Calais Shopping blog and newsletter - tips for day-trippers

30th - Tobacco availability in Belgium

Following a large Customs bust when a lorry carrying a huge quantity of Amber leaf bought in Luxembourg, was stopped at Dover, the tobacco companies have been prevailed upon to restrict the sale of English tobacco in Europe. Amber leaf is very difficult to get now. We are making representations to the E.U. about this as it is a clear breach of free trade and good swithin the E.U.

Now they are requiring shops in Adinkerke to serve English shoppers with the suggested guidelines only (3000 cigarettes and 3 kg rolling tobacco).

More news next week after our next visit.

28th - LD Lines ending Boulogne route

More bad news! LD Lines ferries are now going to end the Dover to Boulogne ferry route completely for tourists on the 5th September 2010.

25th - E111 / EHIC card renewing

The European Health Insurance card only covers you for basic medical care, but not for skiing, or repatriation for example. Many people ahgve them, but few it seems check their validity before they travel. It takes two weeks to get one, and they are date limited, so please check well before you go. Remember too, that many insurance companies refuse claims if you do not have one or it is out of date.

19th - UK Border Agency lying again

I object to being followed and monitored just because as a British citizen I have crossed my own country's border. Frequent travellors appear on a list which you will see them looking at when you arrive.

Once again I am stopped today even though I have been away two weeks. It is obvious I am being targeted. Like most law abiding citizen against whom they cannot have the slightest evidence of criminality or wrongdoing, I resent it very much. Shouldn't they be tackling criminals?

If they have the time to tackle me, this is surely a part of Government we could do without.

Once again when I ask why I have been stopped and I am told they cannot tell me. I ask to make an official complaint, and finally a senior bod comes down. I ask why I have been stopped again and am told I have not been stopped. Hand in front of windscreen, questioning. If that isn't a stop what is? Apparently it's only a stop if you are taken into the sheds. One is forced to wonder if this is to make the figures more "presentable". What are the real figures I wonder?

I suggest they are bastardising the English language. I ask (as always) for his identity, as how can I make a complaint if I don't know who I am complaining about? He assures me they always give their numbers out. In 17 years of asking I have been repeatedly told they cannot do this.Yet I pointedly ask each time. I suppose this fits in with their normal tactics of making us feel uncomfortable or implying we are lying just because we cross our country's borders.

Somewhere along the line he seems to suggest travel frequency is a factor. Wow!

He then ventures to suggest my windscreen is dirty and I was stopped because they couldn't see me. If this is the case, why aren't the lights positioned to allow them to do their job easily? They must think we are stupid or very gullible. No, I do not believe his excuses. It is clearly a pattern of behaviour designed to intimidate and make us all feel uncomfortable.

Furthermore, I always watch them, and yes they did check a list before stopping me today as normal. I am on a list prepared beforehand, it is very clear from the frequent stops I endure. I do make a point of observing them closely always. The important question is this. Should this be happening in 2010 in a member state of the E.U.?

Once again I leave feeling ashamed to be a citizen of country that intimidates law abiding citizens. Come on coalition, if ever there was an area of Government that shows how damaging New Labour was to our lives and freedoms, the UK Border Agency is surely it?

17th - French cheese, another reason to shop in France

Usually the cheese counter in U.K. supermarkets is easy to miss. Not so in France, where an incredible range of cheeses are available at cheaper prices than in the U.K. Bear in mind that mnay of the cheeses become quite liquid at room temperature, so take a cool bag with you.

15th - Brands you find in French supermarkets

Globalisation often means the brands and products available in one country are also to be found elsewhere. However, French supermarkets have not embraced own brand as much as U.K. ones have. Furthermore many of the brands are only available in France. We now have quite a comprehensive list of French brands available in supermarkets. Often worth a look at, as they have recipes listed.

13th - Rail travel France

As long as you prepare your journey and book well in advance rail travel can be quite cheap in France. We have a pretty comprehensive listing of useful information and links on the following pages; Eurostar (all France, passenger), Eurotunnel (by car), Rail Europe (SNCF's U.K. booking agent), TGV / SNCF (rail travel in France), Rail France (includes European rail links).

12th - Norfolkline to end Rosyth route

11th - French autoroutes

Although a bit pricy, no one can complain about the French motorway system. We are great fans of Telepeage, which you can subscribe to from the U.K.

We find we save a lot of time avoiding the queues and getting one bill a month.

9th - Chocolate

Chocolate in France and Belgium (where they are much cheaper) is better quality than at home by and large, although milk chocolate is widely available. There are also museums and factories you can visit, as well as events which will appeal to chocoaddicts.

8th - Bio (organic) products

Organic (or bio) products are gaining ground in France. Fairtrade products are also becoming more available. We list the chains we have found on our French regional produce page.

7th - French food and clothes brands

We are gradually increasing the number of brands we list on our Shopping - French brands page. Often there are recipes which are worth trying.

6th - Ski resort connections

Finding a cheap flight or rail fare is relatively straightforward. Most of us are shocked at the fares demanded to then get us to the ski resort. Local bus services are remarkably cheap in France (it costs me 5 euro 20 centimes to get from Grenoble to Les Deux Alpes where I live part of the year). We list all the links, including local bus companies and private services on our Ski resort connections page.

5th - Information about France

Utility companies, French Government services, business information, we list the links we have found on our Information France page.

4th - Bilbao ferry route closes soon

Sadly the Bilbao route operated by PO Ferries is closing at the end of September 2010. Soon only Brittany Ferries will operate from the United Kingdom to Spain (Santander). Prices no doubt will rise. Let's hope LD Lines or another operator fill the gap.

3rd - Hotel chains in the United Kingdom, France, Belgium and Spain.

