Like most things, this will be hard to cover in just one post but we’ll try to touch on all of the basics.   

What You’ll Need: 

•      A quick Google about the laws of your destination country (if applicable)
•      A way to safely carry your cigars from departure to destination
•      A way to cut and light your cigars once you’ve arrived
•      A little bit of ingenuity in case either of the above didn't work out

Checkout the Local Law

First things first, we always want to make sure that our hard efforts in preserving cigars are rewarded by actually being able to enter the country with them.  This probably doesn’t apply to most people travelling inside the U.S. or abroad for vacations, but it’s something that I’ve run into recently when flying internationally to live and work. 

I got really lucky the first time that I loaded two checked bags (crush-proofing for the win!) with boxes of cigars.  The country that I entered is very lackadaisical about customs, but a quick Googling of my next move later this year shows that I won’t be able to do the same. 

If you’re going somewhere for a long stay and want to bring a hefty stash with ya, you may be better off mailing the bulk of your humidor and only bringing a limited supply through the airport. 

How to Travel with Cigars

Once we’ve figured out that we’ll be allowed to keep our boom sticks, the next step is to ensure that everything arrives safely.  There’s nothing worse than flying with a limited selection and realizing that some were damaged in the process. 

Crush-proofing is essential in this process, and one of the easiest ways to do it is to purchase a Travel Humidor like the ones that Xikar and Cigar Caddy make. These feature foam inserts inside the humidor that keep your cigars from bouncing around, an airtight seal for humidity, and a rigid exterior that will survive a lot of abuse.   

If you’re planning using these cases, it’s always recommended to purchase the one with a pressure valve.  That way you never have to consider whether it can travel in your carry-on or checked bags and can always open it on the other side.  If you don’t have this valve, it can be very difficult to open the humidor under pressure if you placed it in your checked bag on an international flight. 

My personal favorite flying companion is the Davidoff Travel Humidor because it slides easily into my backpack.  It’s also handy because TSA folks don’t want to remove the cigars (not sure why) from the insert and often don’t even ask that I show it to them.  I’ve had bad experiences with some countries dumping my cigars on the table and manhandling them from the Xikar and Cigar Caddy style humidors.

Fly with Fire Power 

Depending on where you’re going, soft flame lighters just won’t do it.  And since leaving butane to chance once we land isn’t an option, we always suggest bringing everything we need with us. 

There are a few options available to us, but my personal favorite is the Cigar Traveller from the UK.  This solution comes with a torch adapter and a refillable cartridge, meaning that we can bring everything we need on the plane with us.  Just separate the butane cartridge from the torch adapter and you’re good to go! 

Soft flame lighters are legal to carry-on in the US and most countries abroad.  If you’re not into torch lighters and don’t have to worry about the wind where you’re headed, it can’t hurt to bring your own lighter.  Likewise, cutters are never looked at twice and easy to carry-on.

Adapt and Overcome

Forgot your cutter?  No worries! You can use everything from fingernails to the keys in your pocket to remove enough of the cap to smoke your cigar.  Check out this post on cutting cigars for inspiration.

Need a travel humidor for duty free cigars you purchased on a whim?  Grab some freezer bags to size and go to town.  If you think that you’ll be buying cigars, it never hurts to be prepared with extra Boveda packs just in case.   

Need a lighter?  If a torch is what you need, it’s best to head on down to the local Walmart or equivalent (Carrefour, ASDA, Monoprix, Real) and look in the tools and cooking sections.  Almost always, you’ll find a powerful little cooking torch with a gigantic tank.  Be extra careful with these, though, as they’re overkill and will absolutely blister your cigar if you get ‘em too close.  

One extra tip: a lot of places sell the butane canisters near tobacco products even if they don’t sell torches for cigars.  Always take a few moments to check that the butane canister you purchased fits your new torch lighter to eliminate additional headaches when you get home.  

Tell Us!  What are YOUR travel tips?