- Shops you find at French Centre Commercial

What you can buy

NEW from 1st October 2011. TOBACCO guidelines for personal use - 800 cigarettes (was 3,200), 200 cigars, 400 cigarillos, 1 Kg smoking tobacco (was3 Kg).

ALCOHOL - 110 lts beer, 90 lts wine, 10 lts spirits, 20 lts fortified wine.

1.175 € / £

For best rates buy online, and pick up at port or airport

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Calais Wine Superstore offer

Cashback on wine purchases at Majestic in France

Pre -order by internet from the Wine Beer Warehouse and get cash back.

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Information about shopping centres in Calais - Day-tripper.net, the web magazine which saves you money when crossing the channel to Calais, to buy wine, beer, spirits and food, travelling by ferry or Eurotunnel. Supermarkets, chocolatiers, cheese shops, boulangeries, tobacco shops and Cité Europe.

Shopping Centres in Calais

You can pack a lot into a daytrip if you visit one of the main shopping centres in Calais such as Cite Europe. There are other areas in Calais worth a visit however, and we list them below

The main shopping streets in Calais are the Boulevards Jacquard and Lafayette.

When telephoning from the United Kingdom begin all numbers with 0033 -.

The Winter sales normally start on the second Wednesday in January every year. In most departments in 2012 they start 11th January and finish 14th February. Summer sales normally start on the third Wednesday of each year in France. In 2012 they start 27th June and end 31st July.

However, many departments have different start and finish dates in 2012. More information (in French) - www.economie.gouv.fr

The summer sales in France in NORD (59), Pas de Calais (62) and Aube (10 - Troyes, Factory shopping centres) start mid June and run until the end of July every year. Six departments near the French border are free to set different dates: the Meurthe-et-Moselle, Meuse, Moselle, Vosges, Landes and Pyrénées-Atlantiques.

In Belgium the sales are held in January (2012 - 2nd to 31st) and July (2012 - 1st to 31st July).

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.

• Related site pages •

Shopping in Calais - Sales in France - Markets - Foot passengers - Shopping centres in Calais - Factory Shopping centres - Sunday shopping - Holiday shopping - Shopping Tips - French brands - French chains - Car service tyres - Customs - DIY decorating - Sizes Clothes and Shoes - Weight limits

Quick travel booking links

Short Sea Ferries - Long Sea Ferries

Cheapest ferry fares Dover to Calais with P O Ferry. Daytrips only £19 plus six bottles of wine FREE (Car and up to 9 people)

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Main shopping centres in Calais

- Cité Europe. The most popular shopping mall in Calais for United Kingdom shoppers, plenty of fashions shops.

- Les 4 Boulevards. The newest shopping centre in Calais, near the Theatre. Plenty of parking, it also has a Carrefour Market Supermarket.

- Centre Mi-voix. Where the old Continent Supermarket use to be (now Carrefour). Smaller and quieter, there is uniquely for most French shopping centres, a TABAC here.

- Centre Auchan, with Auchan Hypermarket and Leroy Merlin this is another popular port of call for United Kingdom shoppers.

- L'Usine Cote d'Opale. The newest shopping centre aimed at the United Kingdom shopper. Lots of branded clothes, plenty of parking (this centre use to be known as Marques Avenue).

ZAC Curie - Just off exit 44 on the A16 next to Calais Vins, this new zone has a Bricoman store, as well as an Aubert (baby stuff), Kine Jouet (games), Kiabi (good value clothes), Gémo, (Shoes and clothes), and a Gifi store (electronic goods).

Calais Centre - The main shopping areas in the centre of Calais are; rue Lafayette, Bd. Gambetta, La Fayette and Bd. Jacquard.

Factory Shops

Shops you find at most French Commercial Centres and what they sell.

Useful Outside links

- Conseil National des Centres Commerciaux. Find a French Centre Commercial (click the map of France). www.cncc.com

- Centres Commerciaux. Lists many Centre Commercial throughout France and Portugal. www.centres-commerciaux.com

- Site des Marques. Useful resource for French brand information. www.sitedesmarques.com

- Societe, for official information on a business. www.societe.com

- Boussole. Useful directory for many shops and institutions in France. www.boussole-fr.com