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Why DFDS are your best option for an obligation free buying journey to France, and a information that will help you plan your individual journey…
As a journey blogger, I’m fortunate sufficient to journey loads, which implies I typically get an opportunity to choose up a cut price within the airport responsibility free retailers. However I’m at all times very restricted about how a lot I can carry or match into my hand baggage. So after I took a ferry to France this month for an in a single day Christmas journey, I used to be very enthusiastic about loading my automobile up with responsibility free bargains!
In terms of responsibility free buying, DFDS are one of many prime decisions. They’ve an enormous array of products, numerous unbelievable particular gives, and a superb Reserve and Acquire service that will help you profit from your buying journey.
This December, I took the ferry to Calais with my dad for a festive father-daughter getaway. We had a good time trying out the Christmas markets, consuming far an excessive amount of, and searching across the metropolis. And on the best way house, we crammed my boot with Christmas presents and occasion drinks courtesy of the onboard responsibility free store.
Under, I’ve shared my experiences of taking an obligation free buying journey to France with DFDS, together with precisely how a lot I saved. I’ve additionally rounded up my ideas for planning your individual buying journey. Bon voyage!
My journey to France was a part of a collaboration with DFDS with a view to showcase their responsibility free buying expertise. All phrases and opinions are my very own and unbiased.
Obligation free buying has at all times been a enjoyable perk of journey. Whether or not it’s on the airport or onboard a ferry, you’ll be able to decide up some wonderful bargains on tech items, perfumes, magnificence merchandise, designer put on, cigarettes, alcohol, and extra.
However travelling to France by ferry from the UK opens up a complete new responsibility free buying expertise. Particularly in case you’re taking your automobile with you. You possibly can replenish the boot with all of your purchases and never fear about the way you’re going to hold all of it!
Plus, you usually have loads longer to browse onboard a ferry than you do on the airport. And due to DFDS’s enormous portside retailers and superior Reserve and Acquire service, you get even longer to buy – in addition to entry to a fair greater catalogue of products.
And don’t neglect, in case you do any buying within the EU (outdoors of the responsibility free shops on the port and on the ferry), you too can declare the VAT again. Learn my publish about Tax Free Looking for extra particulars.
OK, so responsibility free buying wasn’t my ONLY purpose for travelling with DFDS this winter – but it surely was a fairly large perk!
In early December, I hopped on a ferry from Dover to Calais with my dad for an in a single day journey. The plan was to discover the Christmas markets, perform a little Christmas buying, eat as many pastries as potential within the house of 24 hours… and fill up on occasion drinks for Christmas with some responsibility free bargains! And we managed to tick off all these containers.
We had a unbelievable expertise with DFDS from begin to end. Examine-in and customs have been such a breeze (particularly in contrast with the standard queues and crowds at airports). We’d upgraded to Precedence Boarding, too, which meant that we have been first on the ferry – and first off on the opposite facet!
Even with out that, the DFDS staff appeared to have boarding and offloading right down to an artwork: the entire thing was tremendous environment friendly.
It’d simply have been the Christmas spirit within the air, however each member of workers we met was completely pretty, each within the port and on the ferry. Particularly within the onboard responsibility free store, the place everybody was extremely useful and pleasant. The store was a lot greater than I used to be anticipating and had an enormous vary – I’ve written about it in a bit extra element additional down this publish.
How A lot I Saved with DFDS Obligation Free
Right here’s what we purchased, how a lot we spent, and how a lot it might have value if we purchased it in a UK grocery store. For comparability functions, I’ve used the present value of every merchandise at Tesco* (not counting any reductions).
| Merchandise | Value | Grocery store Value | Saving vs Grocery store |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bombay Sapphire Gin 1L (2X) | £14.99 (every) | £27.50 | £12.51 (every) |
| Kraken Rum 1L | £12.69 | £32 | £19.31 |
| Bacardi Gold Carta Ora 1L | £10 | £22 | £12 |
| 24 Pack Birra Moretti | £16.99 | £30 | £13.01 |
| Lanson Black Label Brut Champagne | £19.99 | £36 | £16.01 |
| Yellow Tail Bubbles Glowing Wine (2X) | £5.99 (every) | £10 | £4.01 (every) |
| TOTAL SAVINGS | £93.37 |
In complete, we spent £101.63 on spirits, beer and glowing wines – and saved £93.37 vs shopping for that complete haul in Tesco… BARGAIN!
