exbayern

Why are you angry with the OP? He made it clear in the very first post that he didn't want to inadvertently ruin the surprise by having the ring exposed at the TSA checkpoint. Obviously the TSO's wouldn't care and he wouldn't be hiding the ring from them. The same holds true for customs at CDG; if his girlfriend is living in Paris it wouldn't be an issue to him.
I sometimes ask them in French why they never show me this lovely treasure they have found. I'm not offended that I am never chosen to be a target of the artists looking for obviously clueless tourists (not meaning that you are...) but I do sometimes like to give them at least something to do on those early Sunday mornings in the Tuileries before the tourists are awake.

mikeef

1) OP, I brought a ring with me to SF to propose to my girlfriend at the time, and this was prior to 9/11. I was still sweating it, so I understand where you are coming from. But many others have given you the best advice: Insure it and don't worry from there.

2) Where are you planning on proposing?

3) In case there are any doubts, and there don't sound like there are, just butter her up with ice cream from Berthillon!

And congratulations!

Mike

kdoughboy

I think my original post was sufficiently clear with regards to explaining the situation without explicitly mentioning that she is American and we are traveling together to France. No need to get upset with me over a simple misunderstanding. *shrug*

1. That is definitely the message I have gotten: take care of it, but don't sweat it too much. Definitely makes me feel more at ease. I'll be smart about it--as I am with all my belongings, especially in an unfamiliar place--and just enjoy myself otherwise.

2. Was thinking about taking her to Parc de Bagatelle, which I hear is beautiful and should not be very crowded. I'd like to do it in public, but also in a place that doesn't have too many other people around, and this seems like a nice setting.

3. There are absolutely no doubts, but ice cream from Berthillon will happen anyway.

dakuda

I did something similiar - but we spent several days in Berlin before we made it to Paris. I just kept the ring in my wallet through security. It was never a problem. My wallet has a metal money clip, so I always put it in my carry on through the security scanners.

This may have been the dumb part - since I wasn't sure when/where I was going to ask - I continued to keep it in my wallet in Paris. I carried it in my front pocket though, so it was harder (not impossible) to grab. I had already insured it on the drive home from the jewelry store.

Everything worked out just fine in the airports.

exbayern

It was. I think that the vast majority understood.

I think that the only possible concern is that there are reports of TSOs in American airports going through wallets, item by item. That wouldn't be an issue at TXL or CDG, but at American airports it can be a very real concern, especially if the OP is trying to hide it from his girlfriend.

mikeef

So after the death of Quaismodo, the French realized that they needed an encore act but, to succeed Big Q, it had to be something special. They finally settled on a guy who rang the bell by running at it, jumping and smashing it with his head.

One day, after a little too much wine, the bell ringer ran, jumped and went flying down onto the pavement below. Splat. A couple of tourists walked by, and the first one looked at the body and said, "Hey, who is that guy?"

The second one peered at the ground and said, "I don't know, but his face sure rings a bell." <-Highlight for answer

Mike

dakuda

I didn't run into that - granted this was several years ago. The ring in my walet would have been very obvious. I am sure that he could ask for them to go through it privately.

McNandez

I hope my situation is similar enough to justify bumping the thread instead of creating a new one:

I'm planning on proposing in London next month, and am not sure how to best travel with my gf's ring until then. I don't wear jewelry and don't know if I'm just being paranoid, but I keep thinking about all the various ways that it could get lost or stolen, and ways that TSA or CBP might blow it for me by flagging my carry-on for search.

1. Would it be better to buy a placeholder ring to give her until we got back? (If I went this route, I would need to be cheap about it)
2. Seeing as how the ring would not be staying in the countries we're visiting, would I still need to declare it?
3. Would a ring box somehow make it more likely that my carry on would get searched? I've read that most people leave the box at home, but I designed and made it myself, and if I go the placeholder route, it might add a little bit more "specialness" to the moment.

Here is our itinerary up to the day I plan to propose:

LAX -> DTW
DTW -> FRA
FRA -> CDG
Eurostar from Paris to London

Any advice or thoughts would be appreciated!

