We are going to Nessebur in a couple of weeks time with Balkan Holidays. My question is, where is the best place to buy duty free goods, English tobacco, cigarettes and spirits, whisky, gin brandy etc?
Are these duty free's (and alcoholic drinks during the flight for that matter) available on the plane? Are these goods available at Bourgas airport on the way back, or generally available in the resorts? Or is it best to purchase them at the UK airport on the outward journey?
regards,
Arthur.
Hi boydell,
Don't bother with the 'English' cigarettes in the resorts, they are fakes and, by all accounts, pretty awful.
Bulgarian spirits (whisky, gin brandy etc?) are generally very good, and well-priced at aound 4/5 Leva or so per bottle.
Availability of Duty Free/alcohol on the flight will depend on which airline/tour operator - often non-existent or very limited on the Balkan Holiday flights that I have taken.
I usually use Varna airport, but flew to/from Bourgas once last year, in early July, availability of Duty Free was very limited on that occasion.
Duty Free Limits (from BG Customs website):
"The quantity quotas for duty free import are the following:
Each traveller aged over 16 can import duty free:
- 1 litre of spirits with over 22 per cent volume alcohol content and 2 litres of wine or 2 litres of wine and 2 litres of frothy or fortified wine;
- 200 pieces of cigarettes or 100 cigarillos, or 50 cigars, or 250 grammes of tobacco for smoking;
- 500 grammes of coffee or 200 grammes of coffee extract;
- 100 grammes of tea or 40 grammes of tea extract;
- 50 grammes of perfumes and 250 ml of eau de toilette;
- medicines in an amount and type corresponding to the personal needs o f the traveller.
The travellers who are not yet 16 years of age are not entitled to duty free import of the above-mentioned goods except for the medicines.
The persons crossing the border more than once within 30 consecutive days use reduced duty free import quotas - to the amount of 20 per cent of the above-mentioned quotas."
Don't bother with the 'English' cigarettes in the resorts, they are fakes and, by all accounts, pretty awful.
Bulgarian spirits (whisky, gin brandy etc?) are generally very good, and well-priced at aound 4/5 Leva or so per bottle.
Availability of Duty Free/alcohol on the flight will depend on which airline/tour operator - often non-existent or very limited on the Balkan Holiday flights that I have taken.
I usually use Varna airport, but flew to/from Bourgas once last year, in early July, availability of Duty Free was very limited on that occasion.
Duty Free Limits (from BG Customs website):
"The quantity quotas for duty free import are the following:
Each traveller aged over 16 can import duty free:
- 1 litre of spirits with over 22 per cent volume alcohol content and 2 litres of wine or 2 litres of wine and 2 litres of frothy or fortified wine;
- 200 pieces of cigarettes or 100 cigarillos, or 50 cigars, or 250 grammes of tobacco for smoking;
- 500 grammes of coffee or 200 grammes of coffee extract;
- 100 grammes of tea or 40 grammes of tea extract;
- 50 grammes of perfumes and 250 ml of eau de toilette;
- medicines in an amount and type corresponding to the personal needs o f the traveller.
The travellers who are not yet 16 years of age are not entitled to duty free import of the above-mentioned goods except for the medicines.
The persons crossing the border more than once within 30 consecutive days use reduced duty free import quotas - to the amount of 20 per cent of the above-mentioned quotas."
As Baldur says the fags are rubbish in resorts. As for tobacco buy it in English duty free shops and take with you. worked out at £60 per kilo in June i.e £3.00 per 50 grms pouch. Cheers Tonyt
Thanks for the info Baldur. Brother in law only smokes roll ups. Any info on tobacco please?
Definitely buy at UK airport going out cos its not often available on your return or so I've found in the past.
Cigs to smoke over there,Victory in various strengths cost 1.60 a packet, thats leva not £s.
Patka
Cigs to smoke over there,Victory in various strengths cost 1.60 a packet, thats leva not £s.
Patka
Afraid not, other than Tonyt's advice, above.
P.S. Remember that UK Customs allowances are low for your return, as Bulgaria is not an EU member yet.
P.S. Remember that UK Customs allowances are low for your return, as Bulgaria is not an EU member yet.
