Info for shipping /packing boxes/bottles to ....

I have an adress where you can buy a 12b shippers in Paris for 15-20€

 

Awesome. I was considering buying one of those "suitcase" covers and packing it inside my other suitcase on the way there (don't want to pay $100 for a second checked bag more often than I have to) but if I can just buy one there for what isn't that much more than what it'd cost me stateside anyways, plus it has a cool Cantillon logo on it, I think I might have a winner.

I'm just going to assume that having a beer logo isn't going to make it more likely to get stolen. I try to avoid buying luggage with camera or scuba logos on it due to their reputation for letting people know there are valuables inside, I'm guessing beer is OK though.

 

If you are flying them back to the states in your suitcase just leave them in their 6 bottle box that Cantillon puts them in. They have cardboard dividers in them and are efficiently packed. They will use their own labeled tape so TSA won't open the box and mess up the cardboard dividers.
I do this route at least three times a year and never had an issue.

 

Feels like you're playing with fire! Well, with glass, liquid and cardboard. They are packed fairly tight, though. I suppose with a good cushion around them and a fully packed hard-side suitcase, you're bulletproof.

 

nooooooooo.....
honestly, packing bottles is pretty easy.
first question is whether or not the brewery's using recycled bottles. the older they are, the more fragile they are. breweries like Cantillon are using new bottles.

to prevent things from breaking, there are simple rules:
-don't have bottles clanking against each other
-use the straps inside your suitcase to prevent things from moving
-heavier bottles go near your wheels
-utilize the harder surfaces on your suitcase

i just wrap my bottles in a layer of clothing and don't have them in a spot where they can be broken. only time i've lost a bottle is due to poor capping.

 

I packed an extra hockey bag in my luggage and purchased a 12 bottle shipped from lazanne. They shipped it to my hotel in Brussels. I tossed the shipper into the hockey bag and it cost me an extra 50 Euro on the way home. Everything made it totally safe and I had a 12 bottle shipper for when I pulled off my next big trade at home.

I've done this twice now and it has worked like a charm. Not sure if it's an option for you guys but thats what I have done in the past.

 

Just be careful. If we're going to set policy by anecdote, I lost a smaller bottle (and somewhat ruined a suit -- khaki, could only be worn at night after that) that stayed wrapped in clothing, never went glass-to-glass, but I didn't have enough lockdown within the suitcase. It was enough to make me cautious even about the likes of Cantillon. Now I agree that a box they pack is pretty solid, but what if I'm mix-n-matching? Say, if I'm picking some selections out of various boxes at home, to take to the states. Simply enough to retape the box shot?

 

does anyone have a picture of one of these boxes they provide? Just wondering how big this bad boy is when trying to pack my suitcase around them. It really sucks the cost of bringing an extra bag costs $100 from paris though.

 

Highly considering purchasing a 12 bottle shipper though and paying the 75 bucks for an extra bag. I could definitely make my money back just selling two big bottles to pay for the bringing back process.

 

I'm from Paris, shoot me a pm if you are looking for advices

 

I had a small (375ml) Rose de Gambrinus bottle break in my luggage on my last flight back from Belgium. It was wrapped in thick bubble wrap, no bottle contact with other bottles, and the lining of the suitcase was padded in a fleece blanket. So not even Cantillon bottles are impervious to the dangers of airport luggage workers.

 

Go back to page 24 for a post I did regarding the Wine Check boxes they are selling. There is a lot of information there on how many Cantillon bottles you can fit and how you fit extras without damage. If you want pictures of the size and packaging just google "The Wine Check" and look at the images. It is designed to hold 12 champagne bottles without going over the 23kg (50 lbs) weight limit for the plane. I travel with it all over the world hauling bottles and have never had any break. It is a great investment. well worth the 75 Euro in my opinion. Replacement styrofoam inserts and boxes can be ordered from Uhaul for about $18 USD shipped. Again everything is on my post on page 24 in this thread.

As for the $100 for checked baggage... think about how many 750mL Cantillons you can buy in the US for $100 (less than you can count on one hand). Here you can easily bring back 12 750s and 2 375s

 

Thanks, this was really helpful. Pretty much convinced me to purchase one. Now I just hope some big bottles are out in March when i'm there cause right now all the big stuff i'd love is out now.

 

I'm trying to figure out how to bring some cantillon and maybe a bottle or two of something else home. I'll be traveling with just a carry on visiting Europe for a week or two and ending my trip in Brussels.

Because I'm running around Europe, I wanted to check a bag on the way home only. I'm allowed one bag/box under 50lb. Can I get two 6 shippers from them and put those in cardboard box and bring that home? Or a 12 shipper and box in the city elsewhere?... I guess I'd have to carry that back to my hotel the ultimately to the airport...maybe too much?

It would be nice to avoid spending another 99 euros for the wine check coming home. Though if there are no other options I could use it again I guess. What are others doing in similar situations? I'm not sure if I bought a wine check at home and brought it that it would fit in my current luggage either.

 

You can just order the styrofoam part of the Lazenne wine check through their website and have it shipped to your hotel. This will save you money over buying the whole WineCheck. Make sure to order the one for Large champagne style bottles. Cheers

 

you should be able to get 12 Cantillon in a standard suitcase. that would be be just under 50 pounds.

 

thats why bpost charges boxes over 43 pounds a lot more... like they know it.

 

How good are their delivery windows? I will only be in Brussels for two days. If I have it sent it has to make it by one of those two days or I can't wait. I can even place the order ahead of time. Maybe the hotel will hold it? But I'd rather not ask them to help me by holding on to it. What's the best way to make that work?

Well I'm just bringing a small suitcase to travel for a few weeks that will be full. I'll need to buy a box or wine check in Brussels or elsewhere on the trip towards the end so I'm not going city to city with extra stuff to carry around. Trying to figure out the best way. Hopefully others who have been in a similar situation can share how they handled it.

 

If you can fit all of your clothes in a small suitcase, then put that suitcase inside an empty larger suitcase with some bubble wrap and packing material. Once you get your bottles in Brussels, wrap em tight with bubble wrap and use the big suitcase to return your bottles. There is a hardware store on Boulevard Anspach that sells packing material that you can buy what you need. Cant remember the name of it, maybe a local could help me out. Or just spend the $125 for the winecheck at Cantillon and not have to worry about anything.

 

Brico is the name of the store. Its like an ACE hardware