Comments on: This luggage, it vibrates?

Question: This luggage, it vibrates?

Anonymous — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 06:11:06 -0800

What are the hassles, legal or otherwise, involved in travelling with sex toys in Western Europe? My partner and I will be taking a vacation in Europe shortly. We'll be travelling through Italy, France, Spain, and Portugal. Some of these countries are Catholic and none of them are the United States, so we're wondering about potential problems carrying sex toys through customs and in countries where we don't know the laws and customs.

We won't be carrying anything *too* unusual. There will be no handcuffs, restraints, or pointy, weapony looking things. There will be an assortment of lubes, dildoes, dongs, and harnesses. We're willing to accept that it'll be embarassing when our luggage is searched. Our concerns aren't limited to the airport and customs, we'll also be travelling by train and on public transportation. What we're nervous about is if we'll be arrested or charged with indecency or anything like that (fined, ticketed, whatever). Is it likely that luggage of this nature will single us out for more intense scrutiny? Will we receive less intense scrutiny? Will sex toys be subject to confiscation? Is there anything we should be aware of?

If this were our own country, we'd be more willing to take chances, but travel in foreign countries is different and we'd like to adhere to the letter and spirit of the law as much as possible.

Thanks in advance, hive mind. If followup is needed, one of us will register a sockpuppet.

By: Funmonkey1

Funmonkey1 — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 06:18:15 -0800

if you haven't noticed yet, the Europeans are a lot less up tight about sex toys than the US of god fearing A.

You shouldn't have any problems.

By: modernnomad

modernnomad — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 06:23:09 -0800

Agreed with funmonkey1... you'll be travelling through an area with generally a far more laidback and liberal attitude toward sexuality than the US. That's not to say, of course, that there are absolutley no prudes in western Europe, but you certainly won't have any legal problems.

By: CunningLinguist

CunningLinguist — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 06:25:07 -0800

Yeah, I'd be more worried about traveling with that stuff in the Puritan US. Most of the countries you mention have full frontal nudity in prime time, after all. It's not just toys - Europeans are a lot less uptight about sex period.

By: fire&wings

fire&wings — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 06:27:45 -0800

I would agree with everything said above. You will not have a problem.

By: altolinguistic

altolinguistic — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 06:27:49 -0800

Travelling into your first European country, your luggage *might* be searched - but travelling between countries, it's highly unlikely, as all EU countries apart from the UK are part of the Schengen agreement which facilitates cross-border travel. You might get a wave from a border official but that'll be it.

and what everyone else said - I really really doubt you'll have any problems at all.

By: dead_

dead_ — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 06:37:53 -0800

Not exactly Eastern Europe, but there might be some helpful info in this thread.

By: Thorzdad

Thorzdad — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 06:41:49 -0800

My concern would be in whether all that stuff will make it out of the US in the first place. And, if it does, whether it would be confiscated upon return.
We gotta think of the children, after all.

By: Funmonkey1

Funmonkey1 — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 06:45:06 -0800

Don't worry -- we here in Europe are working on that whole freedom thing. I mean, we might not yet be as free as the almighty USA, but we're doing OK.

LOL! I was reminded of those stories in the USA where in some states you can go to jail for selling a vibrator, like this Texas woman.

Meanwhile all over Europe and Scandinavia its not uncommon for most towns to have at least one adult shop right on the high street.

Crikey, even Selfridges got in on the act when they started displaying the upscale Myla made "The Bone" vibrator (at a paltry £200 a go) right in the street level display windows.

By: bedhead

bedhead — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 06:49:00 -0800

I like that one of the tags for this is "batshithorny". Ha!

I don't think you will have a problem. As many said, Europeans are far more open about sex that USians. Boobs! In the newspaper! It's fantastic.

Most of that stuff won't even show up on the x-ray, unless it's battery-operated or the harnesses have metal bits. I wouldn't worry about it.

By: Nothing

Nothing — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 07:26:05 -0800

You will only go through customs once, when you enter the EU. And the last two times I have traveled to Europe (this year), there was no customs at all, even upon entry to the EU. No one opened my bags, or even asked me if I had anything to declare.

Getting back into the US, well that's another story.

By: JJ86

JJ86 — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 07:30:19 -0800

You might not realize it but good old school Catholic countries like Spain have legal gay marriage now. I wouldn't worry about it, unless the sex toys are shaped like bombs.

By: A189Nut

A189Nut — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 07:52:34 -0800

And you can buy lubrication too. One less thing to carry.

By: meerkatty

meerkatty — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 08:26:39 -0800

In Madrid last year, I walked by two separate sex toy shops (and nice ones!) on the same street - will try to remember where this was and post back. LOL - don't worry about it - you'll probably be pleasantly surprised by how easygoing these countries are compared to the US.

By: JJ86

JJ86 — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 08:32:38 -0800

meerkatty posted: In Madrid last year, I walked by two separate sex toy shops (and nice ones!) on the same street - will try to remember where this was and post back.

Probably the ones on Calle de Atocha, up the street from the Museo de Reina Sofia?

By: meerkatty

meerkatty — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 08:49:34 -0800

JJ86: Yes! We had just seen Guernica in Museo de Reina Sofia and I remember thinking it was bizarre going from masterpiece of the 20th C. depicting the horrors of war to these cool little sex shops promoting pure pleasure. Thanks for the info, it would have bothered me all day otherwise!

By: desuetude

desuetude — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 10:18:38 -0800

Italy is the only place you mentioned that I'd be at all concerned, and as others have pointed out, you won't be searched between countries.

To all the snark, sheesh, they're asking because they are unfamiliar with other countries, not because OMG!? Europe is like old world and stuff?!

By: jack_mo

jack_mo — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 11:34:00 -0800

I'd definitely worry about getting out of and returning to the US - a Canadian friend of mine was held for two hours in the US for having a large metal dildo in his luggage, on the grounds that it could be used as a weapon. The fact that he got the giggles when told this probably didn't help...

By: DrtyBlvd

DrtyBlvd — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 11:37:40 -0800

Might be an idea to place them all in one bag, too?

By: Gordion Knott

Gordion Knott — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 15:06:27 -0800

If you're still worried, bring along an electric toothbrush. Works in a pinch, I've found.

By: baylink

baylink — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 15:15:42 -0800

Yeah, you probably don't have to worry about things like this

By: spatula

spatula — Thu, 03 Aug 2006 12:33:37 -0800

Having made over 20 border crossings by train a few summers ago, my passport was checked exactly once (Germany/Switzerland border) and my luggage searched zero times.

The only place you might be searched is the point of entry airport. And they'll probably be more uncomfortable than you are realizing that your sex life sounds a helluva lot more exciting than theirs.