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, sweeteners, 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. I recently 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. |
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 Shops in France 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. |
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). |
Alcoholup 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. |
Counterfeit goodsSome useful information contained on this site; Even C&E are now listing the proportion of counterfeit tobacco in circulation. www.a-cg.com From their site; The dangers: In China alone, around 100 billion counterfeit cigarettes are produced each year, many of which end up in popular holiday destinations. As fake cigarettes are not subject to any regulations, they often contain excessive levels of tar and nicotine, presenting an increased risk to smokers. For example, fake cigarettes seized in Camden in 2002 were found to contain 75% more tar, 28% more nicotine, and 36% more carbon monoxide. Cigarettes can also be contaminated with substances such as plastics, wrapping materials, and even sand. How to spot a fake: Fake cigarettes usually have packaging that closely resembles the brands they imitate, while the cigarettes themselves often taste noticeably different. Look closely for spelling mistakes in the small print on the box. Other clues are foreign, or mis-spelt safety warnings – or no safety warnings at all. If in doubt, buy from a reputable stockist or duty-free outlet. |
- Andros premium fruit Juices. 
- Rip-off U.K. 
- Another reason to shop in Europe. 
- Ooshop, 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). 
- Telemarket, mostly for around Paris but comprehensive. 
- France to your Door. French food and goods delivered to your U.K. address. 
- Lets cook French. Lovely site with lots useful information.