We are constantly adding new hotel chain information to our pages on hotels chains, now helpfully broken down by country. United Kingdom hotels, French hotel chains, Hotels in Belgium, Spanish hotels.

DGM an affiliate company we dealt with went bust recently owing us about £4,000. Users of Cashback sites lost out as well. As a company we liked dealing with them, so will miss their expertise. However many of the link to PO ferries and Seafrance may have been disrupted. We now believe they are all up to date.

29th - Ferry prices

Ticket prices are staying at very low levels this year. In previous years ticket prices rocketed in the summer holidays, but very cheap fares are widely available this year. Unfortunately this is unsustainable (one ferry company has laid up one of their ships this month to save money), and unless people use ferries more, the number of ships and sailings will be reduced. Seafrance is making hundreds of people redundant and reducing the size of its fleet as well.

27th - Coach shopping trips

Many still have trips thoug, we suggets you look at our list of companies and ring those local to you to see when they are runnign them.

There are some wonderful shops in France which are a joy to wander around. We have come across two kitchen shop chains which w enow list with links. They are; Alice Délice (most shops in the North of France) and Du Bruit dans la cuisine (with shops throughout France). We list all the chains we have come across on our France shopping chains page.

23rd - Bio (organic) shopping in France

Organic foods are catching on in France. Not only do the supermarkets have a growing range of items (this includes fair trade), but there are many store chains selling organic produce.

22nd - Eurostar extra trains £69 Paris fares

Good news. Eurostar have laid on four extra trains a weekend with fares from £69.

21st - Ferry fares good value this year

With lots of capacity, fares are cheaper this year than ever before for summer sailings (even those booked at the last minute). As more and more people realize the advantage of taking your car with you on holiday, ferry travel represents better value than ever before.

20th - Driving? Go via Belgium and Luxembourg and save about 15 euro.

Paris started with its free cycles, and now many cities throughout France have them. There is a small joining fee, but as long as you only use them for 30 minutes they are free. The Calais scheme is called Vel'in.

Tesco Vins Plus

Now that they are definitely closing, no deliveries are taking place. In addition the unhappy staff are striking. They do have a point though. Not only did Cite Europe reduce their rent in January, but sales are 10% up this year. Tesco too greedy perhaps?

You can book a rail journey in France with Eurostar or Rail Europe, the official agency for SNCF and TGV trains in France. It looks like the euro prices quoted on the French SNCF site are sometimes cheaper. Either way (it all takes time checking these things), we found a useful link showing when the cheapest fares are on the SNCF site. It only shows the French cities, but at least gives an indication which days are cheapest and when.calendrier.voyages-sncf.com

There are many chains of hotels in France, Belgium and Spain. Comparison and agency sites only give you an idea of what is available. It's worth checking the smaller chains out though, as they often have good value hotels and don't need to fill them up by marketing themselves heavily or discounting their rates.

Hotels in France / Hotels in Spain / Hotels in Belgium / Hotels in the United Kingdom.

I am not a great fan of cashback and voucher sites. Following through most of the links, I find very few real or genuine offers. Referring to a "deal" or "offer" when you just click through and pay the same as everyone else, is misleading and against the interests of the consumer.

When there are genuine offers though, we list them on our Vouchers Shopping, and Vouchers travel pages. Don't forget the Vouchers Calais page. We are now making a determined effort to keep them up to date, and increasingly are linking to the special offers pages on companies web sites.

Makes it easy. We know that in many cases, a company will list it's offers on it's own web site first.

PO Ferries tourist vouchers are now available for PO ferries passengers. In France you can get discounts for; The Agincourt Battlefield - Visitor Centre and Museum, Aqualud (Le Touquet), Bagatelle (near Berck sur Mer), La Coupole (near St. Omer). In Belgium near Adinkerke discounts are available for the Plopsaland theme park.

PO Ferries have a £2 foot passenger offer on this summer (Monday to Thursday). More information.

14th - Tour de France in Chambery

We enjoyed our stay in Chambery, a town well worth visiting. Ours coincided with the Tour de France. More

13th - Tour de France

Always worth following, it's even more fun being there. Although it can all be over quite quickly, there is a great atmosphere before and during the event.

Today I am off to Chambery, from where the Tour de France leaves tomorrow (14th July, Bastille Day). To enjoy the Tour de France at its best, travellers really do need to book hotels early. I booked the very reasonable and central Best Hotel, last October as soon as I found out about the 2010 route. This evening there is a firework display to celebrate Bastille Day, The 150th accession of the Savoie region to France, and to welcome the Tour de France. Should be good.

12th - Norfolkline now DFDS!

Norfolkline Ferries are now officially part of DFDS Seaways ferries.

10th - Restaurants in France and Belgium

We also now have a section on Restaurants in Belgium.

8th - Ski train (Eurostar) tickets go on sale 13th July

The ski train run by Eurostar is a good way to get to the French Alpes, as you have no luggage issues (and added expense). Tickets go on sale on the 13th July. As always with Eurostar, you need to book very early to get the headline prices, usually three months in advance for normal fares.

6th - Sales in Belgium and France

I have been visiting Roubaix (near Lille), Messancy (near the Luxembourg border), Metz (the factory shopping centre is spread out, but has a good range of shops), and last month Troyes (the main one in France). As usual the range is excellent and discounts huge. Remember that a sale in France is the only time shops can clear old stock, so reductions are genuine. We hear that the factory shopping centre in Zweibrucken, Germany, is worth a visit (it's about an hours drive from Luxembourg).

3rd - Car hire in France this summer

Many people are shocked at the prices being demanded this year when hiring a car in France and Spain. Many operators reduced their fleet sizes in anticipation of fewer customers because of the poor exchange rate. We list a lot of smaller independent companies which you will not find on comparison sites on our car hire pages.

