- Price surveys
- Best buys
- HM Revenue & Customs
- Foot Passengers
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- Shopping tips & advice
- Sunday Shopping
- Tobacco in Belgium
- Tobacco in France
- What to buy in France
Prices
- Exchange rates
- Petrol
- Cross Channel fares
- Petrol
- Tobacco
Alcohol
- Beer
- Champagne
- Mineral Water
- Soft Drinks
- Spirits
- Wine
- Whisky
Food; General
- Cheese
- Chocolate
- Coffee
- Cous Cous
- Dried Fruit
- Fish
- Fruit
- Jams/Spreads
- Mashed Potato
- Meats
- Nuts
- Pet Food. Dogs / Cats
- Rice
- Sauces / Oils
- Sweeteners
- Tinned foods
- Vegetables
Household items
- Cleaning
- Clothes Washing
- Dish Washing
- DIY
- Perfumes & Skin Care
More about; Boulogne
- Calais
- Caen
- Cherbourg
- Dieppe
- Dunkirk
- Le Havre
- Ostende
- Roscoff
- Saint Malo
- Zeebrugge
Pre -order by internet from the Wine Beer Warehouse and get a free ticket or £30 cash back if you spend £300 or more!
We check prices every month (as well as seeking verification of our research from the companies concerned). Prices of many goods from cars to beer are cheaper in France. Regular updates and additions are made to our web pages so that you can form your own opinion as to where to go in order to get the best deal or save the most (depending on your requirements).
TIP - Check prices at home before you go, and use these pages to help you save money. To go direct to a price survey for a particular item click on the link. We have also listed in detail on another page those items which are best buys, which you may find useful to take with you. We have had e-mails suggesting that its not always a good idea to wait until Calais before stocking up when returning from holiday. If you have a view on this, let us know.
2008 - Prices in France - is it worth doing your grocery shopping in Calais?
Its easy to say the lousy exchange rate makes it worthwhile shopping at home. Wrong. Prices vary considerably and even the lousy exchange rate has not affected our view that its cheaper shopping in France. Just check your shopping from France with local prices in the U.K.
Packets tend to be larger than in the U.K. For example when shopping last week (13th March 2008) we found that kiwi fruit came in packs of six as opposed to four in the U.K. Raspberries also came in a bigger pack. Fresh food tends to come unprepared in France. Its almost impossible to get prawns in their shells in the U.K. for example, they are all shelled and frozen it seems. However buy them in France fresh and they cost 22% less than in the U.K. (or 28% more in the U.K. compared with France).
I also bought some raspberries. In France they are 38% cheaper (when we checked again today there was an offer on in the U.K. - now they are 8% cheaper in France!)
Kiwi Fruit were 9.5% more in France though.
Good news for channel shopers in the budget today. Wine is up 14 pence a bottle of wine, 4 pence a pint of beer, 18 pence per bottle of sparkling wine, spirits sees a whopping 55 pence (a bottle 70cl) increase. Tobacco is also up a lot. A pack of cigarettes is up 11 pence, and a 50 gram pack of rolling tobacco is up 22 pence a pack. This wipes out the increases we have seen in France because of the exchange rate recently.
Tobacco - save £1,000 in France, £1,220 in Belgium and stay within the limits!
CREDIT CARDS - we suggest you ring your credit card company before shopping in France - increased fraud means they are turning down shoppers cards if their spending deviates from the norm. Take your mobile - you can often sort the problem out over the phone.