Hi Boydell,
I bought some last week in SB. Packet of 5 pouches was 40leva, so worked out about £2.80 ish per pouch. It was Samson, they also had golden Virginia, but my dad won't smoke that.
Trish
I bought some last week in SB. Packet of 5 pouches was 40leva, so worked out about £2.80 ish per pouch. It was Samson, they also had golden Virginia, but my dad won't smoke that.
Trish
hi boydell
word of warning about booze, we brought a bottle of 'Jack dan & smirnoff red label' from a supermarket because it was cheap, got home opened it and found out why, the so called JD is a cheap whiskey probably bells and the Smirn' is just like the local cheap vodka, in other words be wary were you buy from.
bombhead
word of warning about booze, we brought a bottle of 'Jack dan & smirnoff red label' from a supermarket because it was cheap, got home opened it and found out why, the so called JD is a cheap whiskey probably bells and the Smirn' is just like the local cheap vodka, in other words be wary were you buy from.
bombhead
trish6
You can get rolling tobacco in the resorts BUT its like the cigs, fake and definitely not to be recommendedFriends tell me it tastes like the excrement from a camel.
Patka
You can get rolling tobacco in the resorts BUT its like the cigs, fake and definitely not to be recommendedFriends tell me it tastes like the excrement from a camel.
Patka
Patka how very true. If anybody in disbelief take a empty wrapper from Old Holborn or Golden Virginia with you and have a look at the difference in colours of wrappers, always a true sign of fakes. Tonyt.
Many thanks to one and all for their help...Cheers.
Hi, we got back from sunny beach on saturday. We bought fags from duty free on the way out but found they were cheaper on the plane. Do not buy english fags while out there as they are all fakes and cost a lot more than the local brands. We are smoking victory blues 16 lev for 200. Best to buy one packet for 1lev 60 and try them. You can get duty free at bourges airport also cheeper than at our end. We were told before we went that we could bring home 200 per person (over 16) however our rep in bulgaria said it was 2 cartons per person = 400, so that is what we did.Enjoy your holiday
piggymavis
Piggymavis
Not impressed by your rep. Who did you travel with?
The limit is 200 per adult only, both out of Bulgaria and into the UK.
Patka
Not impressed by your rep. Who did you travel with?
The limit is 200 per adult only, both out of Bulgaria and into the UK.
Patka
There's another most comprehensive thread regarding this topic -
Fags
Peter
Fags
Peter
-
Edited by
Peter of York
2005-08-29 17:39:00
Patka,
The stuff I got is ok, seems genuine enough .... The place I got it from, the girl in the shop double wrapped it and said the stall owners give her hassle for selling genuine cigs/tobacco etc. Some other people we met sent us there, it's where they get their cigs and they've been going for the past 9 years so seem to be ok. It's the only place they will buy from. As this was my first time there, I took their advice and bought from this place and it does seem to be the real thing.
Trish
The stuff I got is ok, seems genuine enough .... The place I got it from, the girl in the shop double wrapped it and said the stall owners give her hassle for selling genuine cigs/tobacco etc. Some other people we met sent us there, it's where they get their cigs and they've been going for the past 9 years so seem to be ok. It's the only place they will buy from. As this was my first time there, I took their advice and bought from this place and it does seem to be the real thing.
Trish
last week in bourgas duty free 400 benson was 24 euros.they also let me use part leva
when i was in G/S in July i got victory blue for 13 leva they are in a soft pack ,there is no diffrence between the hard pack and soft pack in strength.is i had the two packs ,It was the lady in the shop who pointed this out to me. 
I have just put in a new Duty Free sticky with Q&A section. To avoid duplication I am going to close this topic. Feel free to continue on the new sticky though!
Similar Topics
-
Duty free / Duty Paid Cigarettes Allowance etc
Posted by claire08 in Cyprus Discussion Forums
-
Duty Free / Duty Paid Allowance
Posted by SilverBlack in Spain - Balearics - Majorca Discussion Forum
-
duty free
Posted by madasharley in Cruises
-
Duty Free
Posted by Suemackey in Bulgaria Discussion Forum
-
What do you buy in Duty Free?
Posted by Helen T in General Holiday Enquiries, Hints and Tips