2nd - Franglais Wines is open

Franglais Wine near Cite Europe has been around a long time, and has a great tasting bar for shoppers. We were dismayed to hear they had closed. Happily this was a false rumour, when we visited they were well stocked and had a good range available.

1st - Cheers gone bust

30th - Give the Government hell!

- Tell Nick Clegg! We welcome the new Government's willingness to listen and change the last lot's awful attitude to our freedom, borders and right to travel freely and without fear. Suggestions we liked. yourfreedom.hmg.gov.uk

29th - Euroferries, will they ever start?

Sales in France start 30th June (until 3rd August). In Belgium they start 3rd July (until 31st July). Readers of this web site will know that sales in France, especially at Factory Shopping Centres, are regulated in both France and Belgium. Items sold are genuinely reduced items. Sales are seen as a way and the time, to get rid of old stoick or discontinued lines. They may not be sold outside of these periods at a reduced price.

27th - More sloppy journalism?

Our blood boils when we read articles about booze cruising. It seems clear that most journalists do a google search and write an article based on that information. Quotes from Eastenders, which are very old, are currently being used. Eastenders is a shadow of it previous self and does not represent Calais booze cruise shops anymore.

Talk of the weak pound (25% down on a few years ago apparently) crop up, even though at current rates it is 13% down. Selective, limited period offers are quoted as if they represent the whole situation in the U.K., when prices vary considerably, and once the "special offer" is over (usually after a week or so), prices rocket.

Readers of this blog will know about the Champagnes prices issue before Xmas (articles suggested it was cheaper in the U.K. but just three weeks later we found you would save 20 - 40% in France).

26th - Tesco Vins Plus to close end July

We understand Tesco Vins Plus in Calais are closing at the end of July. We suspect this has more to do with not making as much money as before (they were raking it in) rather than because they are losing money (something the unions dispute).

24th - Beer prices France vs U.K.

www.dailymail.co.uk/money/article-1289919/Tesco-sells-lager-cost.html

The Daily Mail article suggested Tesco were selling 24 cans of Stella for £10. Checking the website today, we see the offer is £10 per 12 cans, not 24. The offer is "buy two cases of 12 for £16". Even at this price, which is on only for one week, Calais is cheaper. At Pidou in Calais, Stella is on offer at £7.02 for a case of 24 x 25cl bottles. This works out at 23% cheaper per litre than Tesco offer, and their offer has been on for over six weeks.

*** UPDATE *** We e-mailed Tesco to ask if they ever had a £10 for 24 cans offer, and they told us they did not.

Interestingly Sainsbury's U.K. have 24 x 44cl cans for sale at £23.01. If you are a Sainsbury shopper you will therefore save 46% per litre just by crossing the channel on a day trip.

Interestingly, many of the offers in the U.K. are cheap because they are lower strength. We notice that many of the offers are for 4% alcohol not the usual 5.2%.

As with all too good to be true offers, we advise shoppers to check the "use by date".

23rd June - Tobacco prices down in Belgium (but only if you pay sterling cash)!

Benson and Hedges now £38.50 a sleeve (200) and Golden Virginia tobacco now £3.75.

22nd - Our response to the "end of the booze cruise" stories

Cheap does not mean good value - the end result is pricing which fuels binge drinking not wine appreciation.

A bottle of reasonable wine in France costs as much as a small glass in a UK pub.

Pound for pound you get an awful lot more wine in France per bottle than in the U.K. according to wine writer Keith Reeves (www.keithreeveswinewriter.co.uk/wine-writing/budget - he calculated that a bottle of wine costing £3.99 would, after all the costs involved deducted, contain just 30 pence worth of wine). In France you would get about £1.90 worth of wine at least. Spend £7.98 in the U.K. and you get £3 worth of wine, in France £4.60 (53% more wine).

Choice is severely restricted in the U.K. as supermarkets oblige shoppers to buy what they want to sell you (i.e. what they get cheap).

The average price of a bottle of wine in the UK is falling, despite increases in duty. With a week pound and rising costs, quality suffers as a result.

Excise duty on wine in the UK has increased by 20% in the last year.

The weak pound has added about 17% to the cost of a bottle of wine imported (compared with November 2007).

The range available is considerably greater in France.

The choice of wines, especially French, is very considerably larger in French supermarkets and independent wine shops.

To save money, draw up a list of what you want, check the U.K. prices, you can still save massive amounts of money. Make sure you get the best value daytrip ticket.

Buying wine in a French supermarket generally means buying something local. In the U.K. it usually means something from the other side of the world. Independent wine shops in France are likely to have tasted the wines they sell and you will most likely find something worthwhile.

An offer is an opportunity to try something new in France, in the U.K. it is price driven in a way which denigrates both the brand and the market, and forces shoppers to buy the latest deal, with little or no brand loyalty and no scope for developing their interest in wine. (Earlier this month E&J Gallo Winery, which makes wines including Carlo Rossi and Turning Leaf, said that it will continue trimming back its range in the UK in 2010, as high levels of promotions and the "savage" tax regime make the UK a tough place to do business.)

Deals in the U.K. are short term, prices rebound quickly shortly afterwards. Half price offers are often marketing ploys not real offers. British consumer law allows a company to offer a product at a high price in a remote shop, and then market that product as a 50% off offer based on that high price in one store. (Guy Woodward, editor of Decanter magazine, says: "Don't buy discounted wine in supermarkets. If it says "£4.99 reduced from £7.99" you can be pretty certain it never would have sold at £7.99.")

Lower alcohol prices (mostly time limited offers) in the U.K. have more to do with a lowering of quality than anything else. Taking into account rising costs, a considerably weaker pound and higher than inflation tax increase, British shoppers are worse off. The trade off involved in cheaper prices is a lower quality.

