When it comes to gifts, holidays and other special occasions can pose some challenges for travelers. Vehicles need to be loaded with gifts carefully and with safety in mind. Flying with gifts presents its own issues, especially when it comes to packing. International travelers must be aware of regulations for both countries and declare all gifts to customs. However, as long as you are prepared before your trip, you can get to your destination with gifts relatively easily.
StepsMethod 1Method 1 of 3:Driving with Gifts
1Find out your vehicle’s weight limits. Many of today’s mid-sized sedans, SUVs, compact and subcompact models are close to their maximum load capacity when four adults and their luggage are travelling inside. If you plan to travel with numerous or very heavy gifts, find out your vehicle’s weight limit before you pack your car. Information about load capacity can be found in your vehicle’s owner’s manual.XTrustworthy SourceConsumer ReportsNonprofit organization dedicated to consumer advocacy and product testingGo to sourceIt is unsafe to travel in vehicles that are at their maximum weight capacity.It is also extremely hard on your vehicle and could cause quite a bit of wear and tear.For additional safety, get your vehicle serviced before taking long drives – especially if you’ll be loaded down with gifts. Your vehicle’s tire air pressure is especially important when it comes to bearing heavy loads.XTrustworthy SourceConsumer ReportsNonprofit organization dedicated to consumer advocacy and product testingGo to source
2Put the gifts in the trunk instead of the backseat. You may be tempted to load your gifts in the backseat of your vehicle, but they will actually be safer in your truck. The items won’t be visible when tucked away in your trunk, but prying eyes may notice them if they’re piled in the backseat. This could result in potential theft, especially during stops at gas stations and rest areas, when your vehicle is more readily accessible to strangers.If your vehicle doesn’t have a trunk space, throw a light blanket over the gifts piled up in the backseat to conceal them.Even with the gifts stowed safely out of sight in your trunk, avoid leaving your vehicle unattended for more than a few minutes at a time.
3Put the heaviest items near the center of your vehicle. When a vehicle’s center of gravity is thrown off, the likelihood of an accident is significantly increased. Because of this, pack the heaviest items as near to the center of the vehicle as possible. If you’re loading a trunk, push the heaviest items as far back into the space as you can. If you must use your backseat, place the heaviest items on the floor, behind the front passenger seats.XTrustworthy SourceConsumer ReportsNonprofit organization dedicated to consumer advocacy and product testingGo to sourceLoading very heavy items at the back end of a trunk can affect steering and braking, since it shifts weight off the front tires. This is true for all vehicles, but SUVs in particular are at risk for rollover accidents. They need to be loaded carefully so that the overall center of gravity is low and in the middle.For example, place heavier items, such as stereo equipment and televisions, near the center of the vehicle. You can pack lighter items, like clothing, paperback books and plastic toys, in the trunk.
4Load the gifts without leaving big empty spaces between them. You’ll need to take into account the shifting that may occur during your drive, which can cause significant damage to your gifts. Even if you are driving slowly and safely during your trek, simple turns and unexpected potholes can cause shifting. Pack the gifts tightly into your vehicle. Surround them with heavy items, such as packed duffel bags, to prevent shifting. Pack smaller items in boxes to keep them secure.You could also wedge large, thick blankets in between gift boxes to prevent shifting and overturning.If you’re interested in something more permanent, consider investing in a cargo organizer, which is a specially made device meant to protect and secure cargo in your car.X
5Rent a U-Haul for large or heavy items. If you plan to travel with a significant number of gifts or exceedingly heavy ones, consider renting a small cargo trailer from a moving/storage company like U-Haul. These tiny, enclosed trailers attach to your vehicle’s trailer hitch. They are lightweight and can help you prevent unnecessary wear and tear on your car.XBefore making a long trip with a trailer attached to your car, make sure you feel comfortable driving with it. You may want to give yourself some extra travel time, since a trailer may require that you drive more slowly.Method 2Method 2 of 3:Flying with Gifts
1Use suitcases with hard shells. Whether you are putting gifts in your checked luggage or your carry-on, use suitcases with hard outer shells to protect the items inside. Checked luggage is often tossed around quite a bit and will come into contact with objects and hard surfaces, so the shell can help prevent significant damage. Your carry-on is slightly safer, but it will still need to be stowed away in an overhead bin during the flight. If you encounter turbulence, your carry-on may get shifted around.Place gifts in the center of your suitcase and surround them with soft items, like clothing, for additional protection.
