Spill the beans...on what to buy duty-free

I usually find they have offers of Whisky, Gin, Rum, (Manchester) think I paid £20 for 2 x 1 litre bottles is quite good value, I always try and buy the plastic bottles as there lighter in weight and also easier to pack in suitcase.

Baileys - i wouldn't bother buying duty free as there cheaper when there on offer at the supermarkets espically at Christmas time.

Sweets, chocolates - there dearer at duty free.

perfumes - they can be hit and miss, if I'm going to look at perfume, I jot down price comparisons before i go to give me an idea.

On the Plane - If you do want to anything that is as a bargain, then buy on the way out, as not many planes restock the duty free for the way back, so your choices are restricted. I generally find that the spirits on the plane are between £1 and £2 dearer per bottle.

Armbands - this may sound mad, but borrow the childrens, or buy a pair from £1 shop before you go, if you happen to buy a bottle that is glass, then half inflate the armbands and pop round the bottles.

Bubblewrap and roll of sellotape - Again glass bottles - wrap well in bubble wrap and sellotape up, if the worst happens and your bottle is broke at least the glass will kept in one place.

The other tip is check the countries duty free allowances - as some are strict - remember reading back of a hol brochere - Gambia your only allowed one bottle of Whisky into the country, maldives - you can't take duty free in.

Know some airports offer a service of you buy the duty free and they will hold ot for your return or arrange delievery to your UK address (not used the service as last time I flew was into Europe). x

Digdug wrote: »

It depends where you're flying from, of course... I fly to Russia regularly, and duty free can't get close to the shops' prices over there - 5 quid for a bottle of vodka, 70p for a pack of 20 fags (not to mention that you can buy much better vodka than the rubbish sold in the UK). We often holiday in Turkey, and although the prices aren't quite that low it still pays to stock up on fags and booze in local shops, especially for locally produced spirits. (The locals are normally happy to advise you which are the best brands.) :beer:

As for duty free, I've never found a good enough deal to tempt me to buy anything from them. I'm sure the shops only make money from people's boredom while waiting for flights!

I agree - there are very few bargains to be had - certainly in UK duty free outlets as many items can be bought as cheap (if not cheaper) in supernarkets or from the likes of Amazon. When you do save a little, it is hardly worth lugging the stuff around with you on your trip.

I will purchase products that are not available back home such as drinks that are specific to a region/country - but the generic brands of alcohol can be bought in supermarkets at home and when there are offers on, are at a relatively competitive price without the hassle of lugging them halfway around the world with you.

Know some airports offer a service of you buy the duty free and they will hold ot for your return or arrange delievery to your UK address (not used the service
as last time I flew was into Europe

It won't be duty free in the true sense, but tax free (allegedly). Newcastle offers this 'service' but only for travellers not leaving the EU - so duty free wouldn't apply anyway.

Hardly worth bothering with as Newcastle duty free is way overpriced and definitely not worth bothering with IMO.

Grey Goose vodka is much cheaper to buy from US duty free. About $30 a litre bottle compared to nearly £35 for a 70cl bottle in the shops here. It was also $1 cheaper to buy in the plane than the shop with United.

Perfume and make up can be cheaper online for decent brands. The only other things I've ever bought from duty free have been cigarettes for a friend depending on the country and how cheap they are.

Never buy anything in Charles de Gaulle airport, even the macaroons cost more there than they do in the Harrods branch!

Chocolates are definitely dearer at duty free and for the life of me I can't understand why. Sometimes they have 'special offers' where they offer two large packs for £20. Very expensive.

I did stock up on Jo Malone perfume when I flew out of Heathrow in October so I had some Xmas gifts in the bank. It's the cheapest place to buy her stuff in the UK. Cosmetics can be cheaper I think but I only tend to buy stuff that I'd buy anyway.