Cheap British wines marketed to compete with the Booze cruise, are lower in alcohol content and more likely to be thin and astringent.

If people want to cross the channel to buy booze that has been exported from the UK what do you expect in terms of price?

The perception that because the savings are not as great it is not worth going is self damaging. If the savings on wine for example, are still 30 to 60% on U.K. prices, even at current exchange rates, it is still worth going. Only a Customs Officer or British Grocery trade representative would argue that because the savings have fallen, it is not worth travelling even though considerable sums can still be saved.

Articles sometimes talk of higher ferry fares, quoting a foot passenger fare from years ago against the current car fare price. Historically fares are low compared with ten years ago, and considerably so. When Day-tripper.net started in 1999 a daytrip costs £64. Today it can be had from £25 and sometimes even lower.

The British media talk of cost when value is more important when it comes to wine.

The outlook is good news for booze cruisers. Alcohol taxes are already planned to go up by inflation plus 2% for the next 5 years. In real terms wine prices will increase by at least 10% over the next five years.

Many shops in Calais offer good exchange rates, offering further savings if you pay with sterling cash. To make it financially worthwhile though, you may need to buy more, and be more selective than in previous years.

A recent survey (May 2010) by Daytripper.net showed than comparing 22 wines, average savings of 44% could be made by shopping in Calais.

22nd - Budget Day

No tax or duty increases announced, other than the VAT increase, on tobacco and alcohol.

21st - Why do the media just reprint press releases without doing any research?

Lots of articles in many newspapers and radio about the end of the booze cruise. We are amazed people don't bother checking things out. We have just one request for an interview.

Daily Mail -www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1287768/Sunk--The-cross-Channel-booze-cruise-Three-British-stores-quit-Calais.html

The Sun -www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3021378/End-of-Calais-booze-cruise.html

The Grocer -www.thegrocer.co.uk/articles.aspx?page=articles&ID=210253

The BBC -news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/10356727.stm

Are they closing too soon? With the exchange rate and budget we think they are.

www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/7823523/Drinkers-face-double-whammy-price-hike-in-Budget.html

www.thegrocer.co.uk/articles.aspx?page=articles&ID=210199

20th - More cr*p from the British Grocery trade. It's rubbish, believe me, I know.

As regular as clockwork the British Grocery trade tries to suggest the booze cruise is over. Their "stories" appear before the summer and Xmas peak times, no doubt designed to put people off shopping where it is still very much cheaper.

Last year they used John Smith Beer as an example of how it is now cheaper to shop at home. John Smiths is not widely available in France, and on top of that they were comparing it with a limited period offer at home.

Before Xmas we had stories about buying champagne at home. Just three weeks later when I compared the same promotions it was 20% cheaper in France!

Now they are rehashing news that is old. Sainsbury's announced it was closing months ago as did Tesco. Oddbins closed before Xmas, but that's because the owners wanted more independence, and have now opened a new store.

The loss of Sainsbury's is marginal as this was a joint operation with Auchan Supermarket anyway.

Seems British companies were there when they could make loads of money, and now want to pull out, just as the better exchange rate brings people back into Calais. Readers may wish to know that the most profitable stores Tesco and Sainsbury's had were in ... Calais!

www.thegrocer.co.uk/articles.aspx?page=articles&ID=85025

We are working on a detailed response to the nonsense they peddle.

19th - It's snowing in Les Deux Alpes!

We have a flat in Les Deux Alpes, a French ski resort. Much of the work done on Day-tripper.net takes place here. This is what I am looking at now. Note the snow. Although it's just before midsummers days we actually had some snow last night.

15th - The Beaujolais region is highly enjoyable!

We spent a few days in Julianas in the Beaujolais region, driving around and enjoying the wine and food. One of the great disadvantages of British wine promotion is that it is all price led. The end result is that few French wines find their way onto our supermarket shelves, as we endure lots of offers of cheap wine. Remember that when you pay for a bottle of wine costing £4 in the United Kingdom, you get a very small portion of that as wine, most of the price being taken up with VAT, duties, delivery and marketing costs. Spend £2 in France (more or less the U.K. price minus the VAT and duty) and you get most of the price going on wine - and its half the price!

14th - Lille worth a visit

We enjoyed our day in Lille although did not do much shopping! Don't forget the factory shopping centres in Roubaix which are worth a visit.

11th - Exchange rate improving

The exchange rate is slowing creeping upwards. Let's hope it reaches 1 euro 30 cents again as this is the point at which I believe it becomes certain you will save money when shopping in Calais. At the moment you do need to be careful as some items can cost more. Don't forget shopping in France offers you more than just saving money, consider the range and quality as well.

Don't forget to get a pre-paid charge card as this is generally the cheapest way to get euros. Alternatively, order online with Travelex and pick it up at the port, as this too offers better value than onboard or when you just turn up on the day.

10th - Calais, Suite Hotel

The old Oddbins management are about to open a new store called the Calais Wine Superstore. Interestingly it is near to PIDOU, Eastenders, Wine Beer Company and CPH Wines. This is good news and we warmly welcome them back on the scene. Opening date is 15th June.

2nd - Fuel cheaper again in France.

If ever there was an arm of Government that should be abolished, it is the UK Border Agency in its current incarnation.

Today I waited for 45 minutes just to present my passport at Calais. When I asked what the cause of the delay was, the official blamed the French. I did not see one French official, in or out. The Officials checking cars for hidden immigrants are doing a worthwhile job but the bureaucracy we endure seems to affect British taxpayers and travellers only. Given that I, a British subject and foreigner in Europe, had been able to cross the French / Belgium border without even having to slow down, says everything about the ridiculous British way of doing things. Once again British coaches, full of British citizens are being stopped and searched. I miss my ferry.

