April 19th, 2014
26 09 2013, 12 08 #1 Sleepy Registered User
Join Date May 2003 Location Clontarf Posts 17,052 Adverts Friends Day trips to buy cigarettes in the EU?
Was just looking into cigarette prices around Europe and the most comprehensive data I can seem to find is the list here but it appears a little out dated
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Converting those prices to Euro and adding 25% to allow for inflation, it seems that the price differential on 800 cigarettes in Estonia, Hungary or Lithuania would be around the € 250 mark.
With return Ryanair flights available for about (or even under) € 100 if you book enough in advance, it seems to me that there’s sufficient financial incentive to make a return trip to purchase enough cigarettes to see you through a month or so.
With those particular countries, there doesn’t seem to be enough of a window between Ryanair flights to do it in a day (and avoid overnight costs) but assuming one travels light and hostels it etc. I can certainly see a weekend away paying for itself…
Anyone have any experience of doin this? Do any other countries where the flights would be more frequent offer enough of a price differential to make a round trip worth while? Thanks from Fighting Irish Sleepy View Public Profile Find More Posts by Sleepy Advertisement 26 09 2013, 22 14 #2 lord lucan Moderator
Join Date Feb 2006 Location EIDW Posts 8,382 Adverts Friends Mod Dublin County West, Rock & Metal, Smoking I’ve been doing runs to the continent for the last couple of years. Initially i went to Madrid and Barcelona,over and back on the same day but the days could be quite long as generally you’d get the first flight out and last flight home.
Most of the Eastern European countries that are cheaper for cigarettes are almost impossible to do on a day trip. There’s often only one flight out and back so unless you can exit,clear security and leg it back through the duty free in 25 45 minutes you’re snookered.
For the last year i’ve been going to Belgium for cigarettes. 06.40 flight from Dublin with Aer Lingus and usually return on the 16.00 flight from Brussels. A 15 minute trip on the train from the airport has you in either Brussels city centre or Leuven where you can savour some classy Belgian beers.
Brussels airport sells the cigarettes duty paid for roughly € 50 depending on the brand. I’d usually buy 2000,would do me for roughly 3 months and saves me around € 400 when you take the air fare out of it. Brussels airport also has a smoking room right next to the bar near the gates so you can grab a beer and have a few cigarettes before heading home. (2) thanks from Fighting Irish, Sleepy lord lucan View Public Profile Find More Posts by lord lucan 26 09 2013, 22 34 #3 AM21 Registered User
Join Date Sep 2013 Posts 12 Adverts Friends Would you ever worry about getting caught or do they not check much? AM21 View Public Profile Find More Posts by AM21 26 09 2013, 22 37 #4 lord lucan Moderator
Join Date Feb 2006 Location EIDW Posts 8,382 Adverts Friends Mod Dublin County West, Rock & Metal, Smoking Quote Originally Posted by AM21 Would you ever worry about getting caught or do they not check much? The sticky at the top of the forum explains the legalities of it all but suffice to say i’ve never been stopped or had any issues with Customs. Thanks from AM21 lord lucan View Public Profile Find More Posts by lord lucan 26 09 2013, 22 38 #5 rugbyman Registered User
Join Date Mar 2007 Posts 1,348 Adverts Friends Sleepy, the limit for own use is whatever you like,within reason. a real nicotine covered smoker should have no great problem with 15/20 cartons.(EEC)
ask the customs yourself.
re belgium i often travel via charleroi,,and buy two cartons. last time they had none on sale in the airport,except for people leaving the EC
Regards, rugbyman View Public Profile Find More Posts by rugbyman Advertisement 27 09 2013, 15 27 #6 Sleepy Registered User
Join Date May 2003 Location Clontarf Posts 17,052 Adverts Friends Was talking about it with Mrs Sleepy last night and came up with the plan to take a weekend trip somewhere for our anniversary in February which we could pay for out of the savings on the cigarettes!
I’m currently thinking about Prague as a city that has some romance to it (away from the strip clubs! lol) and has good prices for smokes but open to any other suggestions.
As a fan of Belgian beers, Leuven certainly sounds intriguing lord lucan! Sleepy View Public Profile Find More Posts by Sleepy 27 09 2013, 15 44 #7 Gran Hermano Moderator
Join Date Dec 2006 Location South of Town Posts 7,233 Adverts Friends Mod Coffee & Tea, Facial Hair & Hats I’ll pick up 6 or 8 cartons at a time anytime I’m travelling around the EU with work.
Stick to purchasing one brand and you shouldn’t have any hassle as long as for
personal consumption.
