Taking christmas presents abroad - would you wrap them?

[Willow2]

We're going away for Christmas and have to take a load of Christmas presents for DS and others with us. Question is, do I wrap them beforehand - or will that fall foul of airline security? Would rather not have to spend hours wrapping them at the other end. Plus, don't really want to run the risk of DS seeing them while I'm packing/unpacking. What do you lot think?

Wrapping them so they can't be clearly indentified if in hand baggage is a no-no i was told, if they are in your suitcase then should be ok, how about using xmas bags that can be untied instead of paper? just in case.

A warning if people have given you presents you should know what is inside, or leave them home for your return.

I'd call the airline to ask about their policy.

Think it depends what they are and where you are going. US may well be more stringent than Europe. Also any expensive or electrical items might be better left unwrapped in case you need to have them checked by customs.

I once gave my dad his wrapped Christmas presents of a garden hand trowel, fork and hoe to bring back and he got stopped because he put them in his hand luggage and showed on the xray- doh !

We leave them unwrapped but all in plastic bags so that if we have to open the cases they won't be instantly visible to the children. Then if the Customs people start delving deeper we can make the kids look the other way.

Thank you - I ended up ringing BA who said it should be fine but to bring a bit of spare wrapping paper just in case customs wants to have a look.

If you are travelling to the USA my counsel would be not to wrap the presents up. If you are stopped by customs (and sometimes they do feel like stopping everyone) the presents will be unwrapped.

Bring spare wrapping paper; alternatively Sari's idea is a good one.

Well, we are off to Oman - so don't think Christmas presents are that big over there!

Was that said with you tongue wedged firmly in cheek? Or am, albeit inadvertently, incredibly cool with destination choice? Confused emoticon.

Try again...

Was that said with your tongue wedged firmly in cheek? Or am I, albeit inadvertently, incredibly cool with destination choice? Confused emoticon

thank you for this thread willow - hadnt thought about that! I am going home for Christmas, and definitely want all presents wrapped before I get home, and my eager little children see them.

I will just have to put them in cabin luggage I guess and hope for the best - and anything fragile had better be very well protected.

SCF - yes, I believe there may well be a shortage of Turkey dinners and Christmas Eve carol concerts - but there will be lots of other exciting things to see - wales/dolphin/apparently even the odd camel/deserts/wonderful beaches/etc etc... so I think we will manage to get by. Think DS would rather be on a beach than sat around a dinner table for hours, anyway. As long as Santa makes it - which he will as we are sending the address up the chimney - he won't mind about the other stuff.

I always wrap mine once in France, just put in plastic bags for the trip an your ds won't be able to see them.