us' for a school near you.

If I want to break a bottle on a plane to use it as a weapon, can you recommend to me what "good hard suface with a sharp edge" I should try to carry on board with me?<BR><BR>Wouldn't that item work just as good as a weapon without resorting to breaking the bottle of wine?<BR>

Well.<BR>First thoughts run to the head of the kid behind you that has been kicking the back of your seat for the last four hours.<BR>But really.<BR>On you next flight, take a good look at the raised aluminum lip on the beverage cart as it is wheeled past.

I like to pour my wine into a plastic water bottle to bring on board. Obviously, it is for immediate consumption and not my wine cellar but it is a great way to avoid that cheap wine in economy class.

For posters like Lena I recommend you go to a bicycle store and checkout an accessory brand called humpback.<BR>These allow you to carry several litres of vital fluids in a backpack like form.

Marco,<BR>Travelling between the US and Italy, we always carry several bottles, as many as 6 each, in our carry on in addition to checked baggage. Each airline has their own policy regarding the number you can carry on and I'm sure it depends on where you are connecting as well. The airlines we have flown with no problem are Continental, Alitalia, British Air and Virgin Atlantic, all post 9/11 in and out of Italy, and did have to stop in EWR & LHR at least once. We fly BusFirst, are US citizens and I travel with my husband. If you are a single male you will be screened extensively at MXP & FCO so don't bring more than you are willing to have confiscated. US Customs at LAX informed me that we could bring in up to 6 cases of still wine under 14% alcohol and the duties paid by US citizens above and beyond your regular allowable dollar limit are about $0.93 per bottle. I don't know if EU citizens have any duty or customs issues. FYI, if you are coming to the US, there are lots of great Italian wines that are not generally available here, such as Dal Forno. If you want to find out which Italian wines can be purchased in the US, take a look at www.winesearcher.com. It is not always accurate but at least you can find out if a wine has established US distribution.

Keep in mind that the import of alcohol is under STATE jurisdiction. In general, the horror stories of wine confiscation involve ABC (Alcoholic Beverage Commission) people, so it depends on what state you will land in (clear customs), and what state is your eventual destination.<BR><BR>Nevertheless, I can report no-hassle experiences carrying in one-two dozen bottles of wine (some carry-on, some packed in luggage), landing in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virgina, Michigan, Illinois, Kentucky and Georgia.<BR><BR>I had to deal with gruff customs people (over ten yers ago) in Texas (these were feds, not state people) but that was from Mexico - - not Europe - - and it was over computer equipment, not wine.<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

to the top<BR>