Wine Temple Wine Calais

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What you can buy

TOBACCO - 3,200 cigarettes, 200 cigars, 400 cigarillos, 3 Kg smoking tobacco.

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

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Apple Macintosh

For cross channel day trippers, shoppers & visitors looking for ferries to Calais, France, or information on Eurotunnel - wanting to save money when buying and importing cars.

Car buying in France, Belgium and Holland.

This page provides useful information on car buying in Europe.

The list of companies serving Britons buying in Europe is listed Below with links and telephone numbers.

With discounts of up to 20% being offered to U.K. buyers this year in an effort to stop customers buying abroad, the savings you use to be able to make by buying in Europe have been reduced. However there are still bargains to be had, you will just have to do a bit more research. There is the drawback of having to wait for your car (months) when buying abroad. Some dealers do stockpile the most popular models though.

Have you had your car serviced in France? What was your experience? Did you save loads? We want to hear from you as we are researching car service pricing now.

If you have any information that may help our visitors - please let us know.

August 2003 - due to the poor exchange rate it is not cost effective to order a car at the moment. However, given the yo-yoing of the Pound it may be worthwhile keeping an eye on prices.

Batteries - Car Servicing - it's cheaper in Calais! - Garages in Calais - Petrol prices - Travel Insurance - Tyres


Book a ferry to France

OFFER 1 - Cheapest ferry fares Dover to Calais with P O Ferry. Cheap daytrip from £20 only (No fuel surcharge, subject to availability).

OFFER 2 - Brittany Ferries Xmas Offer - Daytrip from £65 (£25 a car plus £20 per passenger, minimum two people)

OFFER 3 - DFDS Seaways Ferries - Festive breaks to Amsterdam, Maastricht and Valkenburg. Great deals available.

Direct Booking links

Transmanche Ferries DieppeLD Lines Ferry Le HavreTranseuropa Ferries
Norfolkline Dover to Dunkirk-click here
click hereDFDS Ferries Newcastle
eurostar trainEurotunnel to Calaisraileurope

Book a Hotel in France, Belgium and Europe

Useful outside links

European Commission Report ec.europa.eu/comm/competition/sectors/motor_vehicles.

www.rip-off.co.uk - Worthwhile link

- Say NO to 0870. www.saynoto0870.com

Buying Tips

Make sure the vehicle you want to buy is available in the U.K. You may have trouble when servicing comes around.

Find out how much the model you want is in the U.K. before you go across - don't assume everything is cheaper abroad.

Find out how experienced the dealer is in dealing with U.K. customers.

Ensure that the final price includes any supplements for right hand drive vehicles.

Ask about the deposit you will have to put down when ordering, and what the position is if you cancel (due to delays for example).

Buy from authorised dealers, unless you know how do otherwise.

Ask for English manuals.

Bear in mind that the exchange rate may change by the time you come to pay the balance - to avoid any unwelcome surprises you may wish to leave the balance in a French bank account when you order the vehicle.

Before you pick up the car check that the dealer has arranged temporary insurance for you as well as transit plates for the vehicle.

Register the vehicle within 14 days at a Vehicle registry Office. Take your invoice to prove ownership, your U.K. insurance certificate, your driving licence, the E.U. Certificate of Conformity from the dealer, transit plates and the French (or Belgium) temporary registration document. Fill out the registration document (V55/5), pay your road tax and first registration fee. You will then be given a VAT 415 form which is passed on to HM Revenue & Customs. Within 30 days you will have to pay the tax bill.

Tip from the Message Board

Seized vehicle car auctions - East Coast Salvage on the A12 near Colchester. Prices start at £25+. More

Car companies in France (French sites) - Garages in Calais

- Alfa Romeo. www.alfaromeo.fr

- Audi. www.audi.fr

- BMW. www.bmw.fr

- Citroën. www.citroen.fr

- Chrysler. www.chrysler.fr

- Fiat. www.fiat.fr

- Ford. www.ford.fr

- Honda. www.honda.fr

- Hyundai. www.Hyundai.fr

- Jaguar. www.jaguar.fr

- Jeep. www.jeep.fr

- Landrover. www.landrover.fr

- Lexus. www.lexus.fr

- Mazda. www.mazda.fr

- Mercedes. www.mercedes-benz.fr

- Mitsubishi. www.mitsubishi-motors.fr

- Nissan. www.nissan.fr

- Opel (Vauxhall). www.opel.fr

- Peugeot. www.peugeot.fr

- Porsche. www.porsche.com/france

- Renault. www.renault.fr

- Rover. www.mg-rover.com

- SAAB. www.saab.fr

- SEAT. www.seat.fr

- Skoda. www.skoda.fr

- Subaru. www.subaru.fr

- Suzuki. www.suzuki.fr

- Toyota. www.toyota.fr

- Volkswagen. www.Volkswagen.fr

- Volvo. www.volvocars.fr

Regulations

"How to Permanently import your vehicle into Great Britain" - information from the Department of Environment. Tel: 020 7676 2094. www.direct.gov.uk

DVLC Car import help desk - 01792 783 539

DVLC Swansea general advice - 01792 458 888

Customs and excise London - 0207 202 4227

Customs and excise Dover - 01304 224 372 / 224 606

The Vehicle inspectorate - 01792 458 888.