Clearly, in case you’re travelling with DFDS solely to do responsibility free buying, then you definitely’d additionally should consider the price of the ferry and petrol towards how a lot you’re saving. That mentioned, it may possibly nonetheless work out cheaper if you must purchase loads – and makes for a fairly enjoyable day journey!
For those who’re travelling to France anyway, the responsibility free buying is simply an added bonus and makes the ferry journey house that rather more thrilling.
Obligation Free Allowances into the UK from France
For those who’re particularly travelling to France with a view to profit from the responsibility free buying, you’ll most likely need to carry again as a lot as potential. This implies you want to pay attention to precisely how a lot you’re allowed carry into the UK.
The responsibility free allowances for coming into the UK are fairly intensive, however there are limits, so make sure you don’t go over them. The present allowances are outlined beneath.
Bear in mind – these allowances are per individual. So if there are two of you in a single automobile, you’ll be able to carry double the quantity again into the UK. Best in case you’re throwing an enormous occasion (a few my mates did this to purchase the wine for his or her marriage ceremony!).
Alcohol Obligation Free Allowances
42 litres of beer
+
24 75cl bottles of wine (18L)
+
4 litres of spirits (over 22% ABV)
ORÂ 9 L of glowing wine, fortified wine, or different alcoholic drinks lower than 22% ABV
OR an equal mixture, eg 2L of spirits and 4.5L glowing wine.
Cigarettes Obligation Free Allowances
200 cigarettes OR
100 cigarillos OR
50 cigars OR
250g tobacco OR
200 sticks of tobacco for digital heated tobacco units
ORÂ equal mixture, eg 100 cigarettes and 25 cigars (half of every allowance).
Different Obligation Free Allowances
As much as £390 value of another items.
For those who’re bringing greater than these allowances, you must declare the products and pay tax or responsibility on them. Discover out extra right here. Thesea llowances have been appropriate as of December 2022, but it surely’s at all times value checking the most recent data at gov.uk earlier than you journey.
This was my first journey to France with DFDS and I used to be actually impressed. Not solely with the responsibility free buying, however with the entire journey expertise altogether.
DFDS have a number of ferry crossings a day between Dover and France, serving each Calais and Dunkerque. These are quick, frequent and tremendous handy. I travelled on a snowy weekend in December, when trains and flights have been being cancelled throughout the UK – however the ferry crossing nonetheless ran, and it ran on time!
The drive-through check-in and customs cubicles imply you don’t even should get out of your automobile until you’re on the ferry – a lot simpler than flying. All of the workers I encountered have been completely pretty, and the entire course of was impressively environment friendly after I travelled.
Crossings to France begin from simply £68 for a automobile + as much as 4 individuals, so ferry generally is a rather more cost-effective approach to journey to northern France than flying – and much more comfy! Day journeys begin from £39 (automobile + 4) – so a brief buying journey might be fairly value efficient!
DFDS Obligation Free Outlets
For responsibility free buying, DFDS actually are probably the greatest choices. The onboard store is big – and very well stocked with an enormous vary of drinks, cigarettes, electronics, toys, magnificence merchandise, and extra.
Final time I travelled by ferry (with a unique firm), the onboard store was a tiny little house and solely actually stocked the preferred excessive avenue manufacturers. The store on DFDS felt extra like those you see at airports: very massive and very well stocked.
However in addition to this fab onboard store, DFDS even have responsibility free retailers on the Calais and Dunkerque ports. These are even greater and have a wider vary of merchandise to select from – the one in Calais is 1,000sqm!
