Cigarette prices in EU

[scarlets fan]

Are cigarettes cheaper in Spain, Italy or Greece. Are Branded British available, if not what are the best local varieties. Thanks for any useful tips.

[robert551069]

In response to scarlets fan, before I retired,i used to find that cigarettes were cheaper at the duty free shops in the EU. Only 200 per person were allowed to be purchased. Most English and American brands were available. The price reduction will not be more than the local VAT unless you are travelling to places outside the EU
I used to buy them for friends, not for myself, as I quit smoking in 1960.
It should be possible to bring back "duty paid" in larger quantities, but it would be worth checking with the Customs personnel on the way out.

[rojash]

Difficult to answer as I've no idea how much ciggies cost in the UK.
Here in Greece cigarette prices are strictly controlled, so they are the same price in every shop. Well known brands are certainly available, and cheaper than UK, but I don't know how much as I buy a local brand "Cooper 100s" which are 3.40 Euros for 20.

[ChuckFickens]

about £6 - £7 for 20 here.

[ChuckFickens]

OH and customs generally say upto 3600 ciggies is OK for personal use.... above that and they tend to confiscate it.... below that, they may still confiscate it if they are in a bad mood!!

[237SJ]

I believe the duty paid limit is around 1800 now.

[trt]

I wonder how many of the Cigs that they confiscate get to the incinerator?????

[237SJ]

I wonder that too trt. I once had some booze taken off me and I took the lid off so that they couldn`t use it. They didn`t like it very much.

[Buenchico]

To clarify a few of the points above:

There is no 'duty free' allowance when travelling within the EU. (So Robert551069's post is irrelevant).

You are allowed to bring back a theoretically unlimited quantity of cigarettes from within the EU, as long as local taxes have been paid on them if they're solely for your personal use. (Bona fide gifts to others, where nothing is received in return, count as 'personal use'. Bringing back cigarettes for others where you receive payment, even if you don't make a profit, does not count as 'personal use).

HMRC & UKBA have a 'guideline maximum' quantity of cigarettes which they'll normally not challenge people about as to 'personal use' unless there are unusual circumstances (such as bringing back several different brands). That maximum figure used to 3200 cigarettes but it was reduced last year, to just 800 cigarettes:
http://customs.hmrc.g...tentID=HMCE_CL_001734

This map shows where prices are cheapest:
http://www.the-tma.or...ploads/2011/07/EU.jpg

Spain, Italy and Greece all have struggling economies, so expect to see big increases in tobacco taxation in the near future.

Chris

[scarlets fan]

Thanks for all the information supplied.