cdntraveller

We would like to bring olive oil from Italy. Does anyone know if this is still possible?

Alajan

Absolutely. Most times the purveyor will wrap nicely for your return trip if you ask, but I usually take bubble wrap and tape for bottles of oil and wine.

nibblette

Yes, Yes! Brought a wonderful bottle back last year. I had declared it on my customs and no one batted an eye.

cdntraveller

Thank you!! Thank you!! Someone told me I would not get it through customs. I will bring many bottles.

cigalechanta

Buy the oil in tins, it's easier to carry safely.

Budman

We brought about 5-6 bottles back for gifts -- no problem. You can also bring back wine. Yipee!!!

martytravels

Coffee, olive oil and wine are all acceptable items. I always come back from Paris with many bags of cafe Malongo from Galleries Lafayette.

carlvictors

I once brought in Honey with me from England and I declared it at customes.

No one even looked at it, but they searched my bag at agliculture ( where they search for food).

Do they always search your bag at agriculture whenever you bring in foods or drinks?

LoveItaly

Hi cdntraveller, I did the last time I came back from Italy. I had it in my carryon and had no problem whatsoever so to my knowledge you can. A limited number of bottles of wine can be brought back to the US so IMHO no reason why olive oil can't be.
And isn't Italian olive oil wonderful.

Just one caution. Make sure the olive oil is made from 100% Italian olives. Some companies are using part Spanish or Greek olives. That does not mean the olive oil is awful but it is not the true Italian Olive Oil. So read the label carefully.

mermaid_

You might want to bring along some big ziplock plastic bags with you, too. My parents brought some olive oil home from Italy once, packed it in their luggage, and it leaked! (I suspect that my mother opened the bottle beforehand to sample the oil, but she'll never admit to it.) Nonetheless, the baggies are extra insurance for you. Italian olive oil is fantastic and well worth the extra weight to bring it home.

Alajan

They can go through your bags, but I always declare; I am usually over the limit though have only once paid duty. Maybe I look trustworthy because they have never searched my luggage. I fly through Atlanta - lines much shorter if you declare.

Ziplocks, bubble wrap, tape, tissue paper - all come in handy if you plan to do some shopping.

flygirl

If at all possible, I'd bring it carryon. On a trip to Provence a few years ago, I bought several bottles of wine and 3 bottles of olive oil among many other items, severely overpacked my bags, couldn't get all the bottles in my carryon (I went home a day later than my friends and didn't think until too late to ask them to take a bottle or two with them).

Air France lost the bag with the olive oil (and the beautiful tablecloths, and so on and so forth) and you guessed it - one broke by the time I got it back. luckily the tablecloths took the hit and it didn't get anything else. and believe it or not a few really hot washings and the tablecloths are fine.

I do endorse putting them in as many bags as you can, too. I had the oil individually wrapped in several plastic bags on top of it all, which meant the oil seeped through but there was no glass anywhere.

here's hoping you don't have any of this happen to you!

cigalechanta

The tin cans travel safely and once empty make attractive vases or potting containers. A friend in Provencetown, fashioned a hanging lamp shade with his Italian can.

Jackie_in_Italy

I always bring cheese back to the states from Italy. I have it vacuum wrapped (in Italian, just tell them "sotto vuoto" at the cheese stores, and they'll do this for you), and it lasts for a while--makes great gifts!

The only thing they ever ask me about when coming into the states is meat, and when I mentioned having cheese, they didn't care.

damama

We just brought back olive oil. Bring it in your carry-on. We bought it at a vinyard where they made wine and olive oil and they told us the wine was ok to pack in luggage but the oil did not do well in the cargo hold.

We also brought back cheese and meat (vacuum packed) and because DH was honest about the meat, they took the meat but not the cheese.

mermaid_

damama, my Tuscan sausage was confiscated as well.

wanderlust5

I agree with all the others: Carry on the wine and/or olive oil. I also usually bring back some balsamic from Assisi or that area too. I just recently found these cool neoprene flat bottle holders for wine for cushioning the bottles. You just slip the bottle down in and it has a handle. They come in single or double and will help when we bring back wine and oil. Usually I end up with a cardboard box from a wine shop and I like these soft things better. You can get them at www.cooking.com. Search for Clink-Proof Wine Tote. They come in many colors.

SuzieC

Thank goodness the Italian Market is in Philadelphia.

francesco_m

Also have a look at www.sorrentolio.it,
they produce great olive oil in Sant'Agnello (few minutes away from my house. And if you come in the area, and let them know in advance, they would show you their factory!