Airport/hand luggage Q

[Broodywuz]

Hi, this is probably a stupid question. Going to Majorca in a few weeks. Can I take food from home in my hand luggage or only food bought in the airport? 1st time travelling with children, everyone keeps telling me to take loads of snacks but can I actually just fill a bag with a load of their favourite food and take it on the plane?

Yes - as long as they’re solid (not drinks / yoghurt possibly). Just check if there is anything you can’t take into Majorca - https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/carry/meat-dairy-animal/indexamp_en.htm

Yes you can take your own snacks. Fruit, crisps, biscuits, sandwiches, etc all fine

That's great, thanks very much for the replies!
Do they have to be sealed or anything or for example could you take fruit in a home packed tub?

oh and the custom rules only count once you’re actually entering the country - so fine to take meat / dairy products onto the plane, just eat them on the plane if you don’t want to risk having to chuck them

You can take whatever you like though security, except liquids including semi-solids like creams (liquid rule). Since Brexit you cannot take most fresh food into the EU through (in this case) Spanish customs - see the link posted up thread.

Don’t need to be sealed - I travel a lot for work and often take a full on packed lunch

They don't have to be in shop packaging. We've taken freezer bags with fruit in.

In practice the chances of you being stopped at Palma airport are one in a million, almost literally. They don't pull over obvious holidaymakers at random. UK and EU tourists collect their luggage from the same belts, so to even start to pull people over they have to first look at the tags to see where you flew from. And they didn't hire a bunch of new customs people after Brexit.

Plus, even if you did go through the red channel and shout loudly "I have nothing to declare, just here for a look around, ha ha ha", the absolute worst that could happen is that you would lose the stuff. You're not going to go to jail for bringing in a couple of Frubes even if there is a notional EU ban on dairy products, and it's not like Australia where you can't take an apple in.

Can take anything on the plane, as long as it’s ok in the liquids rules (eg yoghurts are liquids!).

Taking food in to the country you’re going to is different rules - but if you’ve eaten or binned it on the plane that’s fine.

Yes, you can take food but I can pretty much guarantee you’ll get everything you’d need there. I have personally never understood why people comment saying take lots of snacks. Unless you’ve got a formula fed baby, I don’t see the need.

It a lot cheaper to take your own snacks on the plane. OP is talking about snacks for on the flight rather than for the holiday destination. We always take pringles as the tubs you buy on board are tiny and extortionate.

Ah yes, of course. I was thinking about being there!

We used to make sure dc ate a proper meal before flying. It's a 2 hour flight. Not 12 hours! Take a few snacks but just in a small sealed box you can hand round. Also sit with your DC and control the drinks or they will be wanting the Loos on the plane!

Thanks everyone, that's good to know. Yes just snacks for travelling, not to actually have on holiday. Our flight is late morning (3 hours) plus roughly 2 hours between getting out the airport and coach transfer to the hotel, first time travelling with a 5 and 2 year old, the last thing I want is them being hungry.

I would price a taxi or see if there is local transport and get straight to your resort. The package holiday included transfers sometimes go to every hotel in every resort and if you're last one can take hours. For example, last year our coach transfer took nearly 2 hours. Our taxi took 40 mins and cost €65.

I second the idea of a taxi. Im going to Majorca next week. The actual journey from airport to resort is an hour. Add to that an hour at the airport waiting for luggage, another hour waiting for a coach to fill, a tedious tour of hotels dropping off everyone but you and it can soon be 4 hours. I've booked a taxi for 80 euros.

@Solpa @mirmc That is a great idea, how do you book your taxi?

I look for recommendations on FB groups for the resort. We are going to Cala Bona which is next to Calla Millor. We used radiotaxicallamillor last year and are using them again as they were very good and competitive price .

There are dozens of taxis outside the terminal at Palma at all times. They are all metered and cost the same. Just walk out of door 4 of the terminal and join the queue, which moves really quickly (2 minutes is a standard waiting time).

For 4 or fewer passengers there's no benefit to booking a private transfer as it will cost the same and you have to meet up with the driver, which is no fun at all if your flight is an hour late and the driver had to pick up another fare.

However, taxis that take more than 4 passengers (5 people including the driver) are rare, so it's worth booking in advance if your party consists of 5 or more people (e.g., Mum, Dad, and 3 kids). Even a 1-month-old baby on Mum's lap counts towards the total number of passengers.

There is a Paul bakery counter at the exit door of the Palma airport terminal where you go to meet most of the transfers (door number 4). It's not cheap because this is an airport, but Paul's stuff is delicious.

Thanks, is there any rules for car seats with the kids, I wasn't planning to take ours?

Great, that's good to know. Thank you

I was under the impression taxi rules are the same as car rental rules when it comes to car seats. If there's any motorway driving they definitely need seats.

I would pre book to ensure you get one with car seats. As pp said, get on a Facebook group for the resort you are going to and ask for recos.

OK, deep breath, here come the rules:

• The EU rule (Directive 2003/20/EC, amending Directive 91/671/EEC) is that (a) every child under 150cm (4ft11) needs a car seat in any car, but (b) that doesn't apply in a taxi (i.e., a vehicle for hire with a meter). It does, however, apply to other private hire vehicles where you pre-book.
• However, member states have some flexibility to adapt these rules a bit. Spain (law 667/2015) has relaxed the 150cm to 135cm (4ft5), so kids of 140cm, say, don't need a child seat. (I guess a Spanish kid of 135cm might be the same age as a Dutch kid of 150cm.) However, Spain has also strengthened the taxi rules (law 1428/2003), so that while taxis don't need car seats if the journey is entirely within a town (speed limit 50 km/h or less), they do need to provide them for a taxi journey that takes you onto country roads or motorways.

There seem to be two kinds of parents when it comes to car seats on holiday: The ones who don't mind the occasional trip without one and only worry that they won't be allowed into the car without them, and the ones who would never allow their child into any car without a car seat.

If you are the first kind of parent then you probably won't worry too much anyway. The police are not standing at every roundabout waiting to haul your kids out and measure their height, and any fine for not having the right seat is the driver's responsibility.

If you are the second kind of parent:

• You will probably be relieved to know that the taxis at Palma airport have access to a big cupboard with every size of car seat you can imagine. It's right next to where the dispatcher stands who directs you to a car. The drivers pool the seats and return them between rides. There is no charge for these.
• If you plan to return to the airport by taxi from your resort then get the hotel to book it a day or two in advance and make sure they know what sizes of seats will be required.
• If you need to get a taxi at some other time during your stay then pre-book and again make sure you order the right seats. If you walk up to a taxi at a stand, or hail one in the street (you can do this just like in London, stick your hand out if the green light is showing) then given that there are 5 sizes of child seat it's unlikely that the driver will have 3 of each in the boot.