If you’re a vaper with a travel lust, such as myself, then you should familiarise yourself with some ground rules. Travelling with a vape pen or an e-cig can be smooth and stress-free if you follow the simple steps described in this article. We’re going to cover every subject from preparing (cleaning and packing) your vape container to boarding the aeroplane. A note of importance, from one fellow vaper to another, always do a quick background check of the laws and regulations regarding vaping in the country you want to visit.
Each country is different, and while some of them, such as the UK or the EU, have a reasonably liberal policy when it comes to vaping, others like Turkey, Egypt or Dubai don’t allow vaping at all. Other things to keep in mind are the vape juices and the spare coils because it’s safer to pack a few extra than to be stranded without them in a foreign country! There is nothing more frustrating for a vaper than a burnt coil and no vape shops around where you can replace it.
Copyright: Photo by Andrew Haimerl on Unsplash
Preparation Carefully clean your vape device/e-cig before you pack it. From my experience, the best way to do this is to rinse the tank and the mouthpiece with warm water and wipe them with a paper towel when you’re done. Let them air dry for at least 15 minutes before you continue with the packing. If you haven’t cleaned the tank in a while, you can even use alcohol to rub off the remaining vape juice before you wash it with warm water. Regarding the coil, the easiest thing you can do is just to pack a new one, so you’ll be set at least for a week or two on your trip. Place each component in a plastic see-through bag and then pack them together in a small bag. That bag has to go in your carry-on luggage. The plastic bags will make it easier for you when you go through customs and regulations at the airport. Check everything twice during the preparation phase, and make sure you do not forget some part of the vape device or the charger at home. Airport regulations Airports can impose an additional set of rules when it comes to using or travelling with e-cigs. For example, Francisco International Airport, Philadelphia International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport in the U.S. have banned vaping altogether, but on the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (the busiest airport in the U.S.), vaping is allowed only in the areas designated for smoking. The conclusion, as we said above, is to do your homework, and check the airport regulations while you’re planning your trip. We decided to include a list of the most prominent airports around the world to help you out a little on this subject. Airports that allow vaping: Heathrow Airport – UK – you can vape outside the terminal buildings, in the designated areas. Manchester Airport – UK – you can vape outside the terminal buildings, in the designated areas. Frankfurt Airport – Germany – you can vape inside the airport, in the designated areas for smokers. Stuttgart Airport – Germany – you can vape outside the terminal buildings, in the designated areas. John F. Kennedy International Airport – New York – you can vape in the designated areas. Laguardia Airport – New York – you can vape in the designated areas. Charles de Gaulle – France – you can vape in the designated areas. Phuket International Airport – Thailand – you can vape in the designated areas. Some of the tourist hives sites and airports that have a “friendly” policy towards vaping are Athens, Auckland, Barcelona, Budapest, Cancun, Chennai, Florence, Lisbon, Madrid, Milan, Marrakech, Melbourne, Nice, Mallorca, Toronto, Vienna, Warsaw and others. Boarding the aeroplane We mentioned above that you must pack your vape equipment in the carry-on luggage. That’s because of the rules imposed by the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA), which has prohibited vaping devices from being transported in checked bags. Furthermore, you’ll need to be careful with the vape juices, because you’re not allowed to exceed the permitted 3.4-ounce liquid limit. This liquid limit might vary outside the US, and it’s imposed by the airline company, so you should check it before you board the aeroplane. Moreover, if you’re changing flights, you’ll need to make sure you’re complying to all the different rules enforced by each airline. On the aeroplane No, vaping is not allowed on aeroplanes, and even if it was, you shouldn’t vape inside because it’s basic etiquette. As a fellow vaper, I understand the frustration of a long flight and no vaping allowed, but imposing one’s habit (or pleasure) on other passengers is not polite. If you’re an ex-smoker and you use high-level nicotine e-liquids to regulate the habit, you can try nicotine bubble gums or nicotine patches to get you through a long flight.