Unfortunately, once again I am stopped at Dover. Are we really trusted so little we have to be stopped twice? I politely enquire why I have been stopped (there can be no reason as I never break the law or buy tobacco). I get the usual "fighting crime" talk. I suggest they have stopped me because I travel frequently (last week and this week - definite criminal intent there!)

When I suggest I have been stopped once again because as a British citizen I am stupid enough to cross my own countries borders frequently, I get a spiel about drugs. I congratulate the lady officer on asking me this. In 16 years of frequent travel I have only been asked about drugs three times. Do I believe they are fighting criminals or criminal activity? Not at all, they are being thoroughly dishonest in my experience. My own experiences, and I know from the many e-mails I get as well, suggests that they target regular travellers. Why? I presume it's to intimidate us and discourage us from travelling.

I tell the lady officer I am not an East German. Please could she tell me why I have been stopped? She cannot. Given that these little Hitlers do little that is positive, they have no means of identification and refuse to provide any, (I use the word deliberately as they DO INTIMIDATE British citizens who cross this countries borders, and I for one resent bitterly being treated like a criminal just because I travel), it is clear to me this arm of Government does more harm than good. Imagine if they were banned from questioning British passport holders at our ports? They would have to rely on intelligence as other European countries do, and no doubt actually catch many more criminals.

Luckily however today the sheds are already full, so they do not take me into the sheds to "show me" what they are about, by deliberately detaining me for an hour and a half. I think back to the e-mail I go from a motoring correspondent who tells me he now flies out to test cars to avoid being detained when passing through Dover.

Sainsbury's and Tesco Calais

Sainsbury's is barely open it seems, with most of the store closed off and a very limited range available. We hear there may be some discounting after the 15th June. All in all a very sorry state of affairs.

Tesco Vins Plus are keeping the flag flying however and have a full stock. We hear they may be closing at the end of summer now. For the moment they are still ordering stock though.

One of the reasons no doubt are the incredibly good value offers on board PO Ferries. Spirits are especially good value.

Some hotel chains are quite small, but little gems can be found in the area of your choice by looking at the web sites of local chains. We have been updating our Hotels chains in Spain page which is now very comprehensive.

Sainsbury's Calais to close 30th June 2010. We understand that Tesco Vins Plus, which is also slated to close, will stay open until the end of the year.

We continue to add more Spanish car hire companies to our Car hire in Spain page.

28th - Euro price increase in Belgium (cigarettes)

The euro rate of most cigarettes has gone up one euro recently, but the sterling price has remained the same. It is always cheapest to pay sterling cash when buying tobacco in the main Belgium tobacco centres.

We were interested to see lots of French people around in Adinkerke. Apparently there are now more French customers than English. This helps, as the euro price is more than the quoted sterling price you pay for sterling cash.

The French tend to buy buckets or barrels of rolling tobacco. Seems more U.K. shoppers are doing this as well.

Quite what U.K. Border Agency / Customs will make of this remains to be seen. "You, an English person smoking French tobacco? That is highly suspicious!"

T*ts.

26th - Busy ferries

It is noticeably busy on the ferries this year. Club lounge on PO Ferries (we love it) was quite full this week when we travelled. Prices are creeping up though and we strongly advise travellers to take advantage of short term offers that pop up from time to time.

25th - Tesco Calais to stay open till the end of the year?

It looks like the expected closure of Tesco Calais in June was misinformation. We now hear they may stay open until the end of this year. Tesco will be a big loss to Cite Europe, although we were impressed by the range of new shops opening at the popular shopping mall on our last visit.

22nd - National Ferry fortnight ends.

Whilst there may be more special offers available before the main summer break (look out for Seafrance offers as they fight to survive), the last big effort by the ferry companies is now over.

20th - Cite Europe hotels

Don't forget the three hotels close to Cite Europe, Hotel IBIS, Suite hotel and ETAP (Budget). When booking a hotel through the Accor hotels web site, look for the "promotion rate". Although these offers are restrictive (cancel, and there is no refund), the prices are often very keen. We enjoy our stays at the Suite hotel, which has large rooms and a better quality of furnishing than most IBIS hotels for example. When travelling Hotel IBIS are a good bet, as there is a 24 hour concierge. Best hotels (there is one in Dunkirk) are very reasonably priced and the wifi is free. Book them though Booking.com as they often have offers available for Best Hotels. www.booking.com

Don't forget our hotels chains in France, Spain and the United Kingdom pages. Looking at the chain's own web site can save you money as many of the offers are only available there.

16th - PIDOU Wine and Beer offers

PIDOU Wine and Beer are really trying to attract new custom. Well stocked and with a wide range of good value wines, many on offer (6 for £10 for example), it's a worthwhile stop off place before catching the ferry back. They also have a large range of beers. We were disturbed to hear that some of the older more established warehouses no longer stock beer due to cash flow issues.

14th - Eurostar

To get the cheapest fares you need to book in advance with Eurostar, Trouble is the tickets are only available from three months before the date you may want to travel. Make a note in your diary to get the best fares.

13th - Coach trips

People are still looking to go shopping via a coach trip. Sadly Kasteel Flora near Adinkerke are no longer operating, but there are some new shops in Adinkerke which are pleasant to visit. Try the new Real Tobacco store in the centre of town. They have a nice range of goodies as well as tobacco for sale in a well laid out shop. Stop Shop Tobacco now own the Leonidas chocolate shop in their centre.

10th - Fuel prices

Due to higher tax increases in the United Kingdom, the differential between France and the U.K. is widening again. We will be doing one of our mega fuel price surveys shortly.