OFFER 2 - Cheapest ferry fares to Calais with P O Ferry. Cheap daytrips starting at £20 only (No fuel surcharge, subject to availability)
Direct Booking links
| Transmanche Ferries Dieppe | LD Lines Ferry Le Havre | Transeuropa Ferries |
| Norfolkline Dover to Dunkirk | SpeedFerries Boulogne | DFDS Ferries Newcastle |
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| Eurotunnel to Calais |  |
Dietary problems? Try the Diet Alert Card - www.dietarycard.com Lavazza Coffee - www.lavazza.com
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Comment; The more often I do surveys the more I feel we lose out in the U.K. Not only are many items much cheaper in France, but the pack sizes are bigger and offer better value, the quality is generally considerably better, and the range wider and more interesting. No wonder so many of us, despite the efforts of British Revenue & Customs, like to shop in France! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Food - save up to 60%. Buy in France; baby food, biscuits, bottled water, chocolate (shops), Coca Cola, most dairy products (cheese, yoghurt, fromage frais, crême frêche), dry dog food, honey (better range too), mayonnaise, mustard, Nutella type spreads, olive oil, other oils, orange juice, nutella spread, packet soups, pasta sauces, tinned sweetcorn, salad dressings, salt, specialised sugars, steak, swetteners, UHT milk, stock cubes. Animal food - dry dog food, Cheese - (shops) All the French brands were cheaper some by a considerable margin. Own brand French cheeses are very much cheaper (20 to 60%). Coffee - Ground coffee is much cheaper (best value is arabica or robusta), as are the accessories. Some of the powders/granules are as well. Dried Foods - cous cous, mashed potato, milk flavourings (Nesquick), pastas, rice, salts, soups, spaghetti. Fish - A very good deal. Fresh tuna is £14.95 in my local Sainsbury's - in France it is just under £8.00 a kilogram (depending on the time of year. My family thought it fresher and tastier too. Today (22/11) I have bought some skate wings for just under £4.00 a kilogram. Seems a bargain. In general most white fish is cheaper as well as tuna, prawns, mussels and anchovies. Jams - Much better value and a considerably larger range. Nutella spread. Mineral water - Everything was cheaper - Evian (6 x 2L) is 62% cheaper in France. Sweeteners (artificial) - Good value all round - an item many people miss out on buying. Vegetables - save 20 - 60% compared with the U.K. Aubergines, green beans, celeriac, courgettes, fennel, garlic, leeks, parsley, peppers, varieties of potatoes, shallots, spinach, most tomatoes and watercress (items such as avocado, broccoli, carrots and mushrooms are however much cheaper in England) Wine - One of the best buys in France as taxes are so low. Look out for the two for one offers in the Hypermarkets. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Household items - up to 50% cheaper. Checking French and U.K. prices on-line Sometimes difficult to compare because of the extras, we strongly suggest making detailed notes of the U.K. product before buying in France. Guarantee's do not apply across Europe and you may have difficulty getting a repair done in the U.K. if buying electrical goods. You may have to take the item back to where you bought it. According to Which? Magazine these companies guarantees were valid either throughout Europe or world-wide; Braun, Canon, Philips and Sony. Consider buying these items in France; Audio visual/photographic - audio-visual equipment, camcorders, camcorder film, car stereo's, CD's, digital cameras are sometime cheaper. TV's - apart from the SECAM (France) vs PAL (U.K.) concerns, many modern TV's work with both and some models are cheaper in France. The Calais hypermarkets even have stickers showing which ones will work in the U.K. Bicycles / Cars accessories -bicycles, car seats, mountain bikes, overhead car storage boxes (shops) Computers, scanners, printers - generally the same prices, consumables such as printing papers are worth looking at though. DIY/Gardening goods are cheaper too - the range seems to be better as well. We suggest Leroy Merlin. Other household items - coffins, luggage, plastic tableclothes (nappe) (shops) Disposable goods - aluminium foil, cat litter, Kitchen ware - coffee and espresso makers, cordless kettles, glasses, pots and pans.  - Le Creuset in particular is cheaper in France. www.lecreuset.fr / www.lecreuset.co.uk. (Factory Shop).Try this U.K. web site for comparisons and to buy in the U.K. www.webvert-cookware.co.uk Tissues/ Toilet Paper / Kitchen paper- Good value, particularly tissues. Softeners - yes, they are good value. Washing powders - Always a good buy. Swimming Pool chemicals - Chlorine tablets are much cheaper. We hear that French wood burning stoves are 20 - 25% cheaper in France too. Check the U.K. prices before you go. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Baby / children's items - save up to 30 % Consider buying baby clothes, wipes, bike and car seats, mountain bikes, push chairs, toys, travel cots. Children - baby clothes, toys. We hear that "Doliprane paracetamol Suppositoires" are much cheaper in France. