# I'm popping over to Calais for the day....



## 1302 (Apr 4, 2006)

On Saturday as it happens. Simply going for a day trip to stock up on cheap wine.
With a return fare at £27.50 and a tank full of fuel in our little car is well worthwhile.

Quick question though. Do 'we' reckon that a better deal could be done a bit further away from Calais itself? I am guessing that all the Lidls and Aldi stores have a consistant pricing?.


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## 1302 (Apr 4, 2006)

Sorry wrong forum....


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

st. omer


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## Bill_OR (Feb 6, 2010)

We tend to keep it quick and simple for day trips:
a) Auchan in Coquelles to fill up with diesel and do a bit of food shopping
b) Calais Wine Superstore - set up by the manager of Majestic when they pulled out of Calais. Currently they have over 40 wines at 3 bottles for £6.
Bill


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## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

I'll second the Calais Wine Superstore.

A bit tucked away but actually quite close to everything else at:
50.95189, 1.91242


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## Addie (Aug 5, 2008)

At the moment if you book with P&O and use the promotion code *WINEDT* you can a crossing for £24 return and 3 bottles of Red, White or Rose Piat d'Or (valued at £10.99 a bottle, allegedly) if travelling before 31st October.

You can also get 2 liter bottles of spirits for £29 onboard (such as Bombay Sapphire) which we actually found cheaper then France.

When it came to wine I have to say that Calais Wine Warehouse (or its neighbor) didn't do it for me. There was nothing I would drink (certainly not from the tasters anyway).

I would recommend Calais Cite De Europe as this really is catered for day trippers with much more stock available to take away then a regular Carrefour.

We buy these in bulk as they seem to go down well and everyone who we introduce it to likes it. Admittedly we're not wine buffs!
http://www.carrefour-calais.com/default/merlot-roche-mazet.html
http://www.carrefour-calais.com/default/sauvignon-roche-mazet.html

As the boxes stay fresh for over a week, plus the same again in bottles as it looks better when entertaining!

Certainly there was many cheaper wines, plus a great selection of regional bottles which I did a lucky dip on and found several I'd go back for.

I'd at least give the above a look in, I was certainly pleasantly surprised by Carrefour Cite de Europe.


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## Matchlock (Jun 26, 2010)

Mmmm I fell the need for a booze and *** run (Belgium for the ****) but do Carrefour Calais accept only Euro's or will they take UK debit/credit cards.

Barry


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## philoaks (Sep 2, 2008)

Matchlock said:


> Mmmm I fell the need for a booze and *** run (Belgium for the ****) but do Carrefour Calais accept only Euro's or will they take UK debit/credit cards.
> 
> Barry


I've never had a problem using my UK credit card.


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## dalspa (Jul 1, 2008)

I agree with Adam's (Addie) choice of wine with the Roche Mazet - that's my choice (red) and has been for 4 or 5 years now. I used to bring back a couple of bottles of this and a couple of bottles of that but usually never really liked what I brought back. Then was told about Roche Mazet and really liked it. A bottle usually about 3 euros. For everyday (generally speaking  ) wine we bring back Aldi/Lidle Merlot at about 5.6 euros a box - not as good as the Roche Mazet, but acceptable.
Wife only likes sparkly wine - but soon goes for the Roche Mazet when her bottle is empty! Only at weekends! :lol: 

DavidL


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## Geriatricbackpacker (Aug 21, 2012)

We did a cost comparison with regards to the Carrefour in Cite Europe and ones outside of Calais. It was quite refreshing to find that the wine we buy (Les Ormes de Cambras Merlot) was only a couple of cents more expensive in Cite Europe. This for us means that we don't have to stock up with wine before we get to Cite Europe as the few extra euros (we do tend to buy a fair bit   ) more than compensates for the extra weight, fuel and time spent trawling from one store to another in order to source enough boxes. 
Terry


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## 1302 (Apr 4, 2006)

I'm back from my trip over to Calais...

