Kibkom North Cyprus Forum

Ercan duty free or supper market best value advice gin /tabaco

Well, I never buy anything from any duty free......its all a big con. I always buy vodka or bombay sapphire from the supermarkets to take back to UK on visits. Slightly different, but I made a point last time in the UK of checking out the price of a sweater that I bought on the high street in Next. Went into the Next shop in duty free, showing a big advert saying save up to 30% in tax.........low and behold, it was exactly the same price as I had paid........duty free is not what it was years ago.

If you buy at duty free in Ercan be aware that we had our bottles took off us at Istanbul even though we went through the transient gate. We never give it a thought about liquids because we didn't leave the airport. Lesson learned. I have to say the young girl who took it off us took great delight in throwing it away.
Brend

Brend wrote:If you buy at duty free in Ercan be aware that we had our bottles took off us at Istanbul even though we went through the transient gate. We never give it a thought about liquids because we didn't leave the airport. Lesson learned. I have to say the young girl who took it off us took great delight in throwing it away.
Brend

As long as they are put in a sealed bag in Ercan you will be ok.

Pricewise there is not a lot of difference in the price of spirits but cigarettes and tobacco is definitely cheaper at the airport.

If going back to the UK, don't bother with expensive brands of perfume either. I can buy it at Debenhams, John Lewis, Boots etc less than Duty Free at Ercan. At least that's been my experience, other people might have different.

True Sophie, even duty free in Uk can be expensive. They sell at 17% less than makers recommended price, well lots of stores sell cheaper than that.

There has been no "duty Free" within the EU for about 10 years

I've gone into Duty Free at Stansted many times to buy little pieces of luxury items (not perfumes though) and as my ticket showed that I was embarking for TRNC I received a discount (am assuming this was my Duty Free price). I wouldn't have received it if I was flying to RoC though, I realise that. Have things changed lately?

Don't think that things have changed Sophie, it's just the same as it has been for years within the EU, that there is no duty free. I remember a good few years back now, that leaving from the UK to another EU country, we weren't allowed to buy from duty free at all. They have obviously changed their pricing policy in the UK now to enable them to differentiate between EU and non-EU travellers.

I always buy cigs coming into Ercan, as definitely cheaper than the supermarkets here by roughly a third or more. Alcohol is a bit cheaper than the supermarkets. I can't say by how much, just that my visitors have told me when replenishing stock at the supermarket.

Going back to the UK I again buy cigs at Ercan, rather than Istanbul, as I was told that it was cheaper. I've never had a chance to find out, as never have the time at Istanbul to go into duty free.

Talking about duty free .exactly how much spirit per person are you allowed to take fromhere into UK