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Why DFDS are your best option for an obligation free procuring journey to France, and a information that can assist you plan your individual journey…
As a journey blogger, I’m fortunate sufficient to journey so much, which suggests I typically get an opportunity to select up a discount within the airport obligation free retailers. However I’m all the time 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 automotive up with obligation free bargains!
In terms of obligation free procuring, DFDS are one of many high selections. They’ve an enormous array of products, a lot of incredible particular provides, and a superb Reserve and Gather service that can assist you benefit from your procuring 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 looking out across the metropolis. And on the best way dwelling, we crammed my boot with Christmas presents and occasion drinks courtesy of the onboard obligation free store.
Beneath, I’ve shared my experiences of taking an obligation free procuring journey to France with DFDS, together with precisely how a lot I saved. I’ve additionally rounded up my suggestions for planning your individual procuring journey. Bon voyage!
My journey to France was a part of a collaboration with DFDS with the intention to showcase their obligation free procuring expertise. All phrases and opinions are my very own and unbiased.
Obligation free procuring has all the time been a enjoyable perk of journey. Whether or not it’s on the airport or onboard a ferry, you may choose 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 an entire new obligation free procuring expertise. Particularly in the event you’re taking your automotive with you. You’ll be able to 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 so much longer to browse onboard a ferry than you do on the airport. And due to DFDS’s big portside retailers and superior Reserve and Gather service, you get even longer to buy – in addition to entry to a good greater catalogue of products.
And don’t overlook, in the event you do any procuring within the EU (exterior of the obligation free shops on the port and on the ferry), you can too declare the VAT again. Learn my put up about Tax Free Searching for extra particulars.
OK, so obligation free procuring wasn’t my ONLY cause for travelling with DFDS this winter – but it surely was a reasonably 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 procuring, eat as many pastries as doable within the area of 24 hours… and fill up on occasion drinks for Christmas with some obligation free bargains! And we managed to tick off all these containers.
We had a incredible expertise with DFDS from begin to end. Verify-in and customs had 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 had been first on the ferry – and first off on the opposite aspect!
Even with out that, the DFDS crew 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 beautiful, each within the port and on the ferry. Particularly within the onboard obligation 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 put up.
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 worth of every merchandise at Tesco* (not counting any reductions).
| Merchandise | Worth | Grocery store Worth | 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 the event you’re travelling with DFDS solely to do obligation free procuring, then you definitely’d additionally must take into consideration the price of the ferry and petrol towards how a lot you’re saving. That stated, it will probably nonetheless work out cheaper if you want to purchase so much – and makes for a reasonably enjoyable day journey!
Should you’re travelling to France anyway, the obligation free procuring is simply an added bonus and makes the ferry journey dwelling that rather more thrilling.
Obligation Free Allowances into the UK from France
Should you’re particularly travelling to France with the intention to benefit from the obligation free procuring, you’ll in all probability need to deliver again as a lot as doable. This implies you want to concentrate on precisely how a lot you’re allowed deliver into the UK.
The obligation free allowances for coming into the UK are fairly in depth, however there are limits, so make sure you don’t go over them. The present allowances are outlined beneath.
Keep in mind – these allowances are per particular person. So if there are two of you in a single automotive, you may deliver double the quantity again into the UK. Excellent in the event you’re throwing a giant occasion (a few my pals did this to purchase the wine for his or her wedding 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 gadgets
ORÂ equal mixture, eg 100 cigarettes and 25 cigars (half of every allowance).
Different Obligation Free Allowances
As much as £390 value of some other items.
Should you’re bringing greater than these allowances, you want to declare the products and pay tax or obligation on them. Discover out extra right here. Thesea llowances had been appropriate as of December 2022, but it surely’s all the time value checking the most recent information 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 obligation free procuring, 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 had 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 must get out of your automotive until you’re on the ferry – a lot simpler than flying. All of the workers I encountered had been completely beautiful, and the entire course of was impressively environment friendly after I travelled.