2Pack valuables in a small carry-on that you can keep near you. Because you have to stow larger carry-on luggage in overhead bins, you won’t be able to protect yours with complete control. Put gifts that are particularly valuable or fragile in a small bag – usually referred to by airlines as a personal item. Typically, purses, backpacks, suitcases and laptop bags fall into the “personal item” category. Most airlines will allow you to bring one personal item onboard, in addition to your larger carry-on.XIf the item is too large to fit into a smaller bag, go ahead and pack it in a larger carry-on bag, but try to bury it deep inside. That way, anyone bent on stealing from you would essentially have to dump the entire contents of the bag out to get to the valuables.Buy traveler’s insurance for your high dollar items.
3Pack large or less valuable gifts in your checked luggage. This includes breakable objects that aren’t particularly valuable. If the gift isn’t fragile, wrap thick, soft clothing around it to act as a cushion. Then bury it in the piece of luggage you plan to check at the airport. If the gift is fragile – for instance, a bottle of wine of a ceramic vase – surround it in bubble wrap first, then wrap soft clothing around it. Nestle it deep in your luggage, surrounded by additional clothing.
4Find out about duty-free exemption before flying internationally. Whenever you fly into a different country, you will have to pass through customs at the airport. You will be asked if you have anything to declare – essentially they want to know if you are bringing anything back to your own country and/or if you’re carrying anything potentially hazardous. Depending on what the item is, you may need to pay a duty fee if you want to travel with it. Rules vary by country, but it is typical to be allowed a certain amount of duty-free exemptions.For example, travelers are allowed to bring up to $800 worth of merchandise back to the United States without having to pay duty.XYou must declare the gifts to customs to be able to include them in your personal exemption.XIf you purchased gifts that you want to bring back to your home country, you will be asked to provide receipts for them, so keep those easily accessible.XMethod 3Method 3 of 3:Managing Gifts for Travel
1Wrap the gifts when you arrive at your destination. This is a good idea whether you’re flying or driving, because gift wrap can be easily damaged during transport. If you’re flying, there are additional reasons to avoid wrapping gifts before you travel, most significantly being the possibility of TSA officials unwrapping them during a security inspection. Wrapped gifts are allowed to be in in your luggage, but they will be subjected to the same scrutiny and restrictions that your luggage is held to, including random inspections.If you can wait until you reach your destination to wrap the gifts, this may be the wisest course of action for you.XYou could ship the wrapping supplies with your luggage, or buy the needed wrapping materials upon your arrival.
2Take extra precaution with breakables. No matter how you plan to travel, always take the necessary precautions to protect fragile and breakable gifts. Wrap them in several layers of bubble wrap and nestle them somewhere safe, like inside a hard-shell suitcase. If you’re driving, you may want to separate the breakable items from the other gifts and put them in the backseat. If it’s breakable and also a heavy item, put the gift in the backseat area, but on the floorboard.
3Consider shipping the gifts to your destination. To avoid incurring extra fees to fly them or possible damage to your vehicle to drive them, look into shipping your gifts ahead through a service like FedEx. You may also want to consider this option if you simply want to avoid the hassle of hauling gifts around, especially if you need to transport a lot of them and are travelling alone. Check-in lines can get long and tiresome, especially around the holidays, and shipping ahead can make your airport experience much smoother.XCheck with your airline about their luggage fees before you make your decision – most of them have a weight limit and will charge you a fee if you go over that. If you have heavy gifts to transport, ground shipping may be a better option.If you ship the items, you’ll get a tracking number and have the option to purchase several different tiers of insurance, if you like.
