[Request] - Dublin to France to buy booze

SnotNosedGit

Has anyone done this on the ferry.
Wheres the best place to go and what does it cost and how long does it take to get there.

Also Dublin to Newry, Anyone have directions where to go in Newry for booze and what exchange rate will they give you.

Trying to stock up for the winter

BlueShaun

Probably rosslare-le harve is easiest, as u can get a sleep.

use ur credit card to get the proper exchange rate when u go up north, its often 2-3% better than their in store exchange rate.

Shaun

hansov

BlueShaun wrote:

use ur credit card to get the proper exchange rate when u go up north, its often 2-3% better than their in store exchange rate.

Shaun

:rolleyes:
Sainsburys Newry offers 70p to the euro, I think Dunnes do too. Don't know many credit cards that will beat that given that they use the exchange rate and last week that was about 67p :rolleyes:
Take the first exit into Newry coming from Dundalk, under the railway bridge down the (long) hill, through one or two sets of lights and right at the next will bring you into Sainsbury's. Left at those lights will bring you to the Buttercrane. Good value in booze in S/burys. As you went down the hill you'll have passed a shop on the left called the Drinklink - sometimes good value there but a regular exchange rate. Sainsbury's Lisburn was a couple of months ago offering 72p to the euro. Don't know if they still offer that.

parsi

BlueShaun wrote:

Probably rosslare-le harve is easiest, as u can get a sleep.

use ur credit card to get the proper exchange rate when u go up north, its often 2-3% better than their in store exchange rate.

Shaun

Itwould be some sleep - you can't go to Le Havre from Rosslare any more (few years now I think).Indeed from the end of this month Le Havre won't have any ferry service...

Rosslare - Cherbourg/Roscoff (though Roscoff is nearly finished) - will do mini cruises.

If you want to go for a week then Cork - Roscoff gets you with Brittany Ferries and their nice ship.

edit: Rosslare routes take 14-16 hours, Cork takes around 12

memorex

At one point I looked into the rosslare - le havre crossing and it was really expensive, almost 400-500 euros for a return crossing with a car & two people. I think we also had to spend a couple of nights on the france side too because of the way the ferries were timed. Hopefully Irish Ferries will do some bargain returns for booze cruising, especially allowing you to return on the same day.

SnotNosedGit

Thanks guys,
I think i'll take the Newry option.
Getting thirsty now

MorningStar

Isn't there a Dublin France Ferry? There was at one point anyway.

If you want cheap boze go to a car dealership. They all sneak in Booze with the cars

Red Fan X5

The Dublin - France ferry never got off the ground (P & O ferry company). All their bookings were changed to Landbridge crossings and a fuel vouncher of Euro 50 given. The best deal is with Irish ferries to Cherbourg for Euro 300 for a ford transit van (same price for a car !!!) and includes a 2 bed en-suite room with window.

skibum

Irish ferries do a mini booze cruise: http://www.irishferries.com/fares/irl_fra/index.shtml#5
The ship is old, but does the job.
There are loads of wine / beer wholesalers within a few miles of roscoff, but we found better bargins in the local hypermarkets.

BlueShaun

hansov wrote:

:rolleyes:
Sainsburys Newry offers 70p to the euro, I think Dunnes do too.

Those are offers. As in lets attract people, cut margins but increase volume money making. They actually lose money on that.

The point being that "the north" is larger than Newry. Newry is far from being cheap compared to the rest of the north :rolleyes:

Morrisions are only doing 66. Dunnes Enniskillen (and Ormeaux embankment belfast) only doing 68p.

Real value:
xe.com Universal Currency Converter ® Results
Live mid-market rates as of 2005.09.15 15:11:28 UTC.
1.00 EUR
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Re ferry, sorry for bum route, the point was ferry england+drive+fery/chunnel plus fuel costs=tired driver(s), and **** all money saved over direct ferry.

hansov

BlueShaun wrote:

Those are offers. As in lets attract people, cut margins but increase volume money making. They actually lose money on that.

The point being that "the north" is larger than Newry. Newry is far from being cheap compared to the rest of the north :rolleyes:

Morrisions are only doing 66. Dunnes Enniskillen (and Ormeaux embankment belfast) only doing 68p.

Sorry you have lost me here! If I get 70 or 72 p per euro, I'll shop there. If its in Newry all the better. Yes the north is bigger than Newry but I note that Dunnes in Enniskillen is only giving 68.

