When you come back from Istanbul, your suitcase often carries a load it did not have on the way out: spices, Turkish delight, ceramics, a glass evil-eye bead, coffee. What they have in common is that they can break, leak or spread their smell everywhere. A little planning stops the return suitcase being a surprise. What is more, most of this planning calls not for extra material but for the right order.
Things to think about when buying
Packing actually begins at the moment of purchase. Thinking about whether there is room in the suitcase is much easier in the shop than at the airport.
- Judge weight and volume with your return baggage allowance in mind
- If you are buying something fragile, ask the seller for sturdy packing; they often wrap it in bubble wrap
- Keep in mind that large bottles of liquid cannot go in your cabin baggage; usually only small containers are allowed there
- If possible, buy closer to the day you leave rather than on the same day; the item then moves around the suitcase less
- Leaving a small gap in the suitcase on the way out is the simplest preparation for the way back
Fragile items
The basic rule is to use your soft things as protective material. That way you neither carry separate packing material nor lose space. The safest area inside a suitcase is the middle; knocks come from the edges and the outer surface.
- Wrap the fragile piece first in paper, then in a T-shirt or jumper
- Place it in the middle of the suitcase, surrounded by soft things
- Do not put it near the edges or the outer surface of the suitcase
- Fill the gaps with socks; an item that moves is riskier than one that is fixed
- If possible, carry a very valuable or very fragile piece in your cabin baggage
Liquid and strong-smelling items
Olive oil, rose water and jam are the classic accidents of the return suitcase. Spices, coffee and tea pass their smell to clothes in a closed suitcase. The solution for both is the same: isolate everything separately and collect it in a single compartment.
- Secure the lids of liquids with tape and put each one in a separate sealed bag
- Do not scatter the bags among your clothes; keep them together, so that if one leaks only one area is affected
- Because pressure can change in flight, do not choose bottles filled to the brim
- Carry spices and coffee without opening the original packaging, and add another sealed bag on top
- Collect all the strongly scented items in one compartment
Customs and carrying rules
If you are leaving the country, there may be restrictions on carrying some products; the rules for food products in particular vary markedly from country to country. Many countries are strict about meat, dairy products and fresh food.
In addition, taking antiques or items of cultural value out of the country requires permission in Turkey. If you are buying such an item, asking the seller for a document and information is the surest way of avoiding trouble at the airport. Keeping the receipt for valuable purchases also helps both at customs and in the event of a return. Checking the current rules of your own country and your airline before the flight is the safest approach; the rules are updated from time to time.
In short
The trick to carrying gifts is not extra material but the right order: wrap the fragile item in something soft and put it in the middle of the suitcase, put liquids in bags, collect the strongly scented in one compartment, and check in advance the products that may be restricted. These four steps stop you meeting a surprise when you open the return suitcase.