# Apart from cheaper booze what else is good value in France



## drcotts (Feb 23, 2006)

Hi and thanks for reading my post.
Now that the broken arm is mended we are off to France again in June.
We (me and SWMBO) were wondering what else may be good to buy in france. Not that we intend to spend all our time in the shops but we just wondered if there was anything that you guys knew was a good money saver. Or perhaps things for the van that that you cant get here.
For example, our freinds bought us some extending thingys for the fridge that go across the front of the shelves and stop stuff falling out. I have only seem them here once. 

Just thoughtb this would be good advice for me and other people going for the first time.

We will go down the Normandy coast and hopefully get as far as Brittany

Thanks again
Phill


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## jams101 (Dec 22, 2006)

Hookers, coffee, washing up powder/tablets, sun screen


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## 107088 (Sep 18, 2007)

Hookers yes,





they have a good rugby team.


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*France*

Property, with a few exceptions.

Trev.


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## trevorf (May 16, 2005)

Set of Tefal cooking pans that come with a detachable handle and fit inside each other saving loads of space. Available in most large supermarkets.

Pinneau de Charentes - lovely sherry like fortified wine, unavailable in UK


Trevor


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## mangothemadmonk (Aug 6, 2006)

Toilet rolls that fit my toilet roll holder in the Hymer. Smaller than ones over here.

Oh and aircon units for home so my mate tells me.

Johnny F


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## Pusser (May 9, 2005)

It is unlikely that things across the brook are cheaper with the Euro where it is. I have heard that Ethiopians are organising duty free shopping trips over here particularly in our cool summers. 8O


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## lucy2 (Jun 27, 2007)

diesel,motorhomes,& most things not like this poxy country


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*AC*



mangothemadmonk said:


> Toilet rolls that fit my toilet roll holder in the Hymer. Smaller than ones over here.
> 
> Oh and aircon units for home so my mate tells me.
> 
> Johnny F


AC is around the same price for cheap chinese DIY imports. Where France is cheaper is for Belgian/Japanese/Korean units that can be bought at the dealers or supermarkets and include fitting.

Trev.


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## Nora+Neil (May 1, 2005)

Wine. Mustard. Olive oil, and all the above.

If you get to Brittany. Go to Le Gouffre near Plougrescant. Magical place. Aire in Treguier at bridge by the river. Nice town and walks by river.

We love Brittany. If you have any question just ask.


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## 101405 (Oct 15, 2006)

*france Touring Info*

Away from the likes of Calais which caters for Brits , France is expensive
very?more so now and markets mark up prices , French hyper/super's are not up to uk standards of health and safety ,and staff are not as hygenic ,(cleanest spain) and you have a retricted choice , At a L.clerc super in mid France a guy atempted to serve me on the fish counter without gloves on , best buy is cafe but its cheap in spain, Beer ? cheap beer has (e) additives and colourings. best beer ! German beer fron Lidl's .its pure, can't think of much really except fuel's a bit cheaper in Hypers. you could bring us some crumbly cheshire/lancashire cheese?


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## bambi2 (Oct 19, 2007)

Hi. we live in france and find the cost of living is cheaper here, but the best tip we can give you is a couple of years back we had some work done on our mercedes Hymer and mercedes in G.B. charged £65 per hour, here in france we payed 47 euros, Ford G.B charged £75 per hour, here we payed roughly 37 euros per hour, so if you need, so we saved like that. Enjoy your trip. Bambi 2


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Engineers*



bambi2 said:


> Hi. we live in france and find the cost of living is cheaper here, but the best tip we can give you is a couple of years back we had some work done on our mercedes Hymer and mercedes in G.B. charged £65 per hour, here in france we payed 47 euros, Ford G.B charged £75 per hour, here we payed roughly 37 euros per hour, so if you need, so we saved like that. Enjoy your trip. Bambi 2


And I would not mind betting the French Engineers either Knew more about the product or were more dog eared and determined to find out why if they did not.

Trev.


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## SidT (May 9, 2005)

Hi Silversurfer. You having a bad day, your sounding like a grumpy old man :lol: :lol: :lol: 
We don't live in France but have spent a lot of time over there, 
I think the French supermarkets are far cleaner and much better laid out than English ones.
Cheers Sid


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## UncleNorm (May 1, 2005)

Good evening one and all!

I have to agree with Sid!



SidT said:


> I think the French supermarkets are far cleaner and much better laid out than English ones.
> Cheers Sid


Just to show how sad Auntie Sandra and I are, we actually enjoy visiting the French super/hypermarches! :roll:

We go to buy our supplies, bread, cheese, milk, meat... But we also like looking at the shoes and clothes, or, in my case, looking at the cheaper power tools and bikes! :wink:

The aircon makes the supermarches very comfortable places to stop and shop.

Apart from the supermarches, France has so much more to offer: we like its less hectic pace of life; we like the overall cleanliness; we like the beauty all around us, whether it's natural or manufactured, like the many delightful flower gardens. We can't wait to get back there in June. 

If, twenty years ago, we had known what we know now, maybe we should have built our home in France!