Crossings to France begin from simply £68 for a automotive + as much as 4 folks, so ferry is usually a way more cost-effective solution to journey to northern France than flying – and much more comfy! Day journeys begin from £39 (automotive + 4) – so a brief procuring journey might be fairly value efficient!
DFDS Obligation Free Outlets
For obligation free procuring, DFDS actually are the most effective choices. The onboard store is large – and rather well stocked with an enormous vary of drinks, cigarettes, electronics, toys, magnificence merchandise, and extra.
Final time I travelled by ferry (with a distinct firm), the onboard store was a tiny little area and solely actually stocked the most well-liked excessive road manufacturers. The store on DFDS felt extra like those you see at airports: very huge and rather well stocked.
However in addition to this fab onboard store, DFDS even have obligation 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!
Should you’re undecided you’ll have time to go to the store earlier than your return ferry, you can too benefit from the Reserve and Gather service. You merely choose all the products you need on-line, then pay and accumulate on the port aspect store earlier than boarding the ferry. The service is very easy to make use of, because it’s basically on-line procuring, and will prevent a whole lot of time.
Extra Causes to Select DFDS
- Limitless baggage allowance
- As much as 50% financial savings vs the UK excessive road
- Park proper exterior the Obligation Free retailers in Dunkerque and Calais to replenish your boot!
- Use the Reserve and Gather service to save lots of time.
Make it a day journey
If obligation free procuring is your solely cause for taking the journey to France, then minimize prices by reserving a day journey. Similar-day return crossings are cheaper – and also you gained’t must pay for lodging!
Lower journey prices
Guide as far upfront as you may, as it will usually get you the perfect deal. And in the event you can, keep away from travelling at peak occasions like summer season, British and French public holidays, and weekends.
Save time with Reserve and Gather
I’ve already talked about this above, however the DFDS Reserve and Gather service is a good way to save lots of time along with your obligation free procuring.
Merely go surfing and order every little thing 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 want to have a ferry crossing booked with the intention to make a reservation. You additionally want to do that no less than 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 obligation retailers above. These big shops are proper earlier than you board the ferry at Calais and Dunkerque and are tremendous handy. In addition they have way more inventory and a wider vary to select from. So if you wish to get the perfect bargains, make sure to schedule time to go to the retailers.
Get to the port early
Should you haven’t used the Reserve and Gather service, I like to recommend arriving on the ferry terminal as early as doable 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 verify in or customs the method took round quarter-hour. By the point we had been by, they had been already boarding – so I missed my probability to browse the portside store. Subsequent time!
Plan upfront
Plan upfront and make a procuring checklist to be sure to keep inside your allowance, save as a lot cash as doable, and choose up the perfect bargains. Browse on-line to see what provides are at present on, with the intention to work out the best way to get probably the most on your cash, then make a listing prepared for whenever you go to the store.
Make the Most of your Journey
Even in the event you’re planning a fast day journey for some obligation free procuring, you may nonetheless benefit from your journey to France and make it a extremely enjoyable time out!
Spend a little bit of time exploring Calais. On a reasonably brief strolling tour of the town you may go to the attractive Resort 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.
If in case you have time, take a stroll on Calais Seaside so far as the historic Fort Lapin battery and the encircling sand dunes. The lengthy, sweeping expanse of white sand at Calais is a superb spot for a stroll at any time of yr, even after I visited on a frosty winter morning.
Even in the event you’re pressed for time, you could possibly squeeze in lunch or dinner at an area restaurant to benefit from your procuring journey to France. Talking of procuring, make sure to swing by a grocery store and a few of the smaller native meals retailers and patisseries to select up some yummy French meals to take dwelling!
Lastly, in the event you’re travelling across the festive season so as do your Christmas procuring or choose up the occasion drinks, make sure to take a look at the lights and Christmas markets in Calais whilst you’re on the town.
Learn Extra
Greatest Locations to Go to in Northern France
A Brit’s Information to Purchasing in France
Should you take an obligation free procuring journey to France with DFDS, let me know the way you get on within the feedback beneath. I’d love to listen to about it!