Reading Sharen and Trisha's request about rib of beef - why don't you take it with you.
Friend of ours asks the butcher to vacuum pack all her meat and she always takes it into Portugal...sausages, legs of lamb etc. have all been looked at when stopped entering Faro without any complaint from Customs. Maybe if we told them she's a vegetarian they could lock her up

I've brought in bacon... again no complaints....so I wouldn't think there are any restrictions on foodstuffs
Happy Christmas everyone - already started on the chocolate liquers and belgian truffles...too much temptation better go and replace them
_______
pammie

Thanks for the advice.

Last time (2004) we took any food through customs it was a cooked turkey crown. Sharen placed it in a tupperware box . . . . and with it a 4" paring knife!

I walked through the scanners and airport security, all the way to the villa and no one found it . . . . least of all me!

She had planned to put the turkey in my daughter's suitcase; but it ended up in my hand luggage!

I should point out that the turkey was in a cool bag and the knife wrapped in Kitchen roll.

I told Michael, when I remembered, which was after check in and when we were already sat in the Departure lounge

Enjoy your choccies Pammie and thanks for the advice

I will bring sausages and bacon from my local butcher, which I did last year and had vacuum packed, but a rib of beef..... where would I put all my shoes!!!

Unbeleiveable about the knife, I recently travelled through the NORDIC countries on business - the last port of call - Copenhagen pulled me up saying I had a sharp object in my back which I protested - it turned out to be a plasitc hair comb which has followed me around the world they wouldn't allow me through with it

After arriving back and unpacking my stuff, I found that I had left a pair of nail scissors in one of the pouches in my toiletry case, instead of putting them in my suitcase, as I usually do. It wasn't picked up by the staff or their equipment.

Mind you, I was frisked on leaving at Faro and on returning at London. The big buckles on my biker boots set the alarms off.

The other funny thing was at Faro they now make you remove the belt from your trousers before going through. I thought my jeans were going to fall down around my ankles.

Coming back from Dublin we had to take off our belts and shoes!

Coming back from Newark USA I had to take of coat, waist coast, belts, shoes!!!!

Someone infront of me had obviosuly experienced it before was wearing flip flops!

Might as well wear a bikini next time!

At Faro passport control they are also now asking loads of questions. One guy in front of me was at the booth for ages. They ask what you are here for, how long you are going to be here, if you live here, if so are you resident etc etc. Be prepared for 20 questions!

Last Christmas I rather foolishly had wrapped a manicure set as a gift and had put it into my hand luggage. It was picked up in Luton and when they opened the gift all they were going to remove was the metal nail file, like an idiot I pointed out that there were nail scissors in the set and it was totally confiscated then

I normally get a good frisking anyway at the airport as I generally set off the alarm....still haven't figured out why though

Bruxy - We sailed through last weekend first in line, no questions. As a matter of fact we have never been asked any questions?

Sharon - maybe it was the wire in your bra that set of the alarms?

Oops Last post was me! my login had expired

Tweezers in the first aid kit almost every time - especially at Gatwick. Every holiday starts with me buying new tweezers to put in the first aid kit! And yes you would think we'd have learnt by now - doh!

Maddi

Maddi - the crazy thing is that you can buy new tweezers from Boots in the depature lounge!!!!!

It always amazed me that you are allowed to bring bottles on board as hand luggage, whats to stop someone using this as a weapon by grabing the neck and smashing it over something or someone.?

Surely a smashed alcohol bottle is a lethal weapon and they still allow those in duty free and on planes. Ring pulls from cans can hurt too.
And no one has ever confiscated my bic razors, nail scissors or tweezers Not to mention the kids bats.