# If touring France on a tight budget



## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

These days a boulangerie baguette can cost anything up to €1.50 if you are in a popular tourist town or the boulangerie describes itself as Artisan.
Lidl however, with their in-house bread ovens, sell them at €0.35.

Not quite as good as the boulangerie product but still very tasty.


----------



## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Bread at Boulangeries is regulated by the Government.
I think they all charge €0.85 for a 200g baguette here.

Ray.


----------



## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

> Bread at Boulangeries is regulated by the Government.
> I think they all charge €0.85 for a 200g baguette here.Ray.


Not my experience in the last 6 weeks from Calais to Perpignan and back. Maybe some were "special" breads and therefore more expensive but I do like a bargain so Lidl wins for me.

Lidl now also have clever bread roll dispensers - rather like those cranes they have in amusement arcades where you have to grab a soft toy and drop it in the chute (and always fail). No more squeeze testing before you buy.


----------



## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

I found the same

And in some cases so crisp and crusty they forgot to put the bread bit in :lol: 

I was actually conscious of France being so much more expensive this year compared to home especially fruit and veg as we buy a lot

I imagine shops such as Lidl will be becoming very popular much as Aldi is doing well over here

aldra


----------



## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

France IS expensive - there is little argument about that .......

IMO the UK is one of the cheapest places for most things (except diesel and wine  ), although some things are cheaper here - such as car insurance and MH insurance. 

The boulangerie price is regulated up to a maximum value of 80c for a 200g baguette, but shops can undercut the price.

If you paid more than that then it was not a basic baguette but may have been one of the more fancy types such as the pointed end ones or ones made with different flour.

Much of life in France is regulated by bureaucracy (which in itself is a French word :lol: ) and paperwork..........

Dave


----------



## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

Penquin said:


> France IS expensive - there is little argument about that .......
> 
> IMO the UK is one of the cheapest places for most things (except diesel and wine  ), although some things are cheaper here - such as car insurance and MH insurance.
> 
> ...


Dave

For diesel and wine come East

Poland today

Diesel Euro 1.265/lt

Spanish Terra Alto Euro 3.1 a bottle

Tomorrow I shall be filling with diesel before crossing into Germany. Unfortunately will not make Luxembourg on 1 tank, so a top-up needed. Lux fill should last 2 weeks in France and then fill before ferry to UK.

Geoff


----------



## deckboy (Sep 14, 2011)

I added a set of POIs to MapsWithMe on my Hudl for Lidl stores in France, Portugal and Spain.


----------



## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

I always thought that Yorkshire people were tight then discovered the French!
For saving pennies on your daily bread Tonyt, I nominate you as tightwad of the year!


----------



## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

[quote"]I always thought that Yorkshire people were tight then discovered the French!
For saving pennies on your daily bread Tonyt, I nominate you as tightwad of the year![/quote]

Thank you. I'm proud to accept that accolade. but the French Mme le Shopping Trolley still holds the world record.

You know, that lady who puts her free plastic Carrefour token in to release her trolley and then "sells" her trolley for €1 to any shopper about to collect their empty trolley from the trolley pool. Believe it. :lol:


----------



## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

> *tonyt said and he thought he was joking; * You know, that lady who puts her free plastic Carrefour token in to release her trolley and then "sells" her trolley for €1 to any shopper about to collect their empty trolley from the trolley pool. Believe it. :lol:


Is that unusual then?

I thought it was the norm :lol:

Dave


----------



## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

> Is that unusual then?I thought it was the norm :lolave


You've been living there too long :lol:

You'll be speaking le lingo next!


----------



## HermanHymer (Dec 5, 2008)

Yes I think France has had some massive food price increases this year. My sister also commented and they in in Deux-Sevres, not very touristy there.


----------



## Camdoon (Sep 21, 2012)

There used to be the helpful urchins in Calais who would return your trolley for you back in the days when the UK did not use coin operated trollies and the French ones took 10f or a pound equivalent. Many a kindly soul took mine back for 2p.


