Duty Free on Trains ? / Stations

[Butts]

On services from Mainland Europe do any Trains or Stations have the above facilities for passengers travelling to Switzerland or other non-eu country.

If not is this because a land journey is treated differently to an Air or Sea journey ?

I seem to recollect you get DF on a Ferry from Jersey to any of the other CI'S.

To qualify obviously you would have to show your ticket and Passport/ID showing your destination

 

[Mark_re]

On services from Mainland Europe do any Trains or Stations have the above facilities for passengers travelling to Switzerland or other non-eu country.

If not is this because a land journey is treated differently to an Air or Sea journey ?

I seem to recollect you get DF on a Ferry from Jersey to any of the other CI'S.

To qualify obviously you would have to show your ticket and Passport/ID showing your destination

Not sure if it strictly counts, but I enjoyed the scrum at the booze shop on the ferry from Puttgarden - Rødby. As if the novelty of a train driving into the car deck (for a man of my tender years) wasn't enough, hundreds of Danes leaping the five foot down from the train to leg it to buy the last lager at German prices, certainly was.

Mark

 

[gordonthemoron]

there is no duty free between EU countries & Switzerland, actually the trains I use have SBB buffet/restaurant car whose prices are extortionate (for food at least).

I second the Puttgarden - Rødby ferry

 

[Butts]

there is no duty free between EU countries & Switzerland, actually the trains I use have SBB buffet/restaurant car whose prices are extortionate (for food at least).

I second the Puttgarden - Rødby ferry

If you fly from the UK to Switzerland you get Duty Free - I'm talking Booze and Ciggies. I'm sure it's the same if you fly from Paris to Switzerland- so why not on a train ?

 

[WatcherZero]

Duty free rates within Europe (for example on ferries) were removed in 1999. They still exist at international airports however as the the airports retail beyond customs are considered extra-territorial and outside national tax regimes.

 

[Butts]

Duty free rates within Europe (for example on ferries) were removed in 1999. They still exist at international airports however as the the airports retail beyond customs are considered extra-territorial and outside national tax regimes.

How does that equate to being able to buy DF on a ferry from one island to another in Channel Islands.

 

[Mark_re]

I think because the Channel Islands aren't in the EU.

 

[jopsuk]

You only get duty-free at International airports if you're flying to somewhere outside the EU.

I think the answer with the trains is that it's too much of a hassle to make economic sense on the cross border services.

 

[Butts]

You only get duty-free at International airports if you're flying to somewhere outside the EU.

I think the answer with the trains is that it's too much of a hassle to make economic sense on the cross border services.

May also have something to do with the fact UK prices for cigarettes are higher than in most of mainland europe hence making it less economical.

 

[Greenback]

It's far too much of a hassle on trains. When would you start to seel the duty free products? When would you stop?

Ferries and aircraft are considered to be in international airspace or international waters, there is no concept of anything like this for land travel - you simply cross a line from one country and are immediately in another one.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

May also have something to do with the fact UK prices for cigarettes are higher than in most of mainland europe hence making it less economical.

What has it got to do with UK prices? I thought we were discussing international trains between the EU and non EU states?

 

[Mark_re]

I'm not sure this is strictly true. I'm sure I recall there being duty free shops in the 'no man's land' between the border posts, when driving from Russia to Latvia.

 

[Butts]

It's far too much of a hassle on trains. When would you start to seel the duty free products? When would you stop?

Ferries and aircraft are considered to be in international airspace or international waters, there is no concept of anything like this for land travel - you simply cross a line from one country and are immediately in another one.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


What has it got to do with UK prices? I thought we were discussing international trains between the EU and non EU states?

As 20 cigarettes in the UK are roughly say £6.80 at retail the price without any duty is probably about £2.00 roughly thus giving £4 odd to play with in respect of giving the customer a bargain at say £3.50 and trousering £1odd a pack themselves to run the operation.

If in France a packet is only £5 to buy your profit margin is much more minimal hence not making it worthwhile.

 

[Mark_re]

You want to take the train from Serbia to Bulgaria. All the way from Nis to the border, there were people unscrewing panels and lifting up seat cushions to stash their fags. The border check (back into the EU) was pretty thorough, but faced with the dozens of people who were doing it, the Bulgarians hauled off one-or-two as an example.

As soon as we were in Bulgaria, all the panels were unscrewed again, and the fags removed. I can't remember how much my friend was paying in Serbia, but it was of the order of 50p for 20. In Bulgaria it was about £1.20 for 20.

Also hilarious was getting a bollucking for smoking in the carriage as we crossed the border. It's legal in Serbia, but not in Bulgaria. Same train, same compartment, same guard. The grandma next to us hid her lit fag under her skirt before he left!

Mark

 

[Butts]

You want to take the train from Serbia to Bulgaria. All the way from Nis to the border, there were people unscrewing panels and lifting up seat cushions to stash their fags. The border check (back into the EU) was pretty thorough, but faced with the dozens of people who were doing it, the Bulgarians hauled off one-or-two as an example.

