Body & Soul9 mins ago
Duty free??
I there any such thing as duty free anymore?? We havn`t been abroad for squillions of years. We are off to the costa del sol next june and just wondered where is best price wise to get ones spirits??? Best regards.
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For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.As Ethel states, you can bring back a theoretically unlimited amount of 'duty paid' booze from any EU country, as long as it's for your personal use.
HMRC issue guideline figures for the amounts that they'll let you bring in without normally challenging you as to whether they're really for personal use but, if you're flying, the maximum amounts are probably so great that you'd end up paying excess baggage charges if you tried to import that much. (With spirits, the 'guideline maximum' is 10 litres. The figures for beer, wine and fortified wine are 110 litres, 90 litres and 20 litres respectively).
However, you must remember that you're not allowed to carry liquids in your hand luggage through the security checks (except in containers holding less than 100ml). That means that any booze you buy in the local shops must go into your hold baggage. (If you try to take it through the security checks, it will be confiscated).
You can purchase booze at the Spanish airport after the security checks but many airport shops now charge far more than your local supermarket. (For example, I looked a bottle of local wine at Bergamo airport, in Italy, a few weeks ago. They'd got nothing local and the cheapest wine they had was a Sicilian plonk for �8, which I can buy in my local Co-op store for �3.49).
Chris
HMRC issue guideline figures for the amounts that they'll let you bring in without normally challenging you as to whether they're really for personal use but, if you're flying, the maximum amounts are probably so great that you'd end up paying excess baggage charges if you tried to import that much. (With spirits, the 'guideline maximum' is 10 litres. The figures for beer, wine and fortified wine are 110 litres, 90 litres and 20 litres respectively).
However, you must remember that you're not allowed to carry liquids in your hand luggage through the security checks (except in containers holding less than 100ml). That means that any booze you buy in the local shops must go into your hold baggage. (If you try to take it through the security checks, it will be confiscated).
You can purchase booze at the Spanish airport after the security checks but many airport shops now charge far more than your local supermarket. (For example, I looked a bottle of local wine at Bergamo airport, in Italy, a few weeks ago. They'd got nothing local and the cheapest wine they had was a Sicilian plonk for �8, which I can buy in my local Co-op store for �3.49).
Chris
Gibraltar is still duty free. Flight time is 2 hours 30 minutes from London or Manchester. Monarch fly from Man and London Luton, Easyjet fly from Gatwick, BA flies from Gatwick.
In theory you are only allowed to bring back limited quantities of tobacco and alcohol i.e. 1 carton of cigarettes per passenger. However, I fly this route often and have done so for years (I came back from there just 2 days ago) and always carry more than whats allowed.
I have never been stopped at customs arriving into London, so if you are one of the unlucky ones then they will confiscate your goods unless you pay the UK tax on them.
However, I think that its worth risking it!
In theory you are only allowed to bring back limited quantities of tobacco and alcohol i.e. 1 carton of cigarettes per passenger. However, I fly this route often and have done so for years (I came back from there just 2 days ago) and always carry more than whats allowed.
I have never been stopped at customs arriving into London, so if you are one of the unlucky ones then they will confiscate your goods unless you pay the UK tax on them.
However, I think that its worth risking it!
Duty free in tenerife as its part of the eu but is autonomous.
The limits are 1 litre of alcohol and 200 cigarettes.
Same as for years if i remember correctly.
You are however far cheaper buying in the resorts and `packing in your suitcase rather than at duty free.
Many who come here buy in excess of their allowance and take the gamble , the choice is of course yours.
Btw that will go the same for any of the other canary islands too.
The limits are 1 litre of alcohol and 200 cigarettes.
Same as for years if i remember correctly.
You are however far cheaper buying in the resorts and `packing in your suitcase rather than at duty free.
Many who come here buy in excess of their allowance and take the gamble , the choice is of course yours.
Btw that will go the same for any of the other canary islands too.