For those who’re unsure you’ll have time to go to the store earlier than your return ferry, you too can profit from the Reserve and Acquire service. You merely choose all the products you need on-line, then pay and accumulate on the port facet store earlier than boarding the ferry. The service is very easy to make use of, because it’s basically on-line buying, and will prevent a variety of time.
Extra Causes to Select DFDS
- Limitless baggage allowance
- As much as 50% financial savings vs the UK excessive avenue
- Park proper outdoors the Obligation Free retailers in Dunkerque and Calais to replenish your boot!
- Use the Reserve and Acquire service to avoid wasting time.
Make it a day journey
If responsibility free buying is your solely purpose for taking the journey to France, then reduce prices by reserving a day journey. Similar-day return crossings are cheaper – and also you gained’t should pay for lodging!
Reduce journey prices
E book as far upfront as you’ll be able to, as it will usually get you the most effective deal. And in case you can, keep away from travelling at peak instances like summer season, British and French public holidays, and weekends.
Save time with Reserve and Acquire
I’ve already talked about this above, however the DFDS Reserve and Acquire service is an effective way to avoid wasting time together with your responsibility free buying.
Merely log on and order every part you need upfront, then pay and accumulate on the store within the port earlier than boarding the ferry. It’s additionally a very easy
FYI – you must have a ferry crossing booked with a view to make a reservation. You additionally want to do that at the very least in the future earlier than you journey. I stupidly left it to the final morning and missed my probability – so be sure to order your reserve and accumulate.
Don’t miss the retailers on the port
I discussed the portside responsibility retailers above. These enormous shops are proper earlier than you board the ferry at Calais and Dunkerque and are tremendous handy. Additionally they have rather more inventory and a wider vary to select from. So if you wish to get the most effective bargains, make sure to schedule time to go to the retailers.
Get to the port early
For those who haven’t used the Reserve and Acquire service, I like to recommend arriving on the ferry terminal as early as potential to have a while within the Obligation Free Store earlier than boarding the ferry.
We arrived about an hour earlier than our crossing, and regardless that there was no queue at examine in or customs the method took round quarter-hour. By the point we have been by means of, they have been already boarding – so I missed my probability to browse the portside store. Subsequent time!
Plan upfront
Plan upfront and make a buying listing to be sure to keep inside your allowance, save as a lot cash as potential, and decide up the most effective bargains. Browse on-line to see what gives are at present on, with a view to work out the right way to get essentially the most in your cash, then make a listing prepared for whenever you go to the store.
Make the Most of your Journey
Even in case you’re planning a fast day journey for some responsibility free buying, you’ll be able to nonetheless profit from your journey to France and make it a extremely enjoyable day trip!
Spend a little bit of time exploring Calais. On a reasonably brief strolling tour of the town you’ll be able to go to the attractive Lodge de Ville (City Hill) and neighbouring Beffroi (Belfry), Fort Risban close to the water’s edge, Calais Lighthouse and the spectacular Tour du Guet – a Thirteenth-century watchtower within the Place d’Armes.
When you’ve got time, take a stroll on Calais Seashore so far as the historic Fort Lapin battery and the encompassing sand dunes. The lengthy, sweeping expanse of white sand at Calais is a superb spot for a stroll at any time of 12 months, even after I visited on a frosty winter morning.
Even in case you’re pressed for time, you could possibly squeeze in lunch or dinner at an area restaurant to profit from your buying journey to France. Talking of buying, make sure to swing by a grocery store and a few of the smaller native meals retailers and patisseries to choose up some yummy French meals to take house!
Lastly, in case you’re travelling across the festive season so as do your Christmas buying or decide up the occasion drinks, make sure to take a look at the lights and Christmas markets in Calais when you’re on the town.
Learn Extra
Greatest Locations to Go to in Northern France
A Brit’s Information to Buying in France
For those who take an obligation free buying journey to France with DFDS, let me understand how you get on within the feedback beneath. I’d love to listen to about it!
