How much alcohol can you bring back froom Europe?
 

I have read on some of the boards that people are bringing back CASES of alcohol but I had read it was limited to 2 liters each.Also, do they have to be packed in your checked luggage or can you bring them with you if you buy them at the duty free shop?

If you buy the bottles after going through security, I believe you can take them on that flight, but if you are connecting to another flight at another airport you will not be able to bring them through security for the second flight.

Google the official Customs wording on this topic

My understanding the the two litres is the duty-free amount and on excess you're liable for duty.

I've been in excess and declared it often and have never been charged duty.

And the state you are landing in has ultimate authority to regulate the importation of alochol and some i believe may not allow any.

2 litres is simply U.S. Customs duty-free limit and duty charged on excess is really small. States can collect alcohol taxes though i believe.

And yes you can carry-on if you purchase at duty free after security - but you will have a problem if you are not flying directly to your final destination because you won't be able to cary it on to your next plane.

I plan to bring back 2 cases of wine next month in my checked luggage/baggage. They make styrofoam cartons specificially for this purpose.

The duty on still wine is minimal. I have declared and brought back up to 20 bottles on one occasion, and was waived thru. It will cost them more in time & paperwork than it would be worth to charge the duty.

Hard alcohol and sparkling wines are a different story. ((b))

Duty free, the limit is 1 liter per person over the age of 21. If you want to pay duty, you can take as much as you want.

'Just did it! DH and I had one liter packed in checked luggage (Brussels) and then purchased three more at Duty Free in airport. When we landed JFK, we had to open our checked luggage, during customs process, then pack the duty free purchases into the checked luggage to our connecting flight.

This wasn't as complicated or difficult as it may sound - only wish we had allowed more space for these and other gifts we were bringing home. Good luck!!

Just to emphasize what Nikki said: I bought booze duty free in Rome, but they made me throw it away before getting on our connection back to the US in Amsterdam. I'm still kind of mad about it!

Thanks all for the advice. Now does anyone know how much the duty is on 2 bottles of wine?

I would assume that the duty would be close to nothing. My father declared about a dozen 1-liter bottles of 100 proof mirabelle brandy once and had to pay something like $0.75 for each bottle.

Anyway, wine is not hard liquor, so you are allowed 2 bottles.