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

Coffee (Grand Mere)
Amora mayonnaise de Dijon
Bonne maman jam
booze (sorry ) 8)


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## Pusser (May 9, 2005)

SidT said:


> Hi Silversurfer. You having a bad day, your sounding like a grumpy old man :lol: :lol: :lol:
> We don't live in France but have spent a lot of time over there,
> I think the French supermarkets are far cleaner and much better laid out than English ones.
> Cheers Sid


My view too and I haven't spent a lot of time over there only 3 week average every year since 1980.


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## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

Good to buy though not neceassarily a money saver:

Those little open fruit tarts.
Pain Au Raisin.
Soft fruits in season.
And of course...... Pineau.....


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## LazyRover (Apr 13, 2008)

Les grenouilles et les escargots.


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## bambi2 (Oct 19, 2007)

Hi I just remembered another tip for ecanomical shopping, I shop at 
E' Leclerc and find their ECO PLUS products good quality and cheap, I also shop at Aldi, but prefer not to take my husband with me as they sell lots of toys for the boys on promotion there, I must admit that the computer and the laptop he bought there are very good and they give 3 years guarantee which is great! and if you come across a BRICO DEPOT thats an amazing place 
I heard an English man say that he took shower trays etc. back to G.B as they were so much cheaper, but paint is dear here, best of all we are on a low income and I am a pensioner so we pay no tax d'habition, (rates) I feel sorry for the pensioners who live in England, we find life good here. Bambi 2


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## MikeyB (Jun 20, 2005)

Goodness me Silvasurfer, what is this World coming to? Serving fish without wearing gloves? Disgraceful!
Come on, what's such a problem? Can't you remember when people just washed their hands? Gloves can be just as unhygenic if they have been worn to do other jobs as can unwashed hands....no difference.


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## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

bambi2 - very interesting to hear that you have retired to France.

Could you put a rough location into your avatar panel thingy?


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## drcotts (Feb 23, 2006)

Thanks for all the tips guys and gals
Plenty to go on there. On our whistle stop trip in Nov we thought that the supermarkets were better than ours. Mind you our local is asda. where the aisles are always full of product and people filling the shelves and we have to kepe shifting our the way for the madman on the floor sweeper.

We particularly liked the look of the fruit and veg which seemed so much more colourful than here in UK.

Just going wherever the bonnet is pointing at the moment.

Phill


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## asprn (Feb 10, 2006)

jams101 said:


> Hookers...


I see a recurring theme in your replies. 



jams101 said:


> blonde tarts in mini skirts.....


Or perhaps not.......


jams101 said:


> Getting married in Switzerland in March.....


 8O


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## asprn (Feb 10, 2006)

UncleNorm said:


> Just to show how sad Auntie Sandra and I are


Far from it. I hate shopping in the UK, but positively look forward to strolling round the Intermarches etc. They are somehow just more _pleasant_, which is our experience of much of France in general (not so many grumpy old gits complaining about everything).

Dougie.


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## 108125 (Nov 6, 2007)

Hi everybody
We spend as much time in France as we can. The pace of life is slower, the roads are mainly empty and the French don't seem to have the 'company car' syndrome (you know - foot to the flooboards, phone in the ear, targets to meet, chewing on the knuckles) that ruins most roads in england
What is cheap? Well, diesel (though they are catching up fast). Beer certainly, but mainly their own. Luckily, that's what we like!!! Olive oil is good, so are olives. We buy marinated olives, eat them then buy very cheap olives and re-use the marinade several times. Bread is fantantastic!! Shellfish can be very good value but sometimes it just shoots up in price for some reason. In general, fresh food is cheap - processed food less so - though the French seem to be buying more and more processed food. Sign of the times maybe? If you have (grand)children then toys are cheaper in France and good quality
With the euro surging ahead of the pound it is getting quite expensive in France but we will keep going because we love it so !!


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Crevette Rose, available from all the supermarche, dirt cheap compared to UK - 'er indoors eats platefulls of them.
Eat them straight away though and don't throw the shells in the bin in the van, they don't half stink.

Last year they were about €3.50 for 500g compared to about £8 in UK.

pete


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## Texas (May 9, 2005)

drcotts said:


> Thanks for all the tips guys and gals
> Plenty to go on there. On our whistle stop trip in Nov we thought that the supermarkets were better than ours. Mind you our local is asda. where the aisles are always full of product and people filling the shelves and we have to kepe shifting our the way for the madman on the floor sweeper.
> 
> We particularly liked the look of the fruit and veg which seemed so much more colourful than here in UK. Phill


Yes I agree the fresh produce does look more colourful, and I like the way the flies give the produce that 'authentic' look. I also like to watch the customers openly sampling the goods, especially the figs.

Beware of the trollies, some may have contained 'Fifi'. 8O


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## Nora+Neil (May 1, 2005)

We are just starting to refurnishbish a old cottage and shed. Will have to leave 4 walls standing. 
At the moment we are priceing material bathroom ware, flooring,plumbing, kitchen etc here in Ireland.
I know that we will go to France, and buy our ware in BRICO DEPOT even with ferry and B/B, Diseal we will still save money.

WHY IS EVERYTHING SO EXPENSIVE IN IRELAND.


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## drcotts (Feb 23, 2006)

you have all confirmed my opinons that i should just try everything.

thanks
phill


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