Ferry fortnight starts today. Designed to encourage ferry travel, many of the participating companies have offers on worth checking out.

Whilst some shops close, other are about to re-open. We hear that Oddbins Calais which closed before Xmas is to re-open shortly at a new venue.

Tesco Vins Plus in Calais has announced it will close. No closure date has been announced yet though. www.lavoixeco.com (English translation)

Following hot on the heals of the news that Sainsbury's Calais is to close in June (still to be confirmed though) this is bad news for channel shoppers.

At last the exchange rate is improving and it looks like it will be sustained. Lets hope it gets back up to 1.25 euro to the pound in time for the summer holidays.

4th - Tobacco prices up and down in Belgium and Luxembourg

Prices down in Belgium but some are UP in Luxembourg. In Belgium, tobacco (50g) - GV now 4.50 euro (£3.85), Cutters 4.10 euro (£3.50), Amber 4.00 euro (£3.40), Old Holborn 5.25 euro (£4.50), Samson 4.90 euro (£4.20), Drum and soon GV 4.70 euro (£4.00), Turner 3.90 euro (£3.20 special price because Belgian manufacturer).

In Luxembourg, Amber Leaf was 3.30 now 3.70 euro / Cutters choice was 3.30 now 4.00 euro / Domingo was 2.45 now 2.70 euro.

3rd - Car hire companies in France and Spain

Car hire companies have reduced the size of their fleets over the last year or so. Expect to pay the full price if you leave it till the last minute. We notice more and more add-ons creeping in "a la" Ryanair.

2nd - Hotel chains in the United Kingdom

30th - Auchan Calais

We found a useful link whilst looking for some supermarket information. Auchan France have a page listing opening times for all their supermarkets in France.

29th - Holiday shopping

We often get enquiries about which shops are open on Public Holidays. Always check out our Shopping Holidays in France page, where we summarize the opening times of the main Calais shops and supermarkets.

26th - Golf holidays in France

24th - Cycling holidays

Trying to insure a left hand drive vehicle in the United Kingdom is amazingly difficult. Chassis insurance, necessary before you register a foreign bought car here, costs a bomb. We were very impressed with the service offered by AJ Insurance Service who provided excellent advice at a reasonable price. Thanks Steve. www.ajinsurance.co.uk

18th - HMRC / UK Border Agency again

Lots of people are having a terrible time trying to get back home during the current air crisis. Vast expense, and even difficulty finding a hotel or place to stay are amongst the problems being dealt with. This clip from the BBC emphasises the absolute stupidity of the current British way of doing things. These poor people arrive to a place called "home" and find themselves treated to an amazing array of bureaucracy. Perhaps it would have been better had they rioted. If Britain had signed up to the Schengen Agreement, there would be no border controls and these British citizens and tax payers would have got home at last (and illegal immigration, smuggling and fraud would be dealt with differently, as other E.U. member states so much more successfully manage to do). How angry they must feel as foreigners having crossed numerous borders in Europe without issue, only to be treated like this on their return home. If other countries can trust us to cross their borders without being stopped, questioned and made subject to draconian penalties because we have shopped where its cheaper, why can't our own Government behave in the same way? Think how much money the taxpayer would save if the UK Border Agency were abolished. news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8628125.stm

17th - Travel Insurance

As travellers count the cost of the current crisis, it's worth reminding people to check Terms and Conditions before buying a travel insurance policy. The vast majority of people leave things to chance, finding themselves out of pocket when their assumptions prove wrong. Our Travel insurance page is full of useful tips and advise. Check out the Ski insurance page, Breakdown Insurance and Car hire insurance pages. Not only do we offer lots of useful tips, but a list of companies you may wish to consult.

15th - United Kingdom hotel chains

14th - Airlines to France

We keep updating this page, but with airlines starting and pulling out of routes (sometimes even before they have started them) it can be quite difficult. However our list of airlines flying to France and Spain is very comprehensive. Shopping around is worth it, as many budget airlines have offers that their competitors do not match. For a list of airport facilities check out our airports in France and Spain pages, as well as the United Kingdom airports page.

13th - Last chance for Bilbao ferry trip

PO ferries pulls out of the Portsmouth to Bilbao route in September. Providing the weather if fine, this is a very nice way to get to Spain. Mini cruises are popular as well, although you only get four hours in Bilbao. Book now if you want to have one last trip. The only way to Spain by ferry from September will be with Brittany Ferries who sail to Santander.

12th - French Public Holidays

Although more and more shops are opening in France on Public holidays never take a chance especially on a daytrip. Check out our French public holidays and Holiday shopping in France pages before you book your fare.

10th - Meat prices, or is there more to meat in France?

Meat is now quite expensive in France. Like many who have been buying steaks and other goodies in French supermarkets for years, I have it impossible to start buying meat in the United Kingdom.

Why? Well, the French have a different attitude to meat, and the presentation of meat in English supermarkets puts me off. Not only does the meat look as if it has been rudely butchered with an ax, the colour is anything but natural. In England we happily leave the gristle, fat and bone on the muscle, or add it in, to cheapen the product (mince for example). The French regard "meat" as "muscle" and so cut off everything else. They also cut it in many different ways, all of which adds to the experience of enjoying a steak. As for pre prepared, ready to roast items, well, there's just no comparison.

9th - Daytrip or overnight?

For many years a daytrip was a good way to save money and have a fun day out with family or friends. Whilst savings are still to be made, the lousy exchange rate we endure thanks to years of economic mismanagement (chickens coming home to roost etc.) means we no longer make huge savings.

