Cross channel merry

By Sarah Modlock

14 December 2005

We all love a bargain and laying our hands on cheap booze for the festive season has endless appeal. After all, what's the point in spending a small fortune on something which leaves you with a muzzy head and a furry mouth the next morning?

Forget party dresses and twinkly stilettos, my most exciting purchase this month was some tax free fizz - Veuve Cliquot at £12 a bottle instead of the usual £25 mark. I spotted it on a little jaunt to Germany and suddenly the delicate wooden childrens' toys I had bought as presents in the Christmas market were crammed into my suitcase to maximise hand luggage space for bubbles. If only I had more hands - or even a small lorry - to bring a few more bottles of it home.

I realise that such enthusiasm for alcohol has a distinct Sue Ellen Ewing ring to it. But it's actually the thrill of the cheap deal and a childish delight in depriving Gordon Brown of a few more pounds that holds the attraction. And I'm not alone in this. Britons will splash out up to £400 million on Christmas booze this year in a last minute cross channel dash to stock up on festive drinks from our continental cousins, according to new research from Lloyds TSB Insurance.

As many as two million people plan to cross the channel in the final run up to Christmas to take advantage of cheaper alcohol prices. The destinations most favoured by those searching for bargain booze are France, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Portugal and the Netherlands. Thirsty Christmas revellers are, however, prepared to travel much further afield in their hunt for bargain booze, the research reveals. More far flung shopping destinations include Brazil, Guyana and even the Dominican Republic. Any excuse eh?

But with rising ferry prices and discounts appearing in UK supermarkets, is Channel-hopping really value for money? The answer remains a resounding yes, with most shoppers scooping up a boot-full of booze at around half the price it would cost at home. It's even possible to get your crossing for free. Majestic (majestic.co.uk) has warehouses in Calais, Coquelle and Cherbourg and offers a free Sea France day-trip return ferry crossing for a car and up to four passengers to those who pre-order wine and beer worth more than £300. There is also the super-sized option - take a van with up to four passengers for free when your pre-order is worth £800 or more. The offer is running now and ends on 30th January for those who want hair of the dog.

Calais also features familiar high street names such as Sainsburys and now Oddbins, as well as French favourite Auchan.

The holly and the ivy (and the dozen cases of Montrachet in the boot)

Cross-Channel bargain hunters are allowed to bring back as much alcohol or tobacco as they want for personal consumption. But customs officials can be quite conservative in their estimation of what they believe you can reasonably consume. Of course, telling them you are a journalist may help them re-define their terms. Customs regards the maximum limit for personal consumption as 200 cigars, 400 cigarillos, 3kgs of tobacco, 110 litres of beer, 90 litres of wine, 10 litres of spirits and 20 litres of fortified wine. That little lot should last even the most vice-ridden hack a few minutes, I mean, months. Overstep the mark and you will find your stash seized and your vehicle impounded as you face an extremely hefty fine to get it back.

Most hypermarkets offer the chance to taste a wide variety of wines. If you plan to sample as you buy then make sure you have agreed up-front on a designated driver. You should also make sure that the car or van you take abroad is properly insured. 'Driving abroad on unfamiliar roads with a host of different rules to follow can be risky, so, it's important to be extremely cautious,' says Phil Loney of Lloyds TSB. 'One of the most important things to consider is insurance. Although it's a must for any driver, when you're driving on foreign roads, especially during the Christmas period, it's even more important that you have adequate cover,' he says.

Graeme Trudgill, of the British Insurance Brokers' Association (BIBA) says: 'The motoring laws abroad can be very different to those in the UK. For example, in France children need to be aged at least 10 to be able to sit in the front seat of a vehicle and in Portugal you need photographic proof of your identity.'

BIBA offers the following tips for driving abroad:

•  To help reduce the chances of breaking down, have your car serviced before you take it abroad.

•  Contact your broker or insurer to make sure that you have adequate cover for driving abroad. Some companies limit comprehensive cover to a fixed number of days abroad in one trip.

•  Make sure you take your driving licence, vehicle registration and motor insurance certificate with you.

•  If you are travelling to one of the 10 new EU member states (Malta, Cyprus, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Czech Republic, Slovenia) obtain a Green Card from your broker or insurer. This shows you have basic third party cover. The existing states do not require a Green Card, but you may need to inform the broker that you are going abroad.

•  Make sure that you familiarise yourself with the motoring laws of the country you will be driving in by checking with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. In some countries you are required to keep emergency items, such as a warning triangle, first aid kit and/or fluorescent jacket in the vehicle at all times.