poolslad wrote:

going to mexico in april and was wondering what the duty free allowance was for bringing things back to uk

http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageTravel_ShowContent&id=HMCE_PROD_010220&propertyType=document

Would be interested to know are there any perfume shops/tobacco shops in playa del carmen on 5th avenue or are we better off buying on the plane

Hi just to advise, I don't think you can buy English cigarettes in Mexico. We have been for the past 2 years and could not find any. Just be aware, you can bring 400 each into Mexico, but only 200 back into the UK, and Mexico is very strict about what you bring in, we had 1000 cigarettes in 2007 and they were going to take the additional 200 off of us until they found out there was 4 people travelling in our party, so last year we made sure we only had 400 each and they did ask how many cigarettes we had.

Maz thats odd. When we went to Mexico last year I asked at Manchester the allowance and was told 1000.! In fact I'm sure that amount was listed on their list by the tills. Anyway I could be wrong (and often am!). You can only bring 200 back as you say.
We found cigarettes for sale in some shops in Playa $30 a box. Can't remember what they were Lambert and Butler maybe? They didn't look quite the same as here but tasted OK. You can of course get Marlborough (or any other US brand)

Denny

Hi Denny

Gatwick Airport has 400 posted up at their duty free and the Mexican Embassy states the same. I have already been caught once with two many cigarettes and I am not going to risk it again, so we only took what they allowance stated. I think they do sell Lambert and Butler, but I smoke B & H and you can't get them in Mexico and the American cigarettes are just awful.

We've stayed several times at the Iberostar Resorts in Mexico and they sell B&H. Duty Free have no familiar brands (unless you like Marlboro). The perfume/alcohol at Cancun duty free always seems very expensive We always buy what we want at the airport on departure or on the aircraft.

Hi Cazzholly

Yes they have B & H but they are American, they are the white tipped cigarettes, like smoking paper, I don't know why they bother producing them, its a waste of time and money trying to get a decent puff out of them.

Yes Maz, the L&B we bought were white tipped, but they did taste OK. They had English brands at Duty Free, we bought Silk Cut there.

Denny