Can a Calais Christmas Booze Run Save You Money? Price Comparison Across the Channel

The Cost of Christmas: Exploring the Benefits of a Calais Booze Cruise

With presents to buy, Christmas dinners to cook, and festive drinks to stock up on, shopping lists at this time of year can feel endless—and expensive. Whether you’re hosting or invited, yuletide costs can quickly spiral. However, there may be a way to keep costs down without compromising on quality.

Traditionally, the ‘Calais Booze Cruise’ has been a tried-and-tested way of saving money on seasonal treats, particularly if you’re based in London or the South East. In a day, you can sail to France, shop at the retail temples just a few miles from the ports, and still be back home in time for dinner—potentially with some big savings.

The catch? It’s not quite as easy as it used to be. Before the UK left the European Union on January 31, 2020, tourists were permitted unlimited imports of alcohol and tobacco, as we were part of the customs union—Brits could fill their (car) boots. Since Brexit, duty-free allowances have changed—but significant savings remain due to lower taxes on alcohol in France.

So, is it worth plotting a quick trip across La Manche before December 25th? Here’s how costs add up on each side of the Channel.

What Can You Save on the Ferry?

The first thought on many people’s minds will be the cost of the ferry—surely, even if prices are cheaper on the other side, savings on food and drink will be negligible if added to transport costs? Even with travel prices included, there’s still savings to be made.

According to a holiday guru, given that a P&O return day-trip ferry for a car and passengers is from £45 (poferries.com), and that you can save as much as £1,055 per person in the car on beer, wine, spirits, and champagne, booze cruises are definitely still worth the journey.

That’s based on current alcohol limits of 42 litres of beer, 18 litres of (still) wine, plus four litres of spirits and other liquors over 22 per cent in alcohol volume and nine litres of alcohol up to 22 per cent, excluding beer and wine.

What’s more, many of the ships themselves offer duty-free shopping on board, saving you both time and money.

According to P&O Ferries, the company’s onboard World Duty Free can save up to half on what you’d pay in UK stores. The brand says: ‘In our duty-free shop, you can save up to 50 per cent off high street prices on a whole range of alcohol products, including spirits from Bombay Sapphire and Famous Grouse. There are savings of up to 40 per cent to be found on a range of other products in our onboard World Duty Free shops too onboard our Dover to Calais ferry.’

Currently, for example, there is a two-for-£25 deal on drinks such as Bacardi Rum and Absolut vodka—far cheaper than in UK supermarkets.

Festive Tipple: What You Can Save on Wine, Beer and Spirits in Calais

Once you’ve arrived in Calais, that’s when the real retail fun begins. Many swear by a visit to the sprawling Cité Europe international shopping centre, if only for the enormous Carrefour Hypermarket. Another essential tourist spot is the Calais Wine Superstore, which has unrivalled prices on drinks—a core component of a Christmas dinner.

For example, a bottle of Casa Vista Cabernet Sauvignon is from £1.99 at the Calais Wine Superstore, a saving of £10 a bottle on the retail price at most UK outlets (calaiswine.co.uk). Meanwhile, a bottle of Houghton Heritage White from Australia is £2.99, which works out at £8 less.

The holiday guru said: ‘As far as French wine is concerned, you have a much wider choice than in the UK, plus bargains galore. A bottle of Cinsault Rouge Olivier Coste is £3.99 (£4 less).’

They added: ‘Or 24 (33cl) Super Bock lagers from Portugal comes to £22.99, which is a saving of £8.’

Regarding beer, 24 (33cl) bottles of Leffe Blonde, brewed in Belgium, is £23.99 at the Calais Wine superstore—which works out £7 cheaper as it costs £31 for 24 (33cl) bottles on Amazon UK.

The guru added: ‘A 70cl bottle of Zubrowka vodka from Poland, bought from Pidou Superstores is £12.19, while it would be £23.50 at Sainsbury’s in the UK (pidou.com). With all these prices you can save a further 15 per cent by completing a tax-free form at checkout, which you then scan at kiosks at the port terminals and the Eurotunnel departure point—refunds are activated by scanning a barcode.’

Food: What Can You Bring Back and Is It Cheaper?

Firstly, beware the post-Brexit food rules, though—or you’ll risk having to ditch your stash of gourmet food on the wrong side of the Channel.

There are restrictions on bringing meat, dairy, fish, and animal products and fruit, vegetables, nuts, and seeds into Great Britain from abroad. According to the GOV.UK website: ‘You cannot bring meat or dairy products from any EU country into Great Britain for your own use. This temporary restriction is to help stop the spread of foot and mouth disease after recent outbreaks in Europe.’

So before purchasing any goods in France, you’ll want to confirm they comply with the new rules.

What you can save in France: classic festive food and drink prices compared:

What kind of bargains can you get on products that can get through customs?

A 32-piece Ferrero Rocher collection goes for €12.49 (£10.90) at Carrefour, for example, compared to £13.50 at UK retailers. Meanwhile, a Panettone Extra at Carrefour costs €5.49 (£4.80), in comparison with a Tesco Finest Authentic Italian Panettone 750g for £10—double the cost.

There are some exceptions, though—according to the Carrefour website, a Praline butter cream Yule log costs €10.95 (£9.56), while in the UK a Tesco Finest Chocolate Yule Log will go for £7.

Clothes and Gifts: From Levi’s to Primark

For many of those crossing the Channel, saving money on clothing and gifts is also on the agenda. Cité Europe, which opened in 1995, has long been a popular hotspot for bargain-hunters, with more than 130 different shops and a ‘Gourmet City’ that has plenty of restaurant outlets.

You’ll find some of the biggest names in French retail here, with shops ranging from sports brands to beauty salons. For Brits, the biggest draw is likely to be on high street brands such as Zara, Primark, Levi’s, and H&M.

UK residents are eligible to shop tax-free in the EU, too—and if you spend more than €100.01 (£87.30) in France, you can save money on VAT on your purchases. Goods such as cosmetics, jewellery, technology, food, and drink items qualify.

All you need to do is show your passport and ask for ‘tax free’ (‘hors taxe’ in French) when paying at the till. You will be asked to go to the Carrefour information desk to complete the tax refund form.

While many brands have standard pricing here, others have lower costs. The Channel Outlet shopping centers feature international brands and designer boutiques at discounted prices. The Carrefour Hypermarket located here will have deals on gifts, toiletries, and other items for you to stock up on gifts and stocking fillers.

Plus, with P&O Ferries, onboard World Duty Free stores offer deals on products such as gift sets, makeup, and more.