----------



## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

I don't think it's a bad idea to look at food costs

And yes if bread is a rip off

Find another source

I expect to pay more on campsites

But I have bought some speciality breads that were rubbish

The world is growing, all foods are available everywhere

When we travelled overland to Israel in the 70s

It was a voyage of discovery, new breads ,new cheeses new veg

Now it's just more expensive to get the same thing

Such is progress  

Aldra


----------



## Haresby (Jun 23, 2012)

Perhaps this might come to mind:-"Qu'ils mangent de la brioche" :roll:


----------



## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

aldra said:


> I don't think it's a bad idea to look at food costs
> 
> And yes if bread is a rip off
> 
> ...


I think you're shopping in the wrong places.
Village boulangeries, smaller the better, are unbeatable for bread and their pain a raisen are irresistible!
A proper fromagerie for cheese and boucherie for meat.
The only thing I miss is proper black pudding and bacon. 
Ever tried explaining to Yvette on the cold meat counter in Intermarché what bacon is? We've had some real humdingers doing just that.


----------



## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

I'm not

Im more than happy to pay for special things

Brought back French sausage

Albert loves rillets?

Love the farm cheeses

But just like home we treat ourselves to locally produced products

But the basics I don't want to pay over the top

The bread, I'm compromised by my teeth :lol: 

And haven't yet got to the stage of dipping it in my coffee :lol: :lol: 

Aldra


----------



## HermanHymer (Dec 5, 2008)

Aldra[/quote]
I think you're shopping in the wrong places.
Village boulangeries, smaller the better, are unbeatable for bread and their pain a raisen are irresistible!
A proper fromagerie for cheese and boucherie for meat.
The only thing I miss is proper black pudding and bacon. 
Ever tried explaining to Yvette on the cold meat counter in Intermarché what bacon is? We've had some real humdingers doing just that.[/quote]

The French equivalent of black pudding is boudin, often 'blanc' not black. Ugh! Not really my cuppa tea. But have you tried the brawn vinaigrette - can't remember the French name this minute, but it's all the bits from inside the pig's head - really tasty!


----------



## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

The Boudin noire is very tasty IF COOKED PROPERLY - if overcooked it goes hard and dry if cooked properly it is soft and delicious, not the same as black pudding, but then a baguette is not the same as pre-sliced white bread in the UK.........

Each country has their own inimitable style of food and each should be enjoyed with local ingredients rather than trying to purchase food from thousands of miles away......

That is one thing the French are very keen on - the food sold locally is produced locally and all can be traced back to source easily.....

The French also tend to buy food on a daily basis to ensure freshness - it is not uncommon for people to shop twice daily when they need things and they shop locally with only occasional trips to hypermarkets to stock up on log term or non-perishable items.

Different lifestyle, each to their own........ 

Dave


----------



## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

Penquin said:


> The Boudin noire is very tasty IF COOKED PROPERLY - if overcooked it goes hard and dry if cooked properly it is soft and delicious, not the same as black pudding, but then a baguette is not the same as pre-sliced white bread in the UK.........
> 
> Each country has their own inimitable style of food and each should be enjoyed with local ingredients rather than trying to purchase food from thousands of miles away......
> 
> ...


I'm always amazed, and impressed, by the length of time French shoppers, particularly elderly ones, take to select a loaf/lettuce/tomato/potato etc - they take food seriously. Compare that to Asda where it's grab 2 chickens for a fiver, buy on get one free loaf of "bread", fill up the trolley with Es and fat and sugar for the kids.

I can even smile when I get into the Carrefour check-out queue behind a "little old lady" with a chequebook (somewhere in her bag) :lol:


----------



## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

French Riviera 

2 x Draft 1/2 pints lager and 2 x tiny simple ice cream cones €10-12

Pop over the border into Spain

2 x Draft 1/2 pint draft lagers 2 x large ice cream cones €7-€8

Same sunshine, much lower cost of living. Even the motorway service station fuel prices are reasonable.

