Question - traveling with cigars

[steveo]

Hello FOH,

I have a question I was hoping someone might be able to help with. I will be traveling to Costa Rica very soon and I was wondering what the best way to take cigars with me or if I should purchase them there. We will be staying in the Manuel Antonio area at El Parador and then will be traveling to Montezuma. I was thinking of taking 8 - 10 cigars with me, but from what i have read the plane travel can wreak havoc on the cigars and then there is always the chance that US customs can confiscate them, although I don't plan on bringing back any, only taking them. My thought was to get an otterbox or similar travel humidor and take the bands off. Is this the way to go or do you think I should just purchase them there? I would probably need to purchase them at the hotel though since we won't be in San Jose and I don't think there will be an LCDH store where we are. Does anyone have any advice for me?

Thanks in advance,

Steveo

[Colt45]

My only concern would be with Costa Rican regulations regarding the amount of tobacco products

you can bring in duty free. I doubt eight to ten cigars would be a problem. You can absolutely carry

on cigars - bring them naked if it alleviates any fears -you don't smoke the bands :-)

[Cam]

i agree with Colt, take the bands off this way it will alleviate any fears the US customs might confi them 10 cigars won't be a problem in costa.

[GP012]

There is a small store in Quepos (town next to Manuel Antonio) that get their limited stock from the LCDH in San Jose, and they also hand roll a few custom blends. I smoked two of the custom rolled, and they were okay... nothing to write home about. I don't know where the tobacco is from.

Prices were similar to those of the LCDH in SJ, not Spanish pricing but definitely not UK pricing. An example would be a Hoyo DC for $15-18 IIRC.

Here's the website: http://www.houseofcigar.com/ ... It's directly across from the water when you come into Quepos from the north and very hard to miss. Watch out for fakes in the tourist shops, they are everywhere.

Also, check out El Avion (http://www.costaverde.com/avion01.htm) on the road from Quepos to Manuel Antonio. That place is an awesome restuarant to catch a sunset over dinner.

Email me if you need some more info. I did a San Jose > Monteverde > Puntarenas > Quepos/Manuel Antoino > SJ 2-week trip last year.

[Scottological]

I travel to Europe from Colorado pretty often and I take an Otter Box with eight to ten cigars. I have never once had a problem with customs anywhere. (Of course, I don't take any CC's back into the US.) Typically it's cheaper to bring one's own than buy them in hotels or bars.

One thing to note: it you travel from a high elevation to a low elevation, you may have to pry your Otter Box open with a knife. The pressure change creates a considerable vacuum, though with no apparent deliterious effect on the cigars.

[steveo]

Thanks gpugliese,

I appreciate the info in the shop and the restaurant. I'll make sure and check it out when we go.

Steveo