Just wondering if any of you guys/gals still doing the continent can give me some idea of the prices these days for ■■■■ and so forth both on the ferry and over the water in France or Belgium.
Im looking at going over for a couple of nights one weekend with the girlfriend for a break from the kids, we normally go to Blackpool as its close but I fancy a change and do some remenissing and was wondering if I could cover the cost by stocking up on ■■■■ for her, bakky for me and whatever alchoholic beverages ( Red wine, spirits, beer) I can fit into my car. Im not looking at buying to sell on, just get enough to help towards the expense of travelling all the way from Bolton to Bolougne just for a dirty weekend. So if any of you can give me some idea for the above and where’s the best places to go once off the boat I would appreciate your help.
Can’t help on the prices as I don’t buy any ■■■■, wine or beer but I did notice on the ferry today (P&O) a notice saying that due to French law the prices of cigarettes and tobacco on board the ship was the same as in France.
I think the prices in Belgium will be cheaper than France and the easiest place to get to from Calais would be Adinkerke. From Calais follow the A16 (signposted to Dunkerque and Brussels) until you cross the border into Belgium, don’t blink or you’ll miss it, and take the first exit after the border. At the top of the slip road turn left over the motorway and after 400 metres there is a roundabout which you turn left at (3rd exit). There is a canal on your right and on your left are several tobacco shops.
Coffeeholic:
There is a canal on your right and on your left are several tobacco shops.
Coffee, you are having a laugh!!! EVERY shop is a baccy shop lololol
Paul, Golden and Old H are £26 for 10 50g packs … Samson and Drum are £23. Nearly all ■■■■ are £26 for 200. One tip though… they like you to pay in English money!! If you use the credit or debit card, you will pay in Euros at the rate which the bank decides on the day which can work out more expensive.
As Coffee says, Adinkerke is the place to go!! Some of the shops give you free bottles of wine etc if you buy sufficient ■■■■… most give you a ‘gift’ of some sort. If the girlie likes chocolate, then Adinkerke is the place to go!!! Loads of the shops sell Belgian choccy which is lovley. PJ’s, the first shop you see from the roundabout is a choccy shop!!! Full of lovley stuff. Also consider going to Belgium for your ‘dirty’ weekend … is cheaper I found when I went to Iepers last year for 3 days with wifey.
By the way, Adinkerke is less than 30 minutes from Calais
Coffeeholic:
There is a canal on your right and on your left are several tobacco shops.
Coffee, you are having a laugh!!! EVERY shop is a baccy shop lololol
It’s been a couple of years at least since I went through there, usually just go past on the motorway, but did there not use to be a couple of shops that weren’t baccy shops, a cafe/antiques shop and a bakers?
Either way there is more than enough baccy shops to keep everyone happy.
One tip Paul is that when you have done your shopping come back out the same way you went in and cross back into France via the motorway border, much less chance of getting a tug by the French Douane or Gendarmes.
Cheers guys, its been a few years since I was lst over there in the truck that road you are on about is the old road between France and Belguim before they built the motorway if my memory serves me right. I know the places you are on about just wasnt sure if they were still open, thought they might have lost trade with the motorway being open.
Is the Piddou and Caves still open on the ind est as you leave the docks, I know they opened the new one ( well it was new at the time) near the Tunnel truckstop ( parked there 1 nite and picked up a few unexpected passengers, got them out at the tunnel tho French side). If they are still open are they the best place to get beer and wine or am i better going to the large supermarket/ shopping centre near the tunnel? Again any ideas on prices would help to give me some idea has to how much cash to take with me.
Coffeeholic:
I think the prices in Belgium will be cheaper than France and the easiest place to get to from Calais would be Adinkerke. From Calais follow the A16 (signposted to Dunkerque and Brussels) until you cross the border into Belgium, don’t blink or you’ll miss it, and take the first exit after the border. At the top of the slip road turn left over the motorway and after 400 metres there is a roundabout which you turn left at (3rd exit). There is a canal on your right and on your left are several tobacco shops.
Yeah, the last time I stopped off there (a while ago now) prices for tobacco pouches, cigs & some spirits were cheaper in Adinkerke than in France. I was only there for a short while and the shop I went into had an unbelievable amount of chocolate items in the front then you walked through a narrowish passage into the back room where the boxes of 'baccy were flying out of there. Can’t remember the name of the shop, it was just before the first petrol station. Another thing I noticed while looking round outside was that it was ‘spot the foreign vehicle’. I’d say about 80% of vehicles there had british plates on, and a couple of Irish plates (“Birds” artics).
Plus, when crossing the border from France into Belgium, you say don’t blink or you’ll miss it… it would be hard to miss such a large sign saying “Belgique” !
Cheers Vince , hopefully I will be back over the water all the time in the truck with a new company if all goes well so will save even moremoney as the missis can have her weekend away IN THE TRUCK. Now thats what I call a saving…
Yeti:
Plus, when crossing the border from France into Belgium, you say don’t blink or you’ll miss it… it would be hard to miss such a large sign saying “Belgique” !
You would think that wouldn’t you but I know several people who have missed it.
TheBear:
Whats with the location, Vince??
I thought you was in Kent or, due to the fact I have been up since 0230 this morning, am I missing something here?
Oh, I still live in Westgate-on-Sea. But it`s a bit of a boring place, (Ramsgate for the Continent, Westgate for the incontinent, as they say around here) and it sounds a lot more exotic when you say it in Latin.
