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Sensible shopping

WITH the low cross-Channel fares, sensible shopping, whether in Calais or on board ship, means you can easily recover the cost of a day trip or even an overnight stay.
  According to the Calais Chamber of Commerce, the principal targets

for British shoppers remain wines, beers and spirits, allied to a wide range of foods and consumer products, especially DIY goods.
The chamber offers the following advice to people who want to shop with sense.

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Wine
Because of low tax levels in France, wine is appreciably cheaper than in Britain. However, with hundreds of different vintages offered by large retail outlets in Calais, selection can be something of a lottery.
 Best to arrive with a reference guide that lists wines region by region, indicating the best years and other relevant information. Alternatively seek out a wine retailer or small supermarket where there may be less choice but a well-thought-out selection.
 About €15 will get you a really good bottle, but  wine for everyday drinking can be found for €3 to €5. If detailed research is not feasible, the presence of Sainsburys in the same shopping complex as the Auchan hypermarket has made cross-Channel price comparisons much easier as all wines display both UK and Calais prices.   
Beer
Buying this provides no such problems and beer is good value everywhere compared with UK prices.
A 24-bottle pack of Stella Artois costs about €6, the equivalent of 16p a 25cl bottle.
Food
Shopping in France for food is not only fun but can also be profitable. Chocoholics are delighted to discover that 500 grammes of their favourite food can cost less than 70p and contains more cocoa.  And if you want something a little fancier, Auchan offers large, gaily-decorated boxes of chocolates containing 90 assorted centres for about £4.50.
 If you love mustard you can buy a kilo for about £1.50, a third of the UK price. Other foods that are especially good value are coffee, olive oil, jam, cheese, soup and pots of pate.

DIY
A recent TV report has shown that a wide range of DIY products are considerably cheaper than in the UK. Leroy Merln, the largest DIY outlet in Calais, is situated alongside the Auchan hypermarket at Coquelles.
Town centre
Along with the hypermarkets and supermarkets, other attractions in Calais include the lively and colourful open-air markets in the main square, the Place d'Armes, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and in the Place Crevecoeur on Thursdays and Saturdays.
  The three principal shopping streets in Calais, Rue Royale, Boulevard Jacquard and Boulevard La Fayette, have many elegant as well as practical shops to suit the tastes of everyone.

The Calais advice line in Britain
is open to handle your inquiries
from 0930 to 1630, Monday to
Saturday. Phone 020 8348 0503