When you go abroad . . .

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. . . do you always buy your quota (or as much as you can carry or get away with) of duty frees on your return?

I buy a bottle or two of brandy, and maybe a liqueur, if I have a baggy jumper/jacket on, but I don't worry about cigarettes, perfumes, sweets, beer etc.

Scandinavian quotas, though, are different from the UK ones, I believe.
 

Night Train

Maker of Things
I hardly ever use my quota. No need for anything there. Now if there was a Machine Mart in duty free then that would be different.
 

alecstilleyedye

nothing in moderation
Moderator
was delighted to learn at the airport in melbourne that the allowance for wine did not include sparkling, so loaded up on that as well.

was pleased that they did not weigh the hand luggage, not with a laptop and three bottles of aussie fizz in it.
 

gbb

Legendary Member
Location
Peterborough
I always try !!!!:biggrin: but it's getting increasingly expensive to do :biggrin:

Cyprus for instance...cigs i buy (not for me) cost £28 for 200. Thats about £450 for your allowance.
If there's 2 of you, thats near £1000 :biggrin:

Spains better...but you're still going to shed some dosh.

But, 1/2 price....SWMBO has only just finished stuff i brought back from Cyprus in the new year, now into ciggys from Malta, brought in February.

If you're travelling on holiday...theres no sense whatsoever in bringing cash back...to lose even more money with buyback from the bureau de change. I always convert surplus money into cigs...its money in the bank...although its also nails in the coffin :smile:
 

Joe24

More serious cyclist than Bonj
Location
Nottingham
When we go over we sometimes max out both mum and dads tickets on tobacco for dad. We went over to France a couple of weeks ago to stock up and got 4/5 big boxes of rolling tobacco.
Dont bother with booze though.
 

snorri

Legendary Member
I've never taken anything back, I have no use for tobacco, there is never spare space in my panniers, it's extra weight which I don't need, and there is the risk of breakage.:sad:
 

Speicher

Vice Admiral
Moderator
They do not do very well out of me at all. I sometimes try to find unusual perfumes, and try out two or three. That takes away the smell of stale airport air, or might buy some chocolate to take home for one or two people. Saves carrying it any further than absolutely necessary, and less chance of it getting eaten before reaching the intended recipients. :sad::smile:
 

4F

Active member of Helmets Are Sh*t Lobby
Location
Suffolk.
I don't smoke and hardly drink these days so rarely bother with duty free.

I refuse out of principle in using my quota to buy someone else some fags.
 

gbb

Legendary Member
Location
Peterborough
Is it me, or is there not much point in a lot of duty free goods, particually if travelling by air.
Alcohol is only moderately cheaper than high street prices and a swine to get back, too heavy and fragile...and if you're flying by Easyjet or Ryanair, theres hardly space for normal hand luggage, let alone much else.

Cigs are good value compared with shop prices, but bulky..same problems if going by budget airlines.

Electronics....mildly cheaper, fine if you dont mind choosing from a limited range, and i'd only get something i already wanted. Definately do not impulse buy.

Scent...good value IF theres something specific you want.

You notice a huge difference between chartered flights and scheduled.
Charters filled with holidaymakers, bristling with bags of duty free :smile:
Scheduled...90% of people dont seem to bother. Strange that :sad:
 
We always use our full spirits allowance on Tanqueray London Dry Gin no matter where we go outside of the EU. Significantly cheaper and a bit stronger than you buy in the shops here. Would usually buy perfume or aftershave once a year.

We do not buy any tobacco and rarely use the wine allowance.
 
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