Has anyone gone abroad to do some Duty Free Shopping?

Question

Hi, just wondering where the best places are for duty free shopping, not for f**s or booze, like gifts, clothes etc etc.

Where is the best place to go and where is the cheapest.?

What kind of prices are the items abroad?

I have never done this so i would like some information please if anyone can help?

Thanking you for your time...xx

Answer 1

Not strictly duty free as you do pay tax, but the best place for clothes, gifts and electricals is the USA with items up to 50% cheaper than the UK.I got levi 501's for £27, and stacks of Abercrombie tee shirts last time I went. Maybe you could save up for a flight (£250) and a hotel for two nights (about £150) and go to New York for the weekend? Its only a seven hour flight...and due to the time difference NYC time will be only 3/4 hours more than when you left the UK. Cheap food and great sightseeing too.

Closer to home, the Canary Islands are duty free but many shops are geared towards ripping off the tourists on electricals.

Answer 2

I went on the 'pride of Bilbao' mini cruise 2 years ago. That was good. £59 from South Wales to Portsmouth. Portsmouth to Bilbao.

Two days travelling there and One back.

Great duty free shopping...Cigarette, alcohol, clothes, perfume.

I went with Ferris coaches

www.ferrisholidays.co.uk

Answer 3

While it's not tax free, Hong Kong is a great option for shopping.  We've taken a trip specifically to buy electronics before!  They have some fantastic deals, and for some items that have a fixed price set by the manufacturer, they make up for it by throwing in lots of extras.  Even at the main electronics chains like Fortress.  I bought my last digital camera there, and since they couldn't lower the price, they gave me an extra battery, a 2GB memory card, a leather camera case, tripod, screen protector, etc...  Hong Kong also has great shopping for clothes, jewelry, etc. and you can find some of the same great deals at the markets that you would in mainland China.

I've read that the Canary Islands are supposed to be cheaper than mainland Europe, but we didn't notice that the prices were all that much lower.  For standard Duty Free goods like perfume, it's usually easy enough to find them in the airport Duty Free shops anywhere you travel, and the prices are usually consistent.  But for perfume, you can buy tester bottles online and save a lot more than you would at the Duty Free shop.

For gifts and clothes, you'll find the best deals in places with lots of local products and a low cost of living.  India and China both have some amazing shopping for local clothing and gifts, but be prepared to haggle a lot and expect mostly fakes.  If it's mainstream labels that you're after, the US is pretty much the cheapeast option these days with the weak dollar.  Coming from Europe, it's almost like everything is half price!

Answer 4

I used to travel extensively around Europe.

Andorra is a jewel of a place. Try it!