Portugal is currently one of the cheapest options compared to France/Italy/Spain. Thanks from Sleepy Gran Hermano View Public Profile Find More Posts by Gran Hermano 27 09 2013, 15 48 #8 Sleepy Registered User
Join Date May 2003 Location Clontarf Posts 17,052 Adverts Friends I travel a lot for work but unfortunately it’s all to the UK Sleepy View Public Profile Find More Posts by Sleepy 27 09 2013, 16 05 #9 Sleepy Registered User
Join Date May 2003 Location Clontarf Posts 17,052 Adverts Friends Portugal is certainly interesting Gran Hermano. I can find flights for Faro that get you over and back in a (very long) day in October for € 100. Assuming € 45 a carton for Marlboro or Camel that’d save you € 220. Not a bad saving for a day you’d spend most of reading your kindle! Sleepy View Public Profile Find More Posts by Sleepy Advertisement 27 09 2013, 16 13 #10 Gran Hermano Moderator
Join Date Dec 2006 Location South of Town Posts 7,233 Adverts Friends Mod Coffee & Tea, Facial Hair & Hats It’s worth checking whether cigarettes are available for purchase in particular airports/terminals for intra EU flights. It is not always the case, especially in Italy I’ve found.
Italian prices can be found on the Italian government website as they are regulated
example
In Spain, you can save approx € 5 per carton buying in local tobacco shop compared to buying in airport.
Prices and advice for Portugal
Gran Hermano View Public Profile Find More Posts by Gran Hermano 27 09 2013, 16 19 #11 Sleepy Registered User
Join Date May 2003 Location Clontarf Posts 17,052 Adverts Friends The flights I was looking at were about 4/5 hours apart so plenty of time to get out and get some in the nearest tabac to the airport. As I said, it’d be a very long day and you’d realistically end up spending about € 20 on coffees/snacks etc. but perfectly do able. Thanks from maringo Sleepy View Public Profile Find More Posts by Sleepy
Why is the european parliament suddenly taking an interest in electronic cigarettes?
Best electronic cigarette reviews
Those who follow the electronic cigarette market will be well aware of the European Parliament ruling yesterday which rejected an earlier EU committee recommendation that electronic cigarettes should be treated as “medical devices”. This is a situation which has been ongoing for some time although many traditional tobacco smokers and electronic cigarette enthusiasts are scratching their heads and asking the question, why is the European Parliament only now taking an interest in electronic cigarettes?
If we take a look back at the electronic cigarette market, you might be surprised to learn that the first electronic cigarette was manufactured back in 1963. While it took a full 40 years before we saw the creation of the electronic cigarette of today, much of the mass media covering the industry gives the impression that electronic cigarettes are a new phenomenon.
Does money talk?
When the electronic cigarette industry was miniscule and seen as something of a niche player, very few regulators and governments around the world showed any interest. Over the last five years we have seen a phenomenal increase in the number of electronic cigarette users around the world and indeed the market in the US alone is expected to hit $1 billion in 2013 and very quickly climb towards $2 billion per annum. So, is money behind the ongoing push towards regulation?
There is no doubt that traditional tobacco cigarettes earn an enormous amount of tax for governments around the world which is vital to the everyday running of government and public services. So far the electronic cigarette industry is only exposed to the traditional VAT tax charge with no additional charges such as those associated with tobacco cigarettes. Whether this is true or not, some experts believe that electronic cigarettes could at least compare favourably with the number of tobacco smokers in the medium to long term with some believing they will eventually outsell tobacco cigarettes. Whether this is the case or not, the electronic cigarette industry is showing phenomenal growth at the moment.
Is this down to freedom of choice?
Despite the fact that many governments and health authorities around the world continue to criticise and restrict the sale of tobacco cigarettes, they do not turn down the enormous tax income which they create. Despite the fact that many governments and the health authorities around the world publish reports and trial data which they say confirm health issues often associated with tobacco cigarettes, they have never contemplated banning them. The old argument that banning tobacco cigarettes would push them “underground” does not wash with many smokers who continue to pay relatively high taxes for their habit.
The recent push to have electronic cigarettes classified as “medical devices” across Europe seemed if you read the mass media, to be a done deal when an EU committee recommended this to the European Parliament. However, this prompted an array of electric cigarette enthusiasts, companies and even health associations around Europe to step forward in support of so called “ecigs”. This support for the industry has at least temporarily halted the growing momentum for further regulation and classification changes, although in the eyes of many people this is a freedom of choice scenario and the fight goes on.
Conclusion
Those who believe that the electronic cigarette industry is now over the worst, has beaten off the regulators and cleared the way for further growth in the short to medium term may well be a little premature in their rejoicing. The fight goes on, with the little known facts that no responsible electronic cigarette manufacturer is against further testing, medical trials and perhaps more importantly, ensuring that their products do not fall into the hands of minors.
The industry is often portrayed as ruthless, attempting to grab the “youth market” and rolling out products which are not manufactured to the highest standards. If those fighting against the electronic cigarette market were to take a step back, scrape away the media frenzy and look at the facts and figures, they may well see the industry in a very different light.
