Foot passenger to Calais, and cheap cigarettes

HC_2

I have run out of my cheap cigarettes from Europe. I have had to buy some recently in the UK, and the price was a shock.

So, I am intending to go to Calais to stock up. However, I must go as a foot passenger (with a suitcase on wheels) as I don't have the courage to drive abroad.

I guess by sifting throught the Web I can find a cheap deal.

My question is this: Does anyone know how I would get a bus (or something) to a Calais superstore to find what I want?

And if I have no transport is there anything else to do in Calais apart from visit the supermarkets (if I manage to get there)?

Many thanks.

saveapenny

From what I have heard they are not much cheaper in Calais they seem to have got wise to Brits nipping over Belgium is the new place ...Other alternative is to pick up a really cheap quick return one where you just have time to pop into the local town or airport shop

devon-gnome

Hi if this is any use to you - I went on a 'booze-cruise' trip via coach to Calaise and Belgium last November. There's not much in the way of smokes-savings in Calaise and like the rest of France, it's all very expensive. We went to Belgium to buy our smokes and got a HUGE saving BUT the French authorities have got wise to everyone nipping over their borders to Belgium, buying their smokes and back over to France. (This new law began on the day we were in Belgium!) They now only allow 200 cigs (or the equivalent in baccy) to cross their borders and apparently, the French police have been confiscating any excess. We were VERY LUCKY and didn't get stopped. (We had to cross back over the French border to get to Calaise and then on to the Channel Tunnel to go home.)
I have enough smokes until the autumn but won't be going via France to buy any more.) My next trip will probably be to Spain. I hear that smokes can be bought on board the boat enroute. I'll probably go via coach again.
I wouldn't like you to think that you went all that way for very little. Hope this helps. Good luck.

p.s. Have a look at this website for lots of useful information but note that they don't say anything about the new French restrictions.
http://www.day-tripper.net/shoppingfootpassengers.html

cheekymole

I've NEVER heard of this so called new law

The_Lambton_Worm

The price of fags in France has risen dramatically in the last 4/5 years reaching a point where its not even worth the hassle, and cost, of travelling to Calais if you live further afield than the Dover environs. In fact, i think they're cheaper on the ferry than in Calais.

To make any significant savings you need to cross over to Belgium to Adinkerke. However you'll need transport to reach there so you'll either have to go on one of the boozecrooze buses or drive yourself.

The best way to save on fags though, is to pack them in.

PS For those of you who don't speak proper English, fags are cigarettes.

aardvark0

My other half and I are thinking about a slightly different cigarette run, namely getting a mini-cruise round trip to Spain (I think 5 hours in Spain before the boat sails back) with Brittany Ferries from Plymouth to Santander. If you time your trip to be off peak, you can get a round trip (on foot) for £79 per person. If you bring back your max allowance according to customs guidelines (3200 cigs per person - source is Brittany ferries website) your trip should easily pay for itself. According to the website, a pack of cigs costs approx £1.65 - £1.85 onboard, depending on what you go for. I don't know how this would compare to the cost in Spain itself. Only real downside (unless you like the idea) is the fact that the round trip takes over 48 hours, and Plymouth is so far away from most of the population centres of the UK!

I live in Somerset (2 hour drive away) so it's not too bad for us.

waster_2

devon-gnome wrote:

......... We went to Belgium to buy our smokes and got a HUGE saving BUT the French authorities have got wise to everyone nipping over their borders to Belgium, buying their smokes and back over to France. (This new law began on the day we were in Belgium!) They now only allow 200 cigs (or the equivalent in baccy) to cross their borders and apparently, the French police have been confiscating any excess. We were VERY LUCKY and didn't get stopped. (We had to cross back over the French border to get to Calaise and then on to the Channel Tunnel to go home.)
..........

p.s. Have a look at this website for lots of useful information but note that they don't say anything about the new French restrictions.
http://www.day-tripper.net/shoppingfootpassengers.html

I have not seen this reported anywhere. In any case, although the French are a law unto themselves the French are members of the EU and cannot restrict the cross border movement of goods by EU citizens, especially for personal use. They have to abide by the same EU rules that our Customs and Excise are suppose to. Furthermore, the French are signatories to the Schlengen (sp?) Treaty that does not require EU nationals to stop and show their passports at borders with other EU signatories including Belgium. So exactly how and where were the French police stopping people and confiscating their lawful purchases?

So basically, if you are correct the French are in contravention of the EU legislation as are/were the UK Customs when they have tried to impose limits in the past. Although the UK has always said no limit for personal use they imposed artificial limits which have subsequently been held to be unlawful.

sooz

i've seen this new law only briefly reported in some papers when it came into effect. from what i recall, the french have not made it illegal to CROSS the borders with more than 200 fags, just to CARRY more than 200 on you anywhere in the country.

rdj104

Discount Tobacco Sales are one of the shops just over the border in Adinkerke in Belgium.

They offer a free minibus service from Calais. Ring them up in advance and they will collect you from the port, take you to their shop then bring you back again. To get the best prices, take sterling cash, as they can discount the fixed government set price by offering a favourable exchange rate.

devon-gnome

I posted my concerns about the French restrictions to day-tripper.net and have had the following reply;


There are a lot of rumours about about this, but I have had only one
case of tobacco being confiscated by French Customs. I am in touch with the EU
about this. I would not worry about it.
When it happens I will be letting the EU know, they have asked me for
evidence.

Keep shopping!

David Ash - Editor / Webmaster


So there's one reported confiscation. This may be worth watching for developments....

ka7e

aardvark0 -
Bakers Dolphin Coaches do a weekly booze cruise (at peak times they do a mid-week one as well) to Calais and Belgium. £37, departs v early am, gets back v late pm - or next am if the driver gets lost!
Pick up points are;
Taunton
Bristol Hippodrome
Bristol Tesco Eastville
Weston-s-Mare
Worle
Burnham-on-sea
Bridgwater
Gordano Services
Clevedon
Nailsea
Leigh Delamere Services
Trowbridge
Chippenham
Frome
Westbury, Wilts
Devizes