# Wine/Diesel cheaper in France or Spain



## cje101 (Aug 1, 2009)

All,

We will be travelling back from the port of Gijon on the 29th August after spending 3 weeks driving from Caen, we normally bring back around 100 bottles of wine would it be cheaper to buy these in france or spain? Ditto with diesel


----------



## Friant (Feb 10, 2008)

Re wine, all depends on what you prefer to drink.
Both France and Spain have reasonably priced wines but at moderate price points there is a huge difference in taste. 

Personally I like new world wines so make a journey to Majestic in Calais and collect my order (get a discount for pre orders) before getting the tunnel home.


----------



## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

As said, depends what you want.... St Emilion is more expensive in Spain than France..... but Spanish red is cheaper in Spain than France...

Andorra is probably the cheapest for all if you are going that way....

BUT beware the French customs do pull in vehicles to check they are not bringing what the French regard as "excessive" amounts of wine - but I have seen no idea what they regard as "excessive" :lol:

Surely 100 bottles would only last the average French person about a month and a half all by themselves.......

that cannot be regarded as excessive for anyone.....

You might struggle though to find diesel (gas-oil) in bottles...... 8O

But certainly fill up with diesel before leaving a ferry port or using the tunnel for the UK, it is currently about £1.07 per litre......

Dave :lol: :roll:


----------



## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

In Spain, Lidl do a low cost brandy at about €5.50 and some nice "Martini" at a few Euros (litre) - very good value.


----------



## TheNomad (Aug 12, 2013)

We tend to drink at the bottom end of the price range...hey ho....and we find time after time that a palatable table wine (we like white or rose rather than the reds) is much much cheaper in Spain than France.
In fact so much so, that we don't buy in France any more.

Normally now, when we go up to tour France for a couple of months from our home in Spain, we pre-load with 30 or 40 litres from our local Bodega co-operativa (in Jalon, north Costa Blanca, for anyone familiar with it), at 1.15 euros per litre.

We even apply additional heresy such as adding a little Gaseosa (lemonade), and an ice cube on occasions.
Goes down very well whilst sitting out on balmy evenings.


----------



## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

You have to buy fuel wherever you are though it was very slightly in Spain than France when we came north a couple of months ago. Wine is far cheaper in Spain and just as good in my opinion. Like The Nomad we go for cheap but decent, Alan.


----------



## javea (Jun 8, 2007)

I tend to stock up on Rioja before leaving Spain and pick up the remainder of what I want from http://www.calaiswine.co.uk. They have an excellent selection at very reasonable prices and you can pre-order on the web if you prefer so that it is waiting for you when you get there.

Mike


----------



## Jeannette (Aug 7, 2012)

We have been in Spain for the last week and diesel is around 25 cents more expensive than in France. I filled at Carrefour today for 1.22 a litre. 

Wine is done to taste. Found nothing I really liked in Spain. Seemed to have faired better in France and prices seem about the same. 

I will stock up on the booze at Calais for the tunnel home when we get up there.


----------



## Jeannette (Aug 7, 2012)

We have been in Spain for the last week and diesel is around 25 cents more expensive than in France. I filled at Carrefour today for 1.22 a litre. 

Wine is done to taste. Found nothing I really liked in Spain. Seemed to have faired better in France and prices seem about the same. 

I will stock up on the booze at Calais for the tunnel home when we get up there.


----------



## Rankins (May 1, 2005)

TheNomad - which bodega in Jalon can you recommend?

Thanks

E


----------



## 91502 (May 1, 2005)

I find in France buying from the producer usually gets you the biggest saving.
Our usual tipple's in the UK cost about £18-£24 but if we buy direct in France a case of 6 usually works out about €12-€16 a bottle which is about half price and also you get to try before you buy so end up with a better quality wine.
Diesel tastes the same wherever.


----------



## RichardD (Sep 14, 2009)

Just a thought but have you worked out how much 100 bottles of wine will weigh?

The wine alone will weigh 75kgs and the bottle must weigh almost double what the wine weighs so would guess around 200kgs all up!!

Richard


----------



## charlieivan (Apr 25, 2006)

Diesel used to be much cheaper in Spain than France but with the economic crisis Spain increased the tax on it so now it is cheaper in France. We spend a lot of time in the South of France near the border and often go into La Jonquera for cheap wine and spirits. We used to always fill up with diesel there but now France is about 10 cents a litre less. One other thing about fuel in Spain, prices used to be controlled by the government so you could generally expect to pay the same price on the motorway as you would in a supermarket. I don't know if that is still the case. Some supermarkets have their own discount schemes.


----------



## grouch (Oct 1, 2005)

Hi Rankins Right opposite the Saturday flea market there is a bodega with large barrels inside and a tasting table. The cheapest I think, though whether it is the best..... Lovely scenery around Jalon, especially when the blossom is out.