TIP - use your credit card (not a charge card) when paying a deposit - the Consumer Credit Act makes credit card companies liable for any breach of contract.

Companies that Import - for information only.

Please take proper legal advice before proceeding with any purchase. Finance

CompanyTelephoneCar makes
Abbey Auto SalesTel: 01225 852 464BMW
ACOR Trading (U.K.) LtdTel: 01202 290 534BMW, Mercedes, VW
Alliance Car Imports. www.alliancecarimports.co.ukTel: 01254 399 310Most makes
Autoebid. www.autoebid.comTel: 0800 033 6022Most makes
Autobytel. www.autobytel.comTel: 0800 783 1514Most makes
AVC Eurocars. www.all-vehicles.co.ukTel: 01902 353 393Most makes
Blue CarsTel: 020 8408 3259Honda, Ford, Jaguer, Landrover, Mercedes
BMW Import AgencyTel: 01594 825 550BMW
BMW Buyers. www.bmwbuyers.co.ukTel: 01732 453 738BMW
Bob Gerard Ltd. www.bobgerard.co.ukTel: 0116 259 2224Honda
Broadspeed. www.broadspeed.comTel: -Most makes
Capita TradingTel: 01733 210 139Mercedes and Audi
Carfax InternationalTel: 07000 046 767 -
CarVanValue. www.baglancarcentre.co.ukTel: 0800 2984567 -
CoatonsTel: 01775 820 101BMW, Mercedes, VW, Peugot, Rover, Toyota, Vauxhal, Renault, Subaru.
Conti Link. www.contilink.co.ukTel: 020 8449 4240Mercedes
Danish Car Imports. www.danishcarimports.comTel: 020 7486 3474BMW, Jaguar, Volvo
D.C. Cook. www.dccook.co.ukTel: - 08701 288 535 -
D.C.W. LtdTel: 0161 798 5887 -
Discovery Car ImportsTel: 01908 318 351Discovery, Rover, Range Rover,
Epic Cars. www.epicvehicles.co.ukTel: 01949 875 555 -
European Car Trading - HollandTel: 0031 534 617 292Most makes
Euro ContinentalTel: 0870 442 0802Most makes
Euro Car. www.fordbrugge.com
Euro Invest - BelgiumTel: 0032 75 25 61 48Most makes
Excaliber ImportsTel: 07720 288 144Chrysler, Jeep, Volvo,
Executive Car ImportsTel: 0870 086 9130Most makes
Executive Vehicle ImportsTel: 01797 225 335Most makes
Go Brussels. www.gobrussels.comTel: 0032 485 325 002Most makes
Go-Euro CarsTel: 01732 883 044Mercedes, Audi, BMW, SAAB, Jaguar, Land Rover
Hartford International Ltd.Tel: 01202 820 929Most makes
Import Cars. www.importcars.co.ukTel: 01628 620 061Most makes
Vintage Car. www.intercar.nlTel: 0031 45 52 53 494 -
IVC ImportsTel: 0117 905 8738 -
Jam JarTel: - -
Lancashire Vehicle SalesTel: 01257 241 346Most makes
Lawson Auto AdvanceTel: 020 7864 9949BMW
Mercia BrokerageTel: 01788 540 479Honda
One Swoop. www.oneswoop.comTel: 0800 279 2798Most makes
Park Lane U.K.- www.parklaneuk.netTel: 0044 (0) 1420 544300Most makes
The Personal Import Company. www.personalimport.co.ukTel: 01244 344 544 -
Prestige Cars (U.K.) LtdTel: 0121 236 2982BMW, Mercedes, Porsch, Range Rover.
Quensbridge Motors Ltd. www.queensbridgemotors.co.ukTel: 020 7790 1639Many makes
Real Cost Car ImportsTel: 01244 527 308Mercedes, VW, Alfa, Audi, Porsche, BMW, MG, SAAB, Volvo
SAHATel: 020 8202 4059Mercedes,
Track MarquesTel: 020 8961 9611VW, Mercedes, Audi, Porsche, SAAB
Trans EuropeTel: 020 8689 5152Most makes

Please mention you found out about the company concerned through day-tripper.net.

This information is provided for research only - If you have had problems dealing with any of the above companies - please let us know.

day-tripper.net accepts no liability for trading problems which may occur.

Finance

Car Finance4less, Tel: 020 7350 2811. Fax: 020 7350 2833. www.Car-finance4less.com

Eurocar Broker Services Ltd. Tel: 01798 812 519. Fax: 01403 786 403. Only finances imported cars.

Sequent Ltd. Tel: 01628 828 190. Fax: 01628 623 336.