"They actually lose money"...... I don't believe that either but it does mean that I have the potential of saving money.

i71jskz5xu42pb

There are loads of wine / beer wholesalers within a few miles of roscoff, but we found better bargins in the local hypermarkets.

Agreed - I'd be wary of the places that are set up to serve the Ferry booze-cruise market as I've heard they sell a lot of crap wine. Probably better go with a list of stuff you know or go to a reputable wine cellar.

parsi

I dunno - most of teh wine warehouse type places sell similar stuff to the Hypermarkets. We usually stop at the Red Cash outside Roscoff for the last few bottles. Unlike most of the wine places the owner is French and the prices are much the same as the Hypermarkets and he has some nice wines. I get a bit p***ed off with the normal warehouses which advertise "english staff" - I mean you're in France so why not deal with French people ?

Now for serious wine or for good advice try the Nicolas stores or the many independent wine shops around the place. But I find for drinkable wine at a good price the hypers are the place to go...

Pet

Rosslare - Cherbourg or Roscoff would be your best bet. There are lots of hypermarkets in Cherbourg and Roscoff, like Auchan and Carrefour..humongous things they are. You can get wine and beer absolutely PISS cheap (like, bottles of wine for a euro each [drinkable too]) and 4 beers for a euro). Food is also amazingly cheap. There's only so much space in your boot though, so pack lightly!

JMcL

hansov wrote:

:rolleyes:
Sainsburys Newry offers 70p to the euro, I think Dunnes do too. Don't know many credit cards that will beat that given that they use the exchange rate and last week that was about 67p :rolleyes:
Take the first exit into Newry coming from Dundalk, under the railway bridge down the (long) hill, through one or two sets of lights and right at the next will bring you into Sainsbury's. Left at those lights will bring you to the Buttercrane. Good value in booze in S/burys. As you went down the hill you'll have passed a shop on the left called the Drinklink - sometimes good value there but a regular exchange rate. Sainsbury's Lisburn was a couple of months ago offering 72p to the euro. Don't know if they still offer that.

You'll often get a good exchange rate for euro when paying cash in the north. Debenhams in Derry are doing the same, don't know about Tesco. They'll usually have signs up, or you can check with their customer service. If they're not giving a good rate, just use your credit card. Whatever you do, don't go to an official bureau de change.

John

Dummy

I do the Rosslare Cherbourg journey at least twice a year and find it great. We are not really drinkers but some wine and some beer is bought. We find the journey great for childrens clothes, house-hold stuff (we bought all the lights for our new house on the last trip, with the most expensive light being 15 euro).

To give you an idea of prices off the top of my head:

Case of beer - 6 euro (36 bottles)
Nice bottle of red Bordeaux - 1.50 euro
Children shoes - 5 euro
Dad's runners - 5 euro
Travel Cot - 25 euro
Large box Washing Powder - 15 euro (sometimes 10)
Large Dijon Mustard - 1 euro
Red Wine Vinegar - 1 euro
Cidar Vinegar - 1 euro
Roof Box for car - 65 euro
Bars for roof of car - 14 euro
Garden bench - 25 euro

In Cherbourg, I go to the Auchan Hypermarket which is about a 15 minute drive from the port. I spend about 4 hours in the store and then head back to the ship. And best of all, I get 2 great nights of sleep.

Hope this helps.

parsi

Good price for a roofbox - even by French standards.

That Auchan isn't bad and the cafeteria restaurant in the complex is quite good (for self service). There's a nice Lucky Luke on the way out of Auchan and back down to town as well - had nice kangaroo there 2 years ago.

BlueShaun

hansov wrote:

Sorry you have lost me here! If I get 70 or 72 p per euro, I'll shop there. If its in Newry all the better. Yes the north is bigger than Newry but I note that Dunnes in Enniskillen is only giving 68.

"They actually lose money"...... I don't believe that either but it does mean that I have the potential of saving money.

Lots of places cheaper than Newry exist :eek: They are cheap compared to here, and they offer a good rate. They are however expensive compared to the rest of the north, the difference is certainly more than the amazing outstanding incredible 2.3% discount they offer on euro transactions. its not that obscure a notion in my opinion?

The reverse example is petrol stations in the south get more expensive as one approaches the border.....the relative savings that their customer base experience allow them to rise their prices, and still appear cheap to a majority of their customers.