No Tobacco Sale for Internal EU flyers at Treviso Airport, Italy

Danno

Coming back in yesterday from Treviso Airport Italy and OH was looking to get a few smokes and told by the staff - no, you have to be leaving the EU to avail of purchasing in the airport.

Never had an issue coming from Madrid. Brother was in the UK twice this Summer and no issue getting 600 in June in Gatwick, last month was told no, only 200 in Birmingham.

Have duty free rules around tobacco changed recently? Has anyone else encountered stricter rules/changes and do other EU countries have different rules?

According to Revenue 800 cigarettes are allowed for internal EU flights per person over 17yo.

Del2005

There hasn't been duty free when travelling within the EU for decades. The UK isn't in the EU so they have duty free. Within the EU you can bring as much duty paid tobacco and alcohol as you want, but if you go over certain limits then you need to explain why you bought so much.

Individual airports or shops can have their own rules. But if the shop only had one price up it's most likely the duty free price and they were correct that you couldn't buy, did you ask about the duty paid price?

Danno

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119642121#Comment_119642121

Good spot - I guess it's considered "duty-free" for Irish people as their is generally €90 or €100 off Irish retail prices! Edited Thread Title to make more sense!

Will ask OH was there only one price displayed - it's rather strange they didn't seem to cater for travellers within the EU.

Juran

Duty free between EU countries was abolished in around 1992. The 'duty free' shops we see at airports are just shops like Boots, Currys and an off license, at same prices, and often more expensive.

Cheaper smokes and drinks at Spainish airports reflects the cheaper evrtyday prices in their high streets or supermarkets.

Some DF stores remove tax duty if you show your boarding card is leaving Dublin for Dubai, or NY for example.

Get Real

I think the op is saying that cigarettes and tobacco cannot be bought at all in this airport if travelling in EU.

As said, we haven't had inter EU duty free since the 90s. But that's not the op's issue. You're still allowed buy cigarettes and tobacco. I don't smoke but if coming back from Spain for example, would still grab a carton for c50euro (duty paid) as opposed to the 150 they'd cost here.

Likewise, he could buy a carton in say Rome airport for 55-60euro. It's not duty free, but it's cheaper smokes than here.

I have heard this about Treviso before. Seems they've taken the unusual move on selling duty free only. And aren't bothering to stock cigarettes for inter EU travel. I don't know why, but they've their reasons for it I suppose.

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119642155#Comment_119642155

And some spanish airports actually do offer Duty Free to Ireland as they are outside the EU i.e. the Canary Islands.

Danno

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119642178#Comment_119642178

I think the op is saying that cigarettes and tobacco cannot be bought at all in this airport if travelling in EU.

Spot on. Was happy to pay Italian duty and proceed to the gate to Dublin but as you say, they don't cater for internal EU flyers who want to pick up a box of smokes. This seems to be an outlier policy in this airport I guess. Strange policy as they're loosing out on sales.

endofrainbow

had something similar at Rome Airport recently. I asked about a different price for intra EU travel and was told that there are Tabacchi in most areas of the airports near the gates. Wasn't a problem picking up a sleeve for E50.

L1011

There are some costs and effort in maintaining duty-paid pricing, and there's only a few EU customs union countries significantly dearer than Italy - here, obviously; France; Netherlands; some of the Scandi countries.

Looking at the routes they have, Dublin is probably the only destination they'd sell many for. May not cover those extra costs, for a seasonal route. I can't imagine they'd leave money on the table if there were good sales to be made.

Atlantic Dawn

I know in Dublin they stopped about 4 or 5 years ago allowing you to buy cigarettes at duty paid prices, up until then they had dual duty free/duty paid pricing (as the alcohol is sold there now). I guess in Dublin because a carton would now be circa €150 duty paid the demand would be tiny and not worth bothering with except for some maniac with sentimental value on a brand they wanted to bring to an Irish relative. It's likely that duty paid sales were so low they discountinued it in Treviso, likely only the Irish and Scandinavian markets where duty paid tobacco would be more expensive.

In Spanish mainland airports I have been in they still offer duty free and duty paid pricing...On a side note it's always cheaper their to buy duty paid tobacco in retailers outside the airport environment.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119642227#Comment_119642227

The Canaries are in the E.U.

There is no V.A.T. due to internal Spanish rules.

Danno

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119642284#Comment_119642284

The Canary Islands are regarded as outside the EU for duty free allowances, so the limit on return to Ireland is 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars or 250gms of tobacco. It doesn't matter if you buy the goods outbound from the airport or on the airline, locally in a shop in the Canaries or in the airport on your return.

Feckers!

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119642284#Comment_119642284

either way you can buy duty free when travelling from there back to Ireland.