Shopping in Calais

chookie1

We're off on a day trip to Calais in a couple of weeks - mainly to pick up some wine but also popping into Carrefour for some groceries... Is there anything that's worth buying over there as it's much cheaper than here? (other than diesel!)

chesky369

Must admit I haven't done a Calais shopping trip for years now, you can get such good wine deals in UK supermarkets that it doesn't seem as interesting as it used to. Cigarettes are probably still cheaper over there, so even if you don't smoke yourself you may have friends who do. It's probably technically smuggling but if you don't go too mad, just buy a couple of cartons, then I don't think customs mind much.

andrewmp

chesky369 wrote: »

Must admit I haven't done a Calais shopping trip for years now, you can get such good wine deals in UK supermarkets that it doesn't seem as interesting as it used to. Cigarettes are probably still cheaper over there, so even if you don't smoke yourself you may have friends who do. It's probably technically smuggling but if you don't go too mad, just buy a couple of cartons, then I don't think customs mind much.

No, it isn't, Calais is in France, which is part of the EU. He can buys cigarettes for his own personal consumption.

maman

andrewmp wrote: »

No, it isn't, Calais is in France, which is part of the EU. He can buys cigarettes for his own personal consumption.

At risk of sounding like a pantomime character 'Oh yes it is' as poster was suggesting buying them for friends who smoke.

Personally I think there's very little worth buying 'because it's cheaper' in France any more. French supermarket prices have risen plus the exchange rate is still poor. I just buy a few French delicacies like some cheeses and other bits that we don't get here.

jezza2412

Funny you should ask this, as I was just about to start a similar thread.

But I wanted to know whether Carrefour or Auchan was cheaper in general, as I'll only have time to visit one on my day trip...

Hadley

Alot people who live in France are now getting their shopping delivered from England because it is now cheaper to buy here rather than there.

chookie1

You're quite right that the wine and beer isn't worth going over for - well the "branded" ones anyway - I was in Tesco Vin Plus a few months ago and overheard a bloke bemoaning that it was cheaper at Tesco in Lakeside! But there are a lot of good wines that don't make it over here that you can get in the shops that tend to sell to locals.... the ones whose business isn't just slabs of Carlsberg. I like Calais Vin for what it's worth. And as alcohol duty is ~£1.50 per bottle, it's pretty worthwhile for everyday drinking wines. We're fortunate to live in Kent so the cost is really only the ferry.

Diesel is definitely cheaper. Don't think there's much difference in petrol. I'm also going for groceries that you can get easily in Carrefour that just don't appear over here - banana fruit juice, apple puree snack pots and peanut crisps (glamourous stuff!). Just wondered if anyone had been recently and knew how the prices compared... Carrefour's so vast you can't check everything. It used to be mundane stuff like laundry powder and bin bags but now idea if that's the case now.

Stompa

Hadley wrote: »

Alot people who live in France are now getting their shopping delivered from England because it is now cheaper to buy here rather than there.

Yes, that does seem to be the case:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/jun/09/british-expats-france-supermarket-deliveries

chesky369

Yup, seems not worth bothering about cheap shopping - just have a nice day out with a really good seafood lunch.

DCFC79

We've used auchan more than carrefour, but they are both good imo, theres also E.Leclerc in calais

york1_2

I'd still recommend wine - yes it's more expensive than a few years ago with the poor exchange rate, but a month ago we returned with a boot full on our way back from hols, and there are still good deals to be had.

We paid less than £1.70 a bottle for Big Kahuna, Calloway Crossing and some others at Tesco in France (easy drinking reds). Tesco UK is £3.99+ even on special offer.

Calais Wine have recently opened up, and have lots of reasonable priced wines, again still possible to get plenty for less than £2.50, many on offer at 3 for £6.00.

Have found food to be more expensive (even taking the worse exchange rate into account), especially meat, although if prawns are on offer (6-7 euro kilo) these are good compared with the uk.