As soon as we were in Bulgaria, all the panels were unscrewed again, and the fags removed. I can't remember how much my friend was paying in Serbia, but it was of the order of 50p for 20. In Bulgaria it was about £1.20 for 20.

Also hilarious was getting a bollucking for smoking in the carriage as we crossed the border. It's legal in Serbia, but not in Bulgaria. Same train, same compartment, same guard. The grandma next to us hid her lit fag under her skirt before he left!

Mark

I wish I had the problem of paying 50p or £1.20 - these must be the sweepings off the floor !!!

Do they have any non-smoking carriages ???

 

[Greenback]

As 20 cigarettes in the UK are roughly say £6.80 at retail the price without any duty is probably about £2.00 roughly thus giving £4 odd to play with in respect of giving the customer a bargain at say £3.50 and trousering £1odd a pack themselves to run the operation.

If in France a packet is only £5 to buy your profit margin is much more minimal hence not making it worthwhile.

Yes, but it's not a question of profit margins, it;s a question of practicalities. There is no international land - being as a train has a physical connection with the territory of a country at all times, there are no legal grounds for duty free sales on a train.

As for duty free in a station, if there are no customs facilities and no check in or security facilities, then again there is nowhere that can be considered international space in which duty free products can be sold.

It is also the case on cruise ships that duty free goods can only be bought when the ship is not in port. In fact the shops selling duty or tax free goods are only open when the ship is outside territorial waters.

 

[Mark_re]

...not that I can recall. The trains in the Balkans are really rather basic. The highlight was Sarajevo - Mostar (~3hours for €5), which was formed exclusively of 2nd-hand ÖBB 1st class saloons. Really sumptuous, but creaking along ancient Yugoslavian track at 50kph. Smoking was de rigeur, as was thick tarry coffee from plastic cups for about 20p.

If you really are bargain hunting, L'viv in Ukraine is the place to go. 20 Mores (which are pretty dirty, but not dreadful) were 18p! I'm not a smoker, but at those prices, who would say 'no'?!

 

[Butts]

...not that I can recall. The trains in the Balkans are really rather basic. The highlight was Sarajevo - Mostar (~3hours for €5), which was formed exclusively of 2nd-hand ÖBB 1st class saloons. Really sumptuous, but creaking along ancient Yugoslavian track at 50kph. Smoking was de rigeur, as was thick tarry coffee from plastic cups for about 20p.

If you really are bargain hunting, L'viv in Ukraine is the place to go. 20 Mores (which are pretty dirty, but not dreadful) were 18p! I'm not a smoker, but at those prices, who would say 'no'?!

At those prices you don't need Duty Free !!!

 

[merlodlliw]

There was no duty free on trains, due to them stopping within the same Country and people could disembark. I can not recall any TEE ever selling duty free on b oard either.

Planes only sell it, if the destination is outside an EU country,same with airports.

Ferries once outside territorial waters of the EU can sell it duty free.

The channel islands do not have any EU vat charges , so exempt within the sea states of the islands.
http://www.gov.je/Government/JerseyWorld/StatisticsUnit/Prices/Pages/Pricecomparisons.aspx reading this gave me a shock.





Swiss trains are the dearest in Europe, or were when I travelled on them

 

[gordonthemoron]

Swiss trains are the dearest in Europe, or were when I travelled on them

too true, lasagne in restaurant car €18, equivalent from my local REWE supermarket in Munich €1,50. The restaurant car wasn't even very nice.

 

[Butts]

There was no duty free on trains, due to them stopping within the same Country and people could disembark. I can not recall any TEE ever selling duty free on b oard either.

Planes only sell it, if the destination is outside an EU country,same with airports.

Ferries once outside territorial waters of the EU can sell it duty free.

The channel islands do not have any EU vat charges , so exempt within the sea states of the islands.
http://www.gov.je/Government/JerseyWorld/StatisticsUnit/Prices/Pages/Pricecomparisons.aspx reading this gave me a shock.





Swiss trains are the dearest in Europe, or were when I travelled on them

If you fly into Geneva you get a free Train Ticket into town and a free pass to use on local public transport for the duration of your stay - as you said you need it. It used to be over 2 swiss francs to the £1 now it's only about one and a bit.

 

[Squaddie]

Swiss trains are the dearest in Europe, or were when I travelled on them

They can be, but you get what you pay for - the trains are unfailingly punctual, reliable, very comfortable and very, very peaceful, and travelling by train in Switzerland is an utter joy.

Furthermore, hardly anyone pays full fare on Swiss trains: almost every Swiss person who travels by train regularly has a half-price railcard and almost every visitor has a rail pass of some description. A 30-day unlimited Swiss railways pass can be had for around £320 in the UK (£470 first class), which is undoubtedly one of the greatest rail bargains in the world.

 

[6S83]

There was a duty free shop at Kulata station on the Greece-Bulgaria border, never seemed to be open though.

 

[Nigel Gresley]

I find that it is often cheaper to buy at a supermarket or discount shop than at airport duty free prices.