----------



## HarryTheHymer (May 1, 2005)

For wine, we normally visit Majestic in Calais for both the outward and return journey. We generally purchase the boxed wine to save on weight and space - it's very drinkable IMO and costs about £1.50 for an equivalent 75cl bottle.

On the way back, it's not always convenient to pre-order to get the discount, because of lack of wifi. However, Majestic still give you the discount even if you just buy at the shop and spend the required amount.


----------



## charlieivan (Apr 25, 2006)

HarryTheHymer said:


> For wine, we normally visit Majestic in Calais for both the outward and return journey. We generally purchase the boxed wine to save on weight and space - it's very drinkable IMO and costs about £1.50 for an equivalent 75cl bottle.
> 
> On the way back, it's not always convenient to pre-order to get the discount, because of lack of wifi. However, Majestic still give you the discount even if you just buy at the shop and spend the required amount.


You would get much better value buying away from Calais. We buy our wines, also in boxes, further south and typically pay between €1.10 to €1.50 / litre.


----------



## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

Best place to buy wines, where the vines grow!.

In many co-operatives, you can pop any kind of vessel on the counter and they will fill and weigh with a pistol and hose.

Diesel always tastes bloody awful wherever you get it!.

TM


----------



## daffodil (Aug 7, 2014)

I am a newbie so this question might well be silly, but my camper quotes 3155kgs then 3500kgs max which is only 345kgs for extras like the wife 50kgs then the dog 30kgs and i think the solar panel and airconditioning thingy on the roof are extra so say another 60kgs, so thats 140kgs off the 345kgs that leaves 205kgs for clothes and food bedding etc so if I load up with the old vino and I went over weight ,how strict are the rozzers in france and the u/k on weight issues or have I got these weights totally wrong??


----------



## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

daffodil said:


> I am a newbie so this question might well be silly, but my camper quotes 3155kgs then 3500kgs max which is only 345kgs for extras like the wife 50kgs then the dog 30kgs and i think the solar panel and airconditioning thingy on the roof are extra so say another 60kgs, so thats 140kgs off the 345kgs that leaves 205kgs for clothes and food bedding etc so if I load up with the old vino and I went over weight ,how strict are the rozzers in france and the u/k on weight issues or have I got these weights totally wrong??


Very strict. Beware, fines are high and you could get towed if overweight and your vehicle impounded.

Go to a weighbridge and you may find the A/C thingy has to go! Or your petite épouse.

TM


----------



## daffodil (Aug 7, 2014)

teemyob said:


> daffodil said:
> 
> 
> > I am a newbie so this question might well be silly, but my camper quotes 3155kgs then 3500kgs max which is only 345kgs for extras like the wife 50kgs then the dog 30kgs and i think the solar panel and airconditioning thingy on the roof are extra so say another 60kgs, so thats 140kgs off the 345kgs that leaves 205kgs for clothes and food bedding etc so if I load up with the old vino and I went over weight ,how strict are the rozzers in france and the u/k on weight issues or have I got these weights totally wrong??
> ...


 THANKS FOR NOT SUGGESTING GETTING RID OF THE POOCH HEAVEN FORBID, ALSO ANOTHER WORRY IS THEY ALLOW 75KGS FOR THE DRIVER AND i WEIGH IN AT 90KGS ALSO i AM WAITING TO GET THE BOOK TO SEE HOW MUCH FUEL AND WATER IS IN THE 3155 KGS


----------



## HermanHymer (Dec 5, 2008)

Diesel at Intermarche E1.28 at Airvault Deux-Sevres, more expensive further east in France. On peage, add 0,10c/L.

As for wine, next month are the Foires aux Vins at the supermarkets. If you're a novice, buy "Expert Club" wines at Intermarche. All eminently drinkable.

Some nice chateaux cardboards available now for everyday drinking.


----------



## McGeemobile (Jun 10, 2010)

Diesel at eLeClerc in Murcia city 1.24 euros. That's the cheapest I've seen in Spain so far. We're still drinking wine bought from a bodega in the wine town of Carinena where we always stock up on the way down. The top quality stuff was 7 euro per bottle but some very good table wine at 1.20 per litre.


----------



## HermanHymer (Dec 5, 2008)

Diesel @ Intermarche Airvault Deux-Sevres now E1,24.9


----------



## bigtree (Feb 3, 2007)

All looking good for my trip next month.


----------



## HermanHymer (Dec 5, 2008)

bigtree said:


> All looking good for my trip next month.


Sure, let's hope for an Indian Summer 'cos so far it's been a very English one in the parts of Europe I've been to. I only got to wear summer clothes 2 or 3 times.


----------