Beyond the headlines however, shopping in France still represents good value. Yes, it is true some wines in England cost only a bit more. However the actual value of the wine in the bottle after taxes and marketing costs (considerably more in the United Kingdom) is very small (as in 10% for cheap wines). For the same price in France, more of your money goes on the wine, and you will actually get something drinkable or enjoyable, and certainly better value.

Eating out and enjoying an overnight stay in France is still good value however. As such we feel its time to move on to encouraging people to stay overnight. We have been encouraging the ferry companies to introduce a 36 hour fare, although we would be happy if they made a 36 hour fare the cheapest ticket available in place of the daytrip. Expect more news soon.

5th - Sunday shopping

With so many shops closing in Calais over the last few years, the options for shopping on Sunday are diminishing. Sainsbury's Calais is now no longer open on Sundays, and will be closing permanently in June.

3rd - National Ferry week

This year, National Ferry Fortnight, takes place from 8th to 22nd May. Organised by Discover Ferries (formerly Sail and Drive), this effort is designed to highlight the advantages of ferry travel. Expect some offers from the ferry companies.

- Discover Ferries, news from the ferry companies. www.discoverferries.co.uk

2nd - Travel, shopping and insurance tips

Check out our Driving to UK ports page before you go. We have links and advice that may come in useful.

Often missed out by shoppers, the Carrefour Mivoix supermarket is the closest to the ferry port. Much quieter than Cite Europe, its a good place to do your shopping and fill up with diesel.

27th - Events in France

We are slowly building up our events pages (food and wine, music) with as many links to local tourist offices as possible.

26th - Pre paid currency cards

In the old days its traveller's cheques or cash. Now traveller's cheques are unheard of, but pre paid currency cards are filling the gap. Of course shoppers could use their credit or debit cards. The advantage of a pre paid currency card however, is that you can top them up when needed at a good rate, and if stolen, stop them, protecting your money.

More bad news from Calais. Sainsbury's Wine Calais is to close in June. Despite opening on Sundays and cutting prices, the exchange rate has finally got the better of them. Apparently sales are 73% down on a few years ago. Interestingly, they say the costs of bringing wines over from the central warehouse in England adds to their costs. The weak pound means imports cost more. Shopper's should note however that a bottle of wine bought in France has just a few pence of tax and excise duty payable. For the same price in England is it nearly £2.00. It is just not possible for an English shop to match the quality at the same price, whatever they suggest. France still, in our opinion represents good value.

23rd - Budget 2010, real price increases for tobacco and alcohol announced

The expected massive increases in tobacco and alcohol duties has not materialised. However tobacco products go up by inflation plus 1% this year and inflation plus 2% until 2014. Alcohol prices also go up, but by 2% every year. In real terms this amounts to a 10% increase over the next five years - more

www.direct.gov.uk

We have a very comprehensive list of hotel chains in France, Spain, Belgium and the United Kingdom and keep adding to it as we come across new ones on our travels. It is sometime worth checking out the individual chains web sites, as not all comparison or agency web sites list them.

18th - Oddbins to re-open in May

Oddbins Calais, who are moving to new premises hope to be open again in late May.

17th - French radio and TV, magazines.

Our skiwear companies page has many links to companies who manufacture and sell a wide range of ski's, skiwear, goggles and hats. It's taken us a few days to find all the links but we think it's worth it.

15th - Restaurants in France

14th - French brands

We now have quite a comprehensive list of French brands found in supermarkets in Calais listed on our French Brands page.

13th - Apartment hotels

If staying for a bit longer than a day or two, or travelling with your family, it may be worth looking into a French apartment hotel. It certainly works out cheaper being able to make a coffer or snack rather than go out every day.

12th - Exchanging money

Sometimes its not just holiday money you need to think about when looking for the best rates. Buying a property or car can involve transferring large sums. Using a bank can cost you a large amount, as they often levy transfer, commission and delivery fees. More advice on our exchanging money page.

11th - Oddbins may now re-open in April.

Oddbins may re-open despite the rumours of its permanent closure. We hope they succeed, the old store was clean and well presented.

10th - United Kingdom Border Agency staff prove they are not needed?

www.politics.co.uk

UKBA staff were on strike for 48 hours from Monday. Sadly nothing changed. I.e. illegal immigration continued as it normally does when they work, and British passport holders who so stupidly dared to cross their own countries borders were subject to delays. Apparently it's the PSC union on strike, whilst the ISU (Immigration Service Union) will be working. Fewer staff, longer delays.

For one happy moment I thought an opportunity to show that the complete lack of border controls other E.U. countries enjoy would exist here for a day. Dream on. Other E.U. countries, who trust their citizens so much they allow them to freely cross their own countries borders, but control illegal immigration, and customs issues (counterfeit goods etc.) internally, have a much better success rate than we do, and don't criminalise their own citizens in the process.

Just think of a country WITHOUT border controls for its citizens. No queues for travellers, no possibility of delays, no criminalising of law abiding citizens, staff made to look for counterfeit goods and illegal immigrants instead. How much better off we all would be.

9th - United Kingdom service standards

I often despair at standards in public life that we endure in England, and that offered by British local government and companies. To recap my own issues over the last few days.

Returning with Ryanair from France, I starting asking about buying a Stansted Express ticket 45 minutes before landing. I asked every time a stewardess passed. I ended up holding my money in my hand to emphasise the point I wanted something. Although the plane was full and Ryanair staff really do work hard, no tickets were sold (my safety comes first I was told when I complained). The perfume trolley did wizz by though. Yes, I did expect someone, given my frequent requests, to sell me a ticket. At the airport itself I was not asked which station I was going to (Tottenham Hale not Liverpool Street). I assumed the price was the same so paid the £28 asked. That turns out to be the price to Liverpool Street. I was left with the feeling they keep quiet about these things so as to maximise their revenue levels. However as the prices are different and there are four stops, why assume I am travelling to the furthest away point?

