Updated: July 2022
“What’s wrong with that bag?” said the customs official.
“Everything,” said his colleague.
Bristol Airport, 2016. I was travelling with two colleagues. Unfortunately, one had brought coil-building equipment. As you’ll see later on, it was the beginning of a near disaster!
Suffice to say, travelling can be tricky for vapers. Our extensive experiences (and occasional mishaps) inspired us to create this Vape Travel infographic to help you have a safe trip. For more info, including a breakdown of the regulations across the world, see our Vape Travel Guide.
Checking local regulations: Vaping laws around the world
A good place to start before you go abroad is our list of Worst Places to Vape. At the time of writing, we have just updated the guide – but regulations can change rapidly, so do as much research as possible to ensure that the country you are visiting is vape friendly.
Our Most Expensive Places to Vape guide will also help you avoid breaking the bank when you go abroad.
Can you vape anywhere? Places to avoid
In some countries, vaping is outright banned. If you’re caught vaping or in possession of vape products, you can face your device being confiscated, big fines or, in extreme cases, jail time.
Thailand is one nation that has made vaping and the import, export or trading of vape products illegal, with no sign of the ban being lifted. If caught, you could face up to 10 years in prison. . A number of people have had problems vaping in Thailand, and some have reported having to pay fines/bribes.
Similarly, travellers to Singapore can be fined up to $2,000 for buying, using or even simply owning a vaping device.
Australia has recently joined the list of places vapers may want to avoid. New policies mean you can only vape with a prescription and could face 2 years in prison or fines of up to $222,000 if found importing nicotine-containing vape juice.
Are you allowed to vape at the airport?
Unfortunately, most airports treat vaping in the same way as they do smoking. That means you’re usually confined to smoking areas. Do be careful, though – as highlighted in both the infographic and our travel guide, some countries don’t allow any vaping – even in airport smoking lounges!
Essential flying tips for vapers
As mentioned at the beginning of the blog post, one of my friends bought coil-building equipment on a business trip abroad. We’re talking wire, pliers, resistance meters – the works!
Unfortunately, it really does look similar to bomb-building equipment in an airport scanner! We had to wait an excruciating hour while my colleague’s bags were meticulously searched. After a run through the airport, we made our flight with seconds to spare!
Air pressure changes
Ever walked down an aisle only to feel your face glow as you realise a vape juice stain spreading around your crotch? That’s what can happen (and has happened to one member of our team) when you don’t empty a tank before flying. That’s because of the change in air pressure, which can force vape juice out of your tank.
When you’re there
While most people have heard about vaping, attitudes can vary. In the UK we’ve been blessed by two public health campaigns, which have gone some way to educating people about the benefits of vapers, but some countries have been subject toanti-vaping pr campaigns.
Even if you are allowed to vape, it’s best to be respectful and follow vaping etiquette as much as possible.
So it’s always best to play safe and ask before you vape. And if you’re travelling to very remote areas, people can still be taken aback by a technology they’ve never seen before – be prepared for some surprised looks!
Safe vape juice
In the EU, 10ml vape juice has to be tested by law. In the UK, the best suppliers produce really good quality products, and research has made great strides in identifying and eliminating potentially harmful compounds.
Not all countries share these strict regulations, so if you are travelling to a country where the vape industry is not regulated, it may be worth taking enough vape juice to last throughout your trip.
Don’t vape on the plane!
Seriously, just don’t do it! Since publishing the first version of our vape travel post in 2014, we’ve heard of several stories of people spending a night in jail after using a vape while flying. (Qatar Airways seems to be the worst culprit!)
Have you got any great vape travel stories? Let us know in the comments!
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