Originally Posted by stokell
I'm biking to the airport soon on my touring bike. I'll be putting it a plastic bag and arriving in Amsterdam for a 3 week tour on the North Sea Route. I'm cool with just about everything as I've toured in Europe several times. The thing is that some crazy people have changed the rules! I have to change the way I pack.
Here are a few questions I need tourers to answer. Yes, tourers, people who tour with their bikes!
- I've bought a new alcohol stove. Can I pack it?
- How about the alcohol? Can I pack that too?
- Matches, I'm very confused about matches. Can I pack them?
- Anything else I should know before I bike to the airport?
No reason not to pack an empty, clean (or better yet, unused) stove of any kind. Airline and TSA security people will probably get nervous, though, so have a copy of the airline's rules handy and be ready to politely explain that there's nothing flammable in the stove.
No reason to bring alcohol or matches on the plane, so don't cause problems for yourself. Just pick them up when you land in Amsterdam.
Get on the airline's website and read the rules for everything about you and your equipment that might be a little out of the ordinary (stove, bicycle, etc.), and make sure you are in compliance (bicycle prepared/packed as required, etc.).
Get to the airport early so the baggage handlers have time to load your bike carefully, instead of being in a rush.