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Wondering how to pack wine in a suitcase? We’ve got six easy tips that will help you avoid any breakage or leaks so you can bring back a bottle of wine (or two) as a souvenir from your trip!
How to Pack Wine in a Suitcase
Travel Fashion Girl help! A reader asks:
Does anyone know how to pack alcohol in checked luggage, specifically a wine bottle? If so, how?
As much as traveling is about the experience, we all love to bring home a souvenir or a gift for a loved one. A popular option is a bottle of wine, especially when it’s from a region famous for its wine (we’re looking at you, France).
The most important thing to note is that you need to pack alcohol in checked baggage due to liquid restrictions for carry-ons. But this can be tricky, as the glass bottle is delicate and can easily break during air travel. This can not only ruin the wine but also the clothing in your luggage.
We gathered insight from our readers and they shared their experienced tips on how to pack wine in a suitcase:
Use a Hard Side Suitcase
Before you can determine how to pack a bottle of wine in luggage, you need the right luggage. Multiple readers recommended using a hard side suitcase instead of a soft one. One reader says, “a hard side luggage, if you have some, can protect from impact.”
When bags are tossed on top of each other, the soft suitcases can get pushed in or dented. Hard side suitcases can get tossed around a little more without anything inside getting damaged.
These are the best hard side carry on suitcases!
Wrap the Wine Bottle
It’s amazing how many creative ways you can wrap a wine bottle! One reader said her ultimate equation for how to pack a bottle of wine in luggage is, “hard side suitcase, bubble wrap, giant ziplock, more bubble wrap.”
Don’t have bubble wrap? Use your clothes! One reader says, “I just use my clothes. No problems yet (knock on wood).” Another shared, “I packed a bottle of rum from Cuba. Wrapped it in a maxi skirt and put in middle of suitcase with clothes and shoes around it.”
And if you travel with kids, bring some extra disposable diapers! We love this creative tip our readers shared. One said, “we usually bring along a few diapers and plastic bags from home to wrap the bottles in,” while another added, “I’ve used disposable diapers for this purpose too! Absorbent in case of disaster.”
Invest in a Wine Travel Bag
If you don’t want to use your clothing or bubble wrap, or if you want to make sure a valuable bottle of wine doesn’t break, there are a number of travel wine bags on the market that are specifically designed for traveling with a wine bottle.
WineSkin is a popular option, with one reader saying, “WineSkin has worked every time. I buy them at home and then take on vacation with me so I can bring stuff back.”
As a bonus, many of them are resusable so you can use them on more than just one trip!
Wine Sleeve Tote Bag | Wine Diaper
Another option is wine sleeves for airplane travel. Made from neoprene, you can wash them and reuse them over and over again. Or, a wine diaper is also a great option, which a reader recommended, saying, “I have used these for years and never a problem.”
EzPacking Foldable Laundry Bag
Stuff Your Suitcase
Regardless of what you use to wrap and protect a glass bottle, it may still break if it can move around in your suitcase.
As one reader says, “The key is to pack the bag TIGHT so things don’t shift around. This works best in a suitcase rather than a duffle or other type of bag. I’ve done this numerous times and have not had a problem so far!”
If you have extra room, add paper, bags, or a laundry bag to stuff the suitcase so everything is tight in place and can’t move around. Make sure you keep the wine bottle in the center of the suitcase so it’s padded well.
Additionally, place shoes or other firm objects in between the bottle and the luggage edges to act as a protective barrier.
Use Packing Cubes
Besides organizing your travel wardrobe and accessories, packing cubes are also useful for padding wine bottles too. Just wrap them with some clothes and secure in the bag you intend to check-in at the airport. Overall, packing cubes can help compress many items to fit inside your luggage. You can learn about our packing cube compression hacks in this video!
What are your tips on how to pack wine in a suitcase? Share and comment below!
For more packing tips and ideas, please read:
- 10 Step Packing Guide to Stop Overpacking
- Packing Cubes: This Will Change the Way You Travel
- 10 Best Toiletry Bags for Travel
- What’s in My Bag: Unexpected Essentials
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I bought an inflatable wine bags that cushion the wine or any alcohol bottle perfectly. They have been great and then deflate flat once drunk!!!
Perfect!