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal items Consider buying these items in France -toothpaste, shampoo, mens and womens shaving products including electric shavers. Check the U.K. price before you go. Branded clothing - particularly French brands are cheaper and the range different. Clothes - save up to 30%. Levi 501's, branded shoes, clothes (Levi's, Morgan). For more up market stores we suggest visiting Lille (Hermes, Cartier and Louis Vuitton). Perfumes, Cosmetics & Skin care - perfumes and skin care products (shops). Biggest savings on Skin Care particularly CLARINS. Hair removing cream and shower gels also much cheaper. Ferry shops good value for perfumes. Eyewear - save up to 20%. Shops. Disposable contact lens are much cheaper in France, just take your U.K. prescription to a local supplier. There is a bigger and better value range of frames (Lafont frames are particularly good value), although we understand lenses cost a bit more (apparently they are better quality). Designer glasses frames are cheaper as well, but check the U.K. price before going (Armani, Gucci and Dior). Sportswear - Many branded items are much cheaper. Cycling, skiing, scuba gear, skating, tennis and windsurfing gear are also sometimes cheaper (try Go Sport at Cité Europe). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Alcohol - up to 75% cheaper. Buy it in France! The duty is so much less, so most alcohol is cheaper - best value is champagne. However, it seems it is not just our very high taxes that account for the big differences in price between France and the U.K. Water and soft drinks are cheaper as well. Seems we have to put up with a double whammy in the U.K. - Gordon Browns very high taxes, and the greedier attitude of our shops. Beer - is much cheaper in France - there is considerable competition. Supermarkets do not offer the best prices. Champagnes - (more about champagne) - are much cheaper in France and offer the biggest savings for cross channel shoppers. A lot of the own brand French stuff is good value. If you are buying for a wedding or celebration - the journey is well worth it when buying champagne. Mineral water - a very good buy in France. Come back with 10 packs (6 x 1.5lt) of Evian and you would save about £20 for example. Although bulky it is worth filling the spare space in your car with packs of water. Soft Drinks / Juices - just about every soft drink (fizzy) we looked at was cheaper in France, as well as most of the fruit juices. There was, as normal, a much bigger range though in France. Spirits - can be much cheaper in France, but not always. Supermarkets generally offer the best prices. A lot of the own brand French products are good value. Whisky - most whisky's are cheaper in France, many offering saving of over 30% on U.K. prices. Wine - One of the best buys in France as taxes are so low. Look out for the two for one offers in the Hypermarkets. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other items Exchange rates - changing money for your break is often confusing and expensive. Watch out for minimum commission charges - remember if the minimum charge (e.g. £2) is more than the commission rate advertised (e.g. 2%) you will have to spend more than £100 to get that advertised rate. Cross Channel Fares - with the introduction of fluid pricing systems, you can never be sure if you are getting the best deals - even if you plan and book ahead. Petrol / Diesel - huge savings of up to 35%. If you visit France regularly it is worth buying a diesel car. We check petrol and diesel prices every Month. Regular updates are made to our web pages so that you can form your own opinion as to where to go in order to get the best deal or save the most (depending on your requirements). Tobacco - up to 70% cheaper. Cheaper in France and even cheaper in Belgium. Supermarkets don't sell tobacco in France, so you must find a TABAC. Prices at TABAC's are regulated so it doesn't matter where you go if in France. Pouch tobacco very much cheaper in Belgium as are cigarette papers. Tobacco - save £1,000 in France, £1,220 in Belgium and stay within the limits! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Be careful! - HM Revenue & Customs want your shopping! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Counterfeit goods
Some useful information contained on this site;
www.a-cg.com. Even C&E are now listing the proportion of counterfeit tobacco in circulation.
From their site; The dangers:
How to spot a fake: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Items reported cheaper in the Which? Magazine channel prices survey August 2002 £54 on a shaver and the same on a coffee maker. £132 on a digital camera, £43 on a pair of designer glasses frames and £56 on an adult's bike. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Checking French and U.K. prices on-line The French firm Darty (www.darty.fr - an electrical chain in France), www.ooshop.com - for French prices (this is Carrefours online delivery service and useful for a rough guide to French prices. Use postcode 95830 to gain access - in French). Auchan's Calais web site (www.auchancalais.com) is dated but worth a look at when it is working. Check U.K. internet based firms prices as they are often more competitive. If you know of any U.K. companies with online prices - please let us know. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Why is alcohol cheaper in Europe? We worked out the rates from popular shopping destinations. Figures in euro. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Note; these figures are taken from a guide produced by the European Commission. The rate used is 1.59 to the pound. Shoppers will get around 1.40 euro nowadays. European Excise rates (Word doc) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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- useful web site with lots of information mainly for French expats. 
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