Duty Free question

[speke2me]

I am traveling from Rome to Manchester, via Zurich.

Rome and Manchester are in the EU. Yet because in Rome my boarding card is to Zurich, they will sell me duty free. Similarly the Swissair crew, on the leg from Zurich to MAN, will sell me duty free. Don't pass through any customs on the Zurich transfer.

How does that work?

It would appear that I can buy lots of duty free whilst going from one EU city to another, simply because I transfer for 40 minutes in Zurich?

[Hartington]

Simple, you're going to a non-ec country. Now, I know you don't actually enter that country but at the point of purchase at Rome Duty Free the person selling you the duty free only knows you're going to Zurich.

A word of warning. There are lots of stories around about security at transit points taking duty free liquids away. Zurich may be OK but if you are going to buy any of the banned hand baggage items (most obviously booze and perfume) I would buy it on the flight from Zurich.

[radeng]

Don't know about Zurich but duty free at Geneva isn't that cheap. If one flies BA, the problem is that they don't load enough alcohol on the way out, so it all gets sold. If you're on a flight leaving Switzerland that did not originate from the UK, you may be OK buying on the flight.

I know someone who regularly flies on business from Nice to Gatwick via Geneva or Zurich so he can get the duty free.....in that case, it's best to go to Zurich because the Geneva flight lands in France, so there's no DF.

[k3lvc]

You may not pass through customs in ZRH but you will pass through security when the 100ml rule applies - unlikely that the Duty Free operator (or on board) will operate the sealed bag principle.

ZRH Duty Free page attached - don't know about you but I don't see the prices as particularly worth shouting about - CHF23.90 (GBP16) for a Bombay Sapphire when a certain loco will do "2 for GBP20"

DUTYFREEPARADISE.CH BY NUANCE - AIRPORT ZURICH (http://www.dutyfreeparadise.ch/zrh_d_en.html)

[crewmeal]

ZRH Duty Free page attached - don't know about you but I don't see the prices as particularly worth shouting about - CHF23.90 (GBP16) for a Bombay Sapphire when a certain loco will do "2 for GBP20"


Almost as good as Asda's price a few weeks ago. To me duty free is a thing of the past unless you're smoker flying from outside the EU where cigarettes are still cheap and worth buying. There are some bargains to be had at Dixons if you're into electronics etc, now the VAT is 20%, but apart from that I can't see anything else worth buying.

[ExXB]

Don't know about Zurich but duty free at Geneva isn't that cheap. If one flies BA, the problem is that they don't load enough alcohol on the way out, so it all gets sold. If you're on a flight leaving Switzerland that did not originate from the UK, you may be OK buying on the flight.

I know someone who regularly flies on business from Nice to Gatwick via Geneva or Zurich so he can get the duty free.....in that case, it's best to go to Zurich because the Geneva flight lands in France, so there's no DF.

Radeng, that's not the way GVA works. When arriving from a French point of origin you have the option of leaving the airport on the French side (no customs) or the Swiss side (Swiss customs). But if you are in transit you only go through security before arriving in the 'sterile area' where all the Duty Free shops are. This works because both FR and CH are Schengen countries (but customs controls still apply).

Believe this the same at Basle/Mulhouse airport, but haven't been through there for years ...

In respect to 'expensive' Swiss Duty Free, this is more a factor of the fall in value of the pound/euro vis-a-vis the franc. Doesn't make it easier on your pocket-book though.

[Businesstraveller]

On that very issue...

In a few weeks time I'm travelling from Hong Kong to Birmingham, via Bangkok and Frankfurt. Flight is with Thai Airlines for the first/second leg and Lufthansa for the third leg. Am I likely to encounter security issues at Frankfurt if I have duty free purchased in Hong Kong or Bangkok?

Any informed responses would be great.

[radeng]

If you are flying from Nice to Geneva, you land in France. So there's no DF on the flight, and you can't get DF at Nice. In transit, of course, you can get DF at Geneva, but the prices are better in France.

[ExXB]

On that very issue...

In a few weeks time I'm travelling from Hong Kong to Birmingham, via Bangkok and Frankfurt. Flight is with Thai Airlines for the first/second leg and Lufthansa for the third leg. Am I likely to encounter security issues at Frankfurt if I have duty free purchased in Hong Kong or Bangkok?

Any informed responses would be great.From the Frankfurt airport web-site (http://www.frankfurt-airport.com/content/frankfurt_airport/en/checkin_luggage/hand_luggage/duty-free_items.html).

Passengers are permitted to carry through the security checkpoints all liquids purchased duty-free on the day of their flight at any airport in the EU, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Croatia, as well as at Singapore-Changi Airport, Kuala Lumpur Airport (Malaysia), all international airports in the U.S., selected airports in Canada or aboard aircraft of a EU airline, provided these items are placed in a transparent, tamper-evident bag sealed on purchase by the duty-free sales staff.

So, Yes you will not be permitted to take your liquids (over 100ml) through Frankfurt Security.

[The SSK]

Depends when is 'in a few weeks'.

In a few weeks the rules will change.

[speke2me]

A word of warning. There are lots of stories around about security at transit points taking duty free liquids away. Zurich may be OK but if you are going to buy any of the banned hand baggage items (most obviously booze and perfume) I would buy it on the flight from Zurich.

Good point. I had bought a litre bottle of 'Limoncello' in Rome FCO. Although it had been properly sealed in a bag at FCO, ZRH security pulled it aside and got quite interested. Until one of his colleagues said 'Ah, Roma, Italiano!'

So I got away with it - phew!

[speke2me]

Thank you all for your very helpful posts.

This morning I made the same trip back. I bought fags earlier at a 'Tabachi' in Rome, EC Duty paid, so no problem. I also bought Duty Free on the leg from ZRH to MAN. 400 cigs, but with a colleague, so not over the limit. Reckon that's legal?

In ZRH I wonder if I really enter the country of Switzerland, albeit for half an hour? I have to go through passport checks, and between there and security for the next leg is an 'exit' sign, to Switzerland?

A little bewildering is the fact that after de-planing, passports, queues for security etc, we actually got back onto exactly the same plane (although different crew) for the last leg to Manchester. We know because a lady colleague had exactly the same piece of chewing gum stuck to exactly the same seat back! I wonder if all the checked baggage did the same trip? Pity if you get to MAN and your bag never made the transfer?

As for pricing, on the Swissair flight it was CHF80 for 400 Marlboro, which works out at GBP 53.50, ie £2.68 a pack of twenty. Pretty cheap compared to £7 a pack, or