Duty Free

Even if we can, it will be very small amounts. Not the unlimited quantities of duty paid wine or Cognac we can bring back now. I never remember it being that much reduced anyway. It just seemed a mechanism for the ferry operators to make more money. Although I suppose that may have been passed on in lower fares. 

Who knows? It can only be speculation at this stage.

Not bothered about duty free ,I just want my blue passport back

That will be entirely up to the Government. Mind you if you think about how prices of beer/wine/ sprits have changed in the UK since we last had a limited amount we could bring back from abroad duty free is not the bargain it once was. I enjoy an odd glass of brandy and I have the say the price in France were not vastly different to those in Waitrose especially when they have a offer on. Unless you frequently pop over to France to buy more wine than you can sensibly drink I doubt it will make a lot of difference one way or another.

David

Never ever bought duty free.  Its way too expensive.  Always bought in hypermarkets, and never within 5-10 miles of the ports. 

Tombar

I wonder if K meant the ability to bring back any amount of drinks (within reason) from French supermarkets where as before we joined the Single Market there were restrictions. This of course is not strictly duty free but more to do with the free movement of goods. I would tend to agree that "proper" duty free was never really the bargain it appeared to be if you moved away from buying alcohol. Going back to one of my earlier comments the UK retail sector is much more price driven than it once was so even if it were reintroduced its unlike to show much in the way of savings.

David

Agree David and yet look at the 'duty free' shops in airports (captive audience for 2 hours!) and they are heaving and tills ringing.

Proper 'Duty Free' can have good savings, when we lived in Germany we used to get very cheap alcohol and tobacco products at greatly reduced prices. It was however limited to 1l per person and 2oo cigs or tobacco equivalent. We holiday in Lanzarote every year and the cost saving  on some items are quite good. The problem with bring them back now is that you get the best deal in the local 'Duty Free' shopd but as we know we are not allowed to bring back liquids in our hand luggage. This means you gamble with putting it in your suitcase or you have to buy it at the airport at inflated rates, still cheaper than at home though. The airlines also do a very good 'Duty Free' on these flights, again 1l per person.

To those who like real duty free, - Don't forget the channel islands sit outside the EEC and you do get real duty free coming and going from Jersey, Guernsey and Alderney etc!

TF

Tombar

I wonder if K meant the ability to bring back any amount of drinks (within reason) from French supermarkets where as before we joined the Single Market there were restrictions. This of course is not strictly duty free but more to do with the free movement of goods. I would tend to agree that "proper" duty free was never really the bargain it appeared to be if you moved away from buying alcohol. Going back to one of my earlier comments the UK retail sector is much more price driven than it once was so even if it were reintroduced its unlike to show much in the way of savings.

David

Agree David.  If you look at the Canaries, even though part of Spain, its classed as if out of the EU.  British supermarkets are so cheap now, its not really worth weighing down your vehicles to bring stuff back