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consumption. Generally, suspicion will only be aroused if the goods start to look less like a personal purchase, and more like a commercial operation. For example: importing more different brands of tobacco products than there are adult travellers in the vehicle arouses particular suspicion, as most smokers tend to remain loyal to one particular brand. However, there have been reported cases of more extreme treatment (especially where people have unnecessarily concealed extra goods in vehicle cavities, spare wheel wells etc.), with family cars and contents being confiscated on the spot and the travellers left stranded at Dover in the dead of night. This has led to legal challenges to the powers of HMRC, citing the heavy-handedness and inconsistency of some actions, and their dubious legality under
European law.
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465:, who often have criminal motives. Genuine booze cruisers are often people 'on a budget', who simply opt to purchase their own personal supplies from 'Shop A' (in France or Belgium) at lower prices than offered at 'Shop B' (in Britain). Booze cruisers normally travel as a family or group of friends, and often take the opportunity to generally have a 'day out' in France and indulge in recreational 'channel shopping' for French produce and unfamiliar foods, clothing and other goods while they are there. In addition to alcohol and tobacco, many other items, including mundane household items such as washing powder and cooking oil are much cheaper in France than the UK.
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592:(HMRC), faced with widespread abuse by smugglers, impose guidelines - limits based on what they are prepared to believe are reasonable amounts for personal consumption (nominally six months' supply). Most travellers are unaffected, but there are instances of infrequent trippers forward-buying large supplies of (for example) their favourite brand of cigarette, and falling foul of the 'limits' intended to deal with professional smugglers.
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458:, where tobacco duty is lower. Many people intending to purchase mainly tobacco products opt for the revitalised service from Dover to Dunkirk, as Dunkirk is much closer to the Belgian border than Calais, and the ferries on this route are slightly more 'smoker-friendly'. Some buying both tobacco and alcohol make a triangular journey (Dover – Dunkirk – Calais – Dover or vice versa).
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This ruling effectively thwarted the hoped-for option of ordering goods (particularly tobacco), via
Internet, from low duty states in the European Union and having them posted to a United Kingdom address, causing discussion in the British media about how a supposed 'Free Trade Area' seems to work for
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Following recent tax increases in France it has become more attractive for French citizens to buy tobacco in
Belgium and Luxembourg. The law also applies to citizens of other European countries travelling through France with more than 200 cigarettes in their possession. There is a suggestion that the
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The cost of getting to France fluctuates due to season and fuel surcharges, but fares for foot passengers remain low. Calais in particular is very well-served by public transport, with the ferry companies also providing a shuttle bus from the ferry terminal to the town centre and (by request) the bus
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unlimited amounts of alcohol and/or tobacco from another EU member state, provided that they have been legally purchased (with the relevant local rate of duty paid) in the member state of origin, and are for either personal consumption, or as a genuine gift to another. Importing goods for resale at
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A 2006 French law effectively outlawed tobacco tourism which uses France either as a destination or as a route. Under pressure from the tobacco sellers interest group, les bureaux de tabac, and despite the resistance of the French government, the French
Parliament enacted a law that makes it illegal
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The current situation benefits individuals living near to the
English south coast who retain an economic advantage by shopping in France. It benefits the entrepreneurs who have businesses around the French ports dependent upon bulk purchases and also other local businesses that benefit from passing
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HMRC have the legal right to stop and search any vehicle. As their main duty is to detect smuggled goods and other illegal imports, they can use their own common sense regarding unconcealed (i.e. openly carried) goods above their limits, if they are happy that the goods are genuinely for personal
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to transport more than 200 cigarettes whilst in French territory: fines and confiscation are sanctions if a person is found to be in possession of more than 200 cigarettes whilst travelling through/in France. The law is designed to prevent French citizens buying tobacco in
Belgium and Luxembourg.
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generate business, boosted by ferries from
Ireland where alcohol duties are even higher. The exit route from the Calais ferry port passes several large warehouse retailers (English-owned) that serve the market, and some large British supermarket chains have alcohol-only branches selling bottles
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French tobacco duties have also risen, reducing further the economic advantage of a "booze cruise". Unless one is close to the
Channel ports, it's unlikely to be financially beneficial. The motivation is changing, therefore, from purely economic to leisure and variety of choice.
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Generally, alcohol and tobacco taxes are lower in France than in
Britain. Economically, it makes sense for people to buy their supplies of wine, beer, spirits, and tobacco in bulk in France instead of Britain. There is keen competition between
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are normally around £60 per vehicle but are sometimes discounted to as little as £10 at off-peak times. Since beer often costs little more than half the
English shop price, at worst, the savings defray the cost of a day out.
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law is incompatible with European Commission directives which demand freedom of movement and goods, for personal use, across the borders of European Union countries excluding specifically named "new member states".
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564:"As regards products acquired by private individuals for their own use and transported by them... excise duty shall be charged in the member state in which they are acquired".
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identical to those in Britain, but at deep discounts. The French have opened an enormous shopping precinct adjacent to the Channel Tunnel (
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This article is about the British practice of buying alcohol and tobacco products from mainland Europe. For the episode of The Office, see
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trade. The Calais area suffers high unemployment (around 20%) and benefits from the service jobs created by the influx of English
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in bulk quantities. This is a legally allowed process not to be confused with
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Cruising (maritime) § Other kinds of maritime cruising
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38:. For maritime pleasure outings involving alcohol, see
721:"Customs pays out £2m to settle booze cruise claim"
447:) that attracts large numbers of British shoppers.
240:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
771:"Europe drops 'booze cruise' battle with Britain"
603:which operated briefly off Hartlepool in 2004.
576:The current position is: people may personally
764:Current guidelines and useful advice from HMRC
643:"We're all going on a 'booze-cruise' holiday"
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509:French law limiting the transport of tobacco
79:Learn how and when to remove these messages
469:interchange at the SNCF railway station.
318:Learn how and when to remove this message
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741:"Offshore off-licence will reopen"
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406:. The day fares to
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62:Please help
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18:Booze Cruise
445:Cité Europe
388:hypermarché
118:introducing
788:Categories
673:2008-11-30
629:References
522:UK Customs
377:Background
260:newspapers
172:improve it
101:references
65:improve it
582:with them
463:smugglers
452:Adinkerke
432:Cherbourg
371:smuggling
176:verifying
71:talk page
746:BBC News
682:cite web
648:BBC News
607:See also
440:Brittany
436:Normandy
420:Boulogne
399:and the
344:Normandy
541:updated
456:Belgium
424:Dunkirk
367:tobacco
363:alcohol
359:Belgium
274:scholar
170:Please
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416:Calais
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