At the hospital the next day, I was treated with usual courtesy and decency the NHS generally affords it customers, thank you NHS.

Whilst driving home I got caught up in a long traffic jam. A car was being removed from a yellow line outside the hospital, where there is an appalling lack of parking. I counted six buses being held up as well as two ambulances (one leaving, one arriving) unable to get into the hospital area.

If its not a silly point, surely it is more than likely the car belonged to someone urgently needing to get into the hospital? The disruption caused benefited no one. The car was not blocking anything, just parked where a space could well have been used by someone wanting to park. A good example perhaps of how our society overregulates with no positive outcome for its citizens.

I also took the opportunity to try and ring the tax office to discuss my tax bill. I have been trying unsuccessfully since the end of January. The number given is constantly engaged. I managed last week to get through to my local ax office on the international number (the freephone one does not work), but it seems the various tax office sections do not work together, so made no progress (amazing!). Today, when most of them are apparently on strike I get through and speak to a very nice lady. Her attitude was in marked contrast to the awful "we are not here to be civil or to serve" attitude public servants have adopted under the shower who govern us, one which certainly applied to the lady in Skipton I had the misfortune to speak to a few days before. The contradictory advice one receives beggers belief. Last year I was told not to write a letter, this year I was told I should have done so, leaves the great British public angry and confused. And so we should be.

Today whilst waiting for a bus to get me to the airport, despite waving my arms and shouting, it drove straight by. I ran to the next bus stop (it's quicker to walk directly there, than follow the route the bus goes by). This time I stood in the middle of the road, and the bus driver drove around me. What on earth are these imbeciles taught, if anything, about customer service? Even the most basic requirment of picking up passengers seems to have been missed in their training programmes. The bus had other passengers on it by the way.

The next bus theatrically crawled to a stop after I stood in the middle of the road where no one could overtake me (I really did need to catch this bus). I concluded the companies need to make the target of getting their buses to arrive on time, is more important than the need to pick people up. An old man who witnessed my desperate attempts to get on a British bus, told me I was lucky to be young enough to do this, "they never stop for us" he tells me.

On the train I am pleased to see a drinks trolley pass by. However the man has no change for a five pound note. I think of the lady arguing with a ticket inspector at the station, her rail card has a different address to the one on another piece of identification. Don't these imbeciles realise some people move? What is the point of fining someone on a technicality?

I think back to my journey in France to the airport, by public transport. A bad accident had delayed the bus by two and 1/2 hours. The driver radioed ahead and a driver was brought in especially to get us to the airport, as we had missed the connection. Most people still missed their flights unfortunately. They were charged a fortune by the airlines they then had to fly with. All this level of service for 15 euro 70 cents. A shorter journey in England using public transport costs me about £27.

We seem to assume in England that a perfume trolley or bus wizzing by, represents a service even though they don't have time to stop for customers saying "I would like to buy something or get on".

Buses run, but don't pick up passengers because sticking to timetables is apparently more important. Targets? Forget them, think of the customer or user please (message for the next Government).

It's good to get away, but should a citizen of a country be left with this feeling when they travel?

8th - Driving to the ports

7th - Courvoisier 1lt £20 in Calais

Fancy that! Once again we find the PR puff from British supermarkets is just untrue. Courvoisier Brandy (1lt) is £20 at Pidou Wine and Beer in Calais (an offer). At Sainsbury's in Calais it costs £21.99 (at Sainsbury's United Kingdom it is on offer - £5 off - and costs £24.26). At Tesco United Kingdom a 70 cl bottle costs £22.87. So there we have it once again, shop in Calais and save money, in the case of a litre bottle of Courvoisier comparing the cheapest in the United Kingdom with the cheapest in Calais, you will save about 18%.

6th - Wine prices in France

Wien remains much cheaper in France, and of course the other reason for shopping in France, the range of and choice available, most certainly applies to wines. Just check your local Tesco or Sainsbury's for a French wine before you go. We generally only find two or three Beaujolais Cru wines here in the United Kingdom supermarkets, in France they all seem to be readily available, and there is a choice of producers as well.

5th - Sunday shopping in Calais

4th - Travel insurance

Let's face it, buying travel insurance is difficult, and the inadequacy of a policy usually only becomes apparent when you claim for something. We advise you to draw up a list of things you are concerned about or are likely to do and check the small print. Cheap policies have many drawbacks, but with careful selection good value policies can be found. We list a large number of companies offering travel insurance on our Travel Insurance pages. If you are skiing, check the services offered by companies listed on our Ski insurance page.

2nd - French newspapers

1st - Spirit prices to increase sharply in the United Kingdom?

Looks like it may be worthwhile buying spirits in France again. Although the other reasons for shopping in France are the range and quality of goods available are important, savings possibilities mean a lot more to most British shoppers. This is especially true with regard to champagnes and sparkling wines, as the selection available in United Kingdom supermarkets is dire in comparison. Whilst it is true champagne and spirits can be cheaper in the United Kingdom sometimes, this is usually dependent on special offers for a limited period. Before Xmas for example, we were told it was no longer worth buying champagne in France as the highly selective price comparisons quoted, suggested it was more expensive popping across the channel. A few weeks later we did a little survey and found that shoppers would still save 20% buying branded champagnes in France. Perhaps this is why about £1 of the cost of an average bottle of wine in the United Kingdom goes on marketing.

Spirit prices increased considerably last year in France. Now it seems we are about to have a similar increase here. We remain firmly of the opinion that with a little bit of research BEFORE you cross the channel considerable savings can still be made and a good day out enjoyed as well.

The Telegraph newspaper article we saw.www.telegraph.co.uk