KevinDTW

I can appreciate your dilemma. There are many logistical problems involved in trying to carry the ring secretly for all the time leading up to your proposal, but you want to have the drama of presenting her with the actual ring right on the spot. My question is: how certain are you of her answer ? Would she find it endearing if you proposed with an inexpensive placeholder ring (if so, maybe the sillier the better, such as something out of a vending machine, etc.) or are you counting on the wow factor of the ring to carry the day?

If you think you can get away with the endearing placeholder ring, then I'd leave the real one at home. You'll be worried about it the entire trip -- will security blow your surprise, is it safe back in the hotel room during the day, is there any chance your gf will accidentally discover it prematurely, etc. Maybe you can even surprise her a second time when you get home with the real ring -- you know, play it like you're asking her now even though you don't have a ring yet, and then breaking it out at home. Good luck!

Randyk47

Personally I wouldn't worry about it above taking the standard precautions you would with any valuable item. Realize some have had different experiences but we've never ever had a piece of carry-on taken from a belt or searched out of our sight. My wife travels frequently, both in the US and overseas, and always has at least some of her jewelry with her from inexpensive to expensive enough to be insured. That includes one or two rings she doesn't like flopping around in her jewelry travel case so they're in ring boxes and not once in literally dozens of flights from here to Istanbul and numerous points in between has that ever been an issue. The only jewelry she declares are the pieces she might have bought on a trip overseas and she usually sets those aside with the purchase receipts in case she's questioned. Certainly you don't want to put anything valuable in checked luggage.

squeakr

To carry it around AND keep it a secret why worry throughout the trip?
Maybe a placeholder with a picture of the actual ring?
I don't ever take good jewelry with me on any trips.

Randyk47

I asked Mrs. K about all of this. Her answer "If not now, when?". She's a seasoned and frequent flyer. She knows how to safeguard, as best anyone can, her belongings. She wears her good watches, she wears her very nice engagement and wedding band, and she takes whatevever jewelry she feels like taking for whatever trip she's going on from business to personal. Her view on the placeholder....."Really? Hopefully an engagement means the start of a life long relationship and we're going to start that with an ersatz ring?". Just one woman's maybe romantic opinion.

mre5765

Propose to her your first night in Europe over dinner. Buy travel insurance in case she declines as you two will obviously not want to continue to travel together for the rest of trip. (If it were me, I'd travel the rest of the itin myself; I am assuming she will opt to go home.) If she accepts think how much more you will both enjoy the trip. Play the high percentage bet here.

This way you only have to hide it for first 24 hours.

If for some reason in airport security you get a secondary screening on the carry on with the ring, confide to the security officer what is going on so that he is discreet. If the officer blows the whole deal, well propose to her then and there. It will be a great story to tell your grand kids.

No need to declare this at customs. Make sure you keep the receipt for return to the USA.

McNandez

thanks for all the ideas!

I've decided to go with an inexpensive placeholder ring. Her "actual" ring is an heirloom, and although I'm fairly confident that TSA or CBP wouldn't blow it for me, the well-being of that ring would be constantly on my mind throughout the trip.

It'll go stashed in my carry-on until the day, and I have no qualms about getting it through security anywhere.

obiterdictum

I did this less than a year ago and had a jeweller create a meaningful gold token kind of thing and used that, with the promise of a days ring shopping either at our holiday destination, or/as well as upon returning to the UK so she could find a ring she was happy with. Just make sure to put it (the main ring) on a points earning credit card so it feels a bit better on your wallet

The token piece was far cheaper than the ring so the worry was far less whilst travelling (although that's what insurance is for at the end of the day).

I kept it in my carry on (it was in a ring box anyway due to the size / shape meant it fitted nicely) and if I'd been searched, I'd have quickly explained to the security agent and asked them to be discreet. I'm sure it would have been fine if I'd been searched. How likely are you to be directly next to each other when going through security anyway?

Most importantly, good luck!