Fly With Champagne
Mugs and magnets are mainstay mementos from trips near and far -- keepsakes commonly kept as reminders of expeditions we've made. But for those traveling to the champagne-saturated regions of the world, bringing back a bottle of bubbly may be preferable to a tourist-trap trinket. When traveling with sparkling spirits, be sure to pack them carefully or you'll arrive home with suds-soaked suitcases and garments glittering with glass.
Instructions
1. Champagne bottles --- even if less than the 3.4-ounce limit for carry-on liquids --- should be packed in checked luggage.
Check Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) and foreign customs restrictions to be sure that you can transport champagne to or from your destination. (Reference 2)
2. If a bottle breaks during transport, the liquid will empty into the bag rather than your belongings.
Place the bottle inside a shopping bag. Lay the bag and bottle flat. The opening should be perpendicular to your torso and the bottle should be parallel to it. Flatten out the unfilled part of the bag and roll the bottle --- like a rolling pin --- away from your torso, so that the bag ends up wrapped around the bottle. Tape the ends of the bag so that the plastic remains secure.
3. You may want to wrap extra layers around the neck, which is the most fragile part of the bottle.
Wrap the champagne bottle in an additional protective layer using bubble wrap, cloth, a sock or newspaper. Secure the wrapping with tape. Err on the side of caution and wrap the tape around the bottle's circumference several times.
4. You can purchase boxes specifically made for champagne bottle transport.
Cushion the bottom of a tubular or rectangle box with newspaper, plastic bags or packing popcorn. Ideally, the box should be only slightly larger than the champagne bottle. Place the taped and wrapped bottle in the box and surround the bottle with packing material so the champagne bottle is immobile. Once the bottle is secured in the box, tape the box shut.
5. Many airports host stands where you can wrap your suitcases in plastic wrap to protect fragile contents.
Place the box in your suitcase and use your belongings for cushioning. Your suitcase should be packed in a way that will eliminate, or at least minimize, movement of the box during transport.
Tags: champagne bottle, around bottle, during transport, from your, should packed, With Champagne