I Love France, but the French just seem to get ruder and ruder. I am warming back to Spain.

TM


----------



## teensvan (May 9, 2005)

We now only spend 3 / 4 weeks at a time in France and do not think food is more expensive. You do have to know how to shop and which stores to use. The super U stores also have a lot of own brand items much like Asda or Tesco. Don't just bung things in the basket have a look round. Do not go for English food you will get ripped off.

We find Germany the cheapest to shop yet again look first.

steve & ann. ----------- teensvan


----------



## Cazzie (Feb 13, 2009)

On our recent trip to France & Spain we found meat so much more expensive in France. We stocked up in Spain before returning to France.
At the fresh meat counter in Mercadona we bought a very large, 1 inch thick steak, two enormous pork chops & two huge chicken breasts for less than 10 Euros.
The steak alone would have cost more than that in France and we have completely given up buying lamb while we are there. 
Still doesn't put us off though - plenty of other wonderful things to eat!

Cazzie


----------



## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

The cheapest meat in France is pork, the most expensive is lamb IMO,

beef is not too bad but all the meat is served well trimmed without excessive waste so the price becomes more reasonable and the actual meat quality is very high.

The butchery is different and that takes some getting used to, but if you ask for minced beef you get steak minced i n front of your eyes.....

Fish is much more readily available and much higher quality - it is very fresh and the variety is massive - much more than the UK, although there are some things which do require a very determined will to consume.......

the same goes for the meat with some items being sold which would not go down well with UK shoppers (brains, intestines etc.) but interestingly liver and kidneys do not seem popular and are readily available at a very economic price.

Chicken is NOT cheap, free=range is available if you have a spare mortgage...... but normal works out at about £6 for a small chicken...... (memories of my childhood when in the UK chicken was only for special days....)

Christmas turkeys are all tiny - it is hard to get anything bigger than 5kg - so when we had 15 for Christmas lunch that was 2 turkeys and a massive bill....

Dave


----------



## Cazzie (Feb 13, 2009)

We were amused to see pigs ears for sale in the pork section and wondered what you would do with them.
However, have since seen them cooked on a TV program. Cut into strips and deep fried - they turned out like scratchings.

Cazzie


----------



## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

> Penquin..................
> 
> Chicken is NOT cheap, free=range is available if you have a spare mortgage...... but normal works out at about £6 for a small chicken..........Dave


We were in a small Vaucluse village one recent Sunday morning. Not a place frequented by many tourists so the goods in the village shop were there for the locals.
The shop, can't remember which chain, had one of those glass fronted rotisseries outside and they were offering a "Special" of roast chicken (small ones) at €14 a time.


----------



## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

I cant add much to this thread except to say:


mmmm....merguez sausages :tongue8: 

Graham


----------



## barryd (May 9, 2008)

tonyt said:


> > Penquin..................
> >
> > Chicken is NOT cheap, free=range is available if you have a spare mortgage...... but normal works out at about £6 for a small chicken..........Dave
> 
> ...


Those Rotisserie chickens (Fermier?) are a rip off. To me they dont taste much different to the supermarket ones which are half the price and less if you shop around. Mrs D buys 2 or 3 cooked chickens a week. The cheapest is Italy where we have had them for €3.50.

Its beyond me why the French would pay so much for a chicken. i could understand if they were much better quality and taste but they are not IMO.


----------



## Zozzer (Aug 13, 2006)

nicholsong said:


> Penquin said:
> 
> 
> > Dave
> ...


On my first trip to Poland I filled up in the Czech Rep, then was kicking myself for not waiting untill we got to Poland.


----------



## rugbyken (Jan 16, 2006)

The OP praised the lidl aldi part baked we have carried them for years as a backup if too remote, but recently discovered Costco part baked baguettes they are very close to the real thing a roll of 5 about 14/15" long are £1:58 but they are superb, shorter dates than the aldi variety but still about 6 weeks.


----------

