Wikivoyage:Tourist office/Archives/2019/February
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Tax free alcohol on a trip to Sweden
I'm going to Sweden by aeroplane in late September. I'd like to buy a bottle of whisky from the tax free shop along the way, but this presents a problem, as Swedish law no longer allows buying tax free alcohol on a trip within the EU, and a plane trip from Finland to Sweden and back is entirely within the EU.
I could always buy the whisky already in Finland, but I couldn't bring it back with me, as the new airport security laws forbid taking so much liquid on the plane. I'd have to drink it on site in Sweden, which I don't want to do, because I'll only be spending one day in Sweden.
Some countries provide a service where you can leave your tax free shopping items at the airport and pick them up when you come back, but I asked the Finnish aviation bureau about this and they replied you can't do that in Finland.
So what options are there? I've thought of coming back by ship, but as I'll be leaving Gothenburg on Sunday morning and I have to be at work in Vantaa the next morning on Monday, there isn't enough time.
One possibility could be to buy the whisky in Finland, and as soon as I get to Sweden, mail it home to myself back to Finland. Would this work? Are there any other options?
Asked by: JIP (talk) 17:30, 4 February 2019 (UTC)
- I am not clear why you are wanting to carry the whisky - do you want to drink some in Sweden, or does the airport sell much cheaper or a better selection of whisky?
- The flight restrictions on liquids only apply to hand luggage. So if you have a bag in a hold, just put the bottle of whisky in there - wrap it in a towel for protection. I recently carried a bottle of whisky from Hong Kong to Auckland in my checked-in bag.
- You are allowed to carry liquids in 100ml bottles in your hand luggage. Unfortunately all your 100ml bottles have to fit in a 1l clear bag, so you can't decant a full bottle of whisky into smaller bottles, but it does let you take enough for a dram or two if you just want something to drink in Sweden.
- Tax free shops can seal bottles in bags for passengers who have to go through security again on their journey. I don't think that this would work in your case, but it is just possible that this would let you store your bottle in the Swedish airport. AlasdairW (talk) 22:13, 4 February 2019 (UTC)
- The reason I want to buy tax free whisky at the airport is because of the cheaper prices and better selection. I don't want to drink any whisky in Sweden, I want to take it with me back to Finland. I'd be much happier if the Helsinki-Vantaa airport would let me just store the whisky there for pick-up when I come back (so that the whisky would never actually go to Sweden), as some airports in continental Europe do, but as I wrote above, unfortunately that is not possible. I'd also be much happier if Gothenburg-Landvetter airport would let me buy the whisky on my way back, but unfortunately Swedish tax free laws don't allow that. So it looks like if I want to buy tax free whisky and take it home with me to Finland, my only options are to either put the whisky in a bag that goes to the cargo hold, or mail the whisky to myself separately. I'll be bringing a bag that goes to the cargo anyway, as the reason I'm going to Sweden in the first place is a convention where I'll be doing some shopping. Unfortunately that also means I have to limit my shopping to leave space for the whisky. JIP (talk) 23:38, 4 February 2019 (UTC)
- Is it really true that Finnish duty-free shops will allow you to buy things when traveling within the EU? I would have guessed that the EU, not Sweden specifically, would have a law against that. --76.69.46.228 06:57, 5 February 2019 (UTC)
- If I remember correctly (I hardly buy anything in airport duty free shops) they will sell you alcohol products (but not tobacco) if you travel within the EU, but at a higher price compared to if you're flying to somewhere outside the EU because value added tax, duty or something else was added to the outside EU price. This was the case on CDG a few years ago. It is possible that Sweden has the right to apply stricter rules (just as the governments of Finland and Sweden have the right to keep alcoholic beverages in government monopoly stores).
- The best solution would be to buy the whisky in Helsinki, carry it with you, and pack it in the checked luggage on the flight back (pack it well). I think it's still disallowed to ship alcohol by mail or parcel service in, out or within the Finland and Sweden so I wouldn't try that.
- Ps. if you happen to have an upcoming trip to Tallinn, consider buying the whisky there instead. The selection isn't too bad, prices are probably around the same if not lower as in Helsinki Airport's duty free shop and the "liquid limit on the ship" are the limits by the Finnish customs for travelers within the EU which you won't exceed even with the biggest bottle :) ϒψιλον (talk) 09:54, 5 February 2019 (UTC)
- Is it really true that Finnish duty-free shops will allow you to buy things when traveling within the EU? I would have guessed that the EU, not Sweden specifically, would have a law against that. --76.69.46.228 06:57, 5 February 2019 (UTC)
- The reason I want to buy tax free whisky at the airport is because of the cheaper prices and better selection. I don't want to drink any whisky in Sweden, I want to take it with me back to Finland. I'd be much happier if the Helsinki-Vantaa airport would let me just store the whisky there for pick-up when I come back (so that the whisky would never actually go to Sweden), as some airports in continental Europe do, but as I wrote above, unfortunately that is not possible. I'd also be much happier if Gothenburg-Landvetter airport would let me buy the whisky on my way back, but unfortunately Swedish tax free laws don't allow that. So it looks like if I want to buy tax free whisky and take it home with me to Finland, my only options are to either put the whisky in a bag that goes to the cargo hold, or mail the whisky to myself separately. I'll be bringing a bag that goes to the cargo anyway, as the reason I'm going to Sweden in the first place is a convention where I'll be doing some shopping. Unfortunately that also means I have to limit my shopping to leave space for the whisky. JIP (talk) 23:38, 4 February 2019 (UTC)
Land/Maritime Border
Do Sweden and Denmark count as having a land border, due to the bridge(s)? If not, why aren't international bridges counted as land borders?
Asked by: 2A01:4B00:8836:7E00:4979:2448:306:F0B5 15:46, 25 February 2019 (UTC)
- It doesn't count as a land border because there is no physical meeting point between Danish and Swedish land. But of course the provision of a bridge which you can drive over makes it a much more convenient crossing than if you had to take a ferry, or - in the case of the Channel Tunnel - board a shuttle train.--ThunderingTyphoons! (talk) 16:38, 25 February 2019 (UTC)
- The question is, "counted by who"? You can choose whatever sensible meaning you like for "land border" when you use it. Personally, I consider river borders to be land borders, so international bridges do count if they are over rivers. --76.69.46.228 07:26, 26 February 2019 (UTC)
- A train is much more convenient than having to muck around with 19th century motorcars and internal combustion engines which stink and kill people and are unpleasant... Hobbitschuster (talk) 19:46, 26 February 2019 (UTC)