Travelling with your dolls: issues/ideas/etc. Part I

Why do you think they're called "throwers"? (No idea if that's their real job title, but I'm sure it fits. )

 

I took three of my crew to Montreal. Security in Toronto didn't even bat an eye when they went through the x-ray machine, but they were looked at funny in Montreal. Not in a bad way. Jokes about smuggling people in my suitcase ensued and it was all good. Actually, dolls look very interesting on the x-ray (I HAD to look), so I understand why the security people stopped for a moment to figure it out.

I left all three of them out in my hotel room for a day and it was not in the most wonderful area of Montreal. I certainly wouldn't recommend doing this, but I did it anyway. I hung the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door so the cleaning staff wouldn't come in, at least. I'd lock them in your suitcase so they don't stand out.

I'd seriously consider taking a doll with me to Asia this spring, but I know how I am and with how much I deal with my overstuffed luggage by the end of these trips, it's just not practical to bring any of them. They would tie me down. The chances of the doll getting broken would be good. So despite my desire to take pictures of them in front of pretty temples, I'll have to refrain. If you also haven't yet discovered the art of 'travelling light', then it wouldn't hurt to leave the doll at home.

 

Iv actually never heard that term before..o.o.. They have always been called baghandlers around here.

 

Taking dolls in your hand luggage should be fine. As other people have said: don't put them in your main suitcase.
Taking more than one 60cm in a carry-on bag might be difficult though.

 

I did once and had no problem

 

Im going to Orlando this month and im planning to take my 2 tinies with me. They have no trouble fitting in my bag so they will be going everywhere with me all week. Id love to take one of my big dolls but i dont have a bag small enought to fit with the regulations.


Ive also taken my first bjd caravanning and had no problems there. I didnt take her everywhere with me but hid her away if we were going out (caravans have so many nooks and crannies).

 

I've taken my dolls with me on my travels and never had a problem. I've got some great photos of Narsha staring out of plane windows, and Soul Doll Yewon and Narae in Portugal, and my tinies at the beach.

And as for leaving them in hotel rooms, well they've never been touched as far as I'm aware.

I'd say go for it, you'll get some great photo opportunities to show here when you return!

 

I might take a few tinies in a carryon, but that's about it. If I were driving and had lots of room, I might take a bigger one. I have a sizable investment in my doll collection and absolutely could not replace them at this point if stolen, so I'm very nervous about leaving them in hotel rooms.

 

Hey, uh, I'm doing a full Euro trip! It's one of those guided tour ones... haha... I've been kind of considering taking Cloud with me. We're going into certain buildings and such (like at the Vatican, probably museums and palaces and the sort). Dad's keen on the fact that maybe in some places I wouldn't be allowed to carry a bag and I'd be forced to just leave him somewhere-- but do you think they'll actually stop me at these kinds of places?

 

I always take at least one doll with me on vacations and when I travel. On planes I don't mind carrying the doll as a personal item but I like to make sure it can fit in my carryon just in case. Can't say I've had any bad experiences, though I will admit sometimes I worry about leaving dolls in hotel rooms too. Nothing bad has come of it, though.

 

Thanks eleniel! :]

 

I brought the whole crew to a convention/vacation, and I left them in the window for people to ogle. At AX, I had Mikelandros with me, and he sat on top of the tv most of the time, with no problems. As Jonas fits inside an eyeglass case, he has already gone on several trips with me, no problems with any of them.

Gael is going with me to Japan in March, so he can see his "birthplace," so to speak. (I want to take pictures of him at Sato.) I'm converting a metal lunchbox into a carrycase for him, and then he will be going in my laptop backpack for the trip.

I do have a question, though. Has anyone taken both a backpack AND a doll bag through as carry-on items before? I will be returning with two more dolls then I left with, so I'm a bit worried on this front. If I have to, I'll smush the dolls in the backpack and crush everything else into my suitcase, but I really don't want to have to do this. The laptop backpack is effectively my purse (even through I'm not bringing the laptop, I don't want to lose it,) so I hope I can get through.

Thanks!

~Anrui

 

I think it depends on your airline for the carry-ons. I know mine only absolutely allows one. ]:

 

I took two of my dolls on vacation with me in a little luggage case with wheels and no problems at all. I had some of my husbands sweatshirts wrapped around their torsos to keep them in place but they still got knocked around a little.

 

I probably wouldn't take mine internationally if I was planning on being outside and about a lot, since I wouldn't want to leave him in the hotel all the time NOR constantly be worried about him when I have him, but domestic -i.e. the states- I might, since most traveling I do is somewhere where there's A.) family, or B.) a con, both very indoorsy places. (And maybe to Yosemite, my second favorite place ever, since it would be nice to take pictures of them in the valley).

But I don't have any experience in that, really. The only very precious thing I've ever had with me personally in a hotel was my late cat Meowzers, and after something like 2000+ miles of travel with him I stopped being worried I'd lose him (though we almost did once...stupid maid....). Since dolls don't more on their own (much) and aren't likely to run away when scared, it's not a huge worry XD

 

I want to take my dorries places but I wouldnt leave him in the luggage, Id try and take him in his bag....only problem is, my carry case (to me) looks like a rifle case

 

I tend to take whoever is smallest and with Moiji and now Tohru both YO-SD I will be torn on deciding who goes with. Moiji went to CO so I think it's only fair next trip is Tohru's turn. They go in their own special bag with changes of clothes and then lots of pics in hotel, at spots we stop at and so on. Only condition is the weather and they have right clothes for it.

 

There's always a risk of face-up damage, or the resin getting smudged, but I carry Shasta in my purse with his face-up protector, and so far so good. The most that's been damaged is just some mussed-up wigs, but that's easily combed out.
I've never regretted taking him on trips. So far, only plane, and I'm planning a road trip to SakuraCon soon, so we'll see about that... but he's definitely coming.