I got the earlier ferry for no cost and arrived at 2.30am so I wobbled around to the Aire and 'squeezed' in between to m/homers 










They hardly noticed me 

I managed a good haul of about 300 litres in total 

Oh, and BTW - I slept in there for a few hours


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## 1302 (Apr 4, 2006)

Here's the haul...


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Nice one,

I bet the suspension was Down! on the Up! though.

8) 

Pete


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## 1302 (Apr 4, 2006)

It looked good 'lowered'

There was still room for more


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## 1302 (Apr 4, 2006)

Im back there a week on Friday exactly five months after my last trip so it lasted quite well. We have got a couple of dozen bottles left I hasten to add.  Tunnel booked this time just in case the weather turns...


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Day trip*

The P&O day trip for for a car is on offer at £23 including 6 free bottles of wine on board.

Sometimes the fare is £10.

Keep an eye out out for offers.

I go on foot for £1.

Russell


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## Westkirby01 (Jan 25, 2009)

1302

You really know how to hurt. 910 miles return, just to Dover. Thanks a bunch!! And we don't even drink.

Regards


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

1302 said:


> I'm back from my trip over to Calais...
> 
> I got the earlier ferry for no cost and arrived at 2.30am so I wobbled around to the Aire and 'squeezed' in between to m/homers
> 
> ...


My Niece's Husband parked next to our motorhome in her car in the Calais Aire. I suggested he moved it over to the car park, but he refused. Within 15 minutes, someone arrived and offered to book him!.

TM


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## hulltramper (Nov 2, 2013)

Hi.
Terry O',a mate of mine got booked for being overloaded in a mondeo,was pulled into the w/bridge going up to the M20 out of dover. The bobby told him the Gov. had ordered a crackdown on all booze coming in.
I know you are not stupid,but they were watching the "Bumps" just before customs,thats what gives the game away,he said a m/cycle bobby smiled at him as he left the dock gate,watched him follow him up the road on his "m/bike,pulled him in and 3 points,Terry said,"What happens now,do i carry on ? the bobby said,"Unless you unload some,you will have lost your licence before you get to the dartford tunnel,and its a long walk from there to nottingham 
He then "Rested his case/cases" (Off loaded LOL).some of the beer and came home"


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## 1302 (Apr 4, 2006)

hulltramper said:


> Hi.
> I know you are not stupid,"


I am sometimes  I worked out from the manufacturers info how much I could safely bring back and also noted how much a wine box/bottle/etc weighed before I loaded it on. I was still well under.

I am told (unsubstantiated) that you travel over a weighdrive affair and it tells them what your car should weigh unladed and weighs as you drive over it - but that all sounds a bit James Bond to me 

That Mondeo must have had some stuff in it to be overloaded!!


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## ThursdaysChild (Aug 2, 2008)

Don't know if it s still valid, but I had an email from Pidou ( Calais and Dunkerque ) offering to pay for a return crossing if I pre-ordered £300 worth from their online list.
Google Pidou. Might still be on. Much favoured by Polish truckers, but they have an enormous range of beers and some very acceptable wines and spirits from France, Germany, Spain and Italy.
And if you really don't care, they have a range of "budget" wines @ £5 for 6 bottles - one or two are even quite palatable.


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## hulltramper (Nov 2, 2013)

Hi 1302.
YES !! Three blokes as well :roll: ,was offered a seat,but could get all i wanted in the cab when i went over in the lorry,my "Special Brew" was ESP 9%....... FIREWATER. Sorry east enders packed in,you could pull in there with your trailer on :lol: "Fill yer' boots" so to speak.
Keep on truckin' 1302,fair play to you.


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## 1302 (Apr 4, 2006)

Calais Wine Warehouse will pay for yourferry if you pre-order £300 but its more cost effective to pay your own way. We have enough Tesco tokens to cover the tunnel anyway 

And theres no room in the car for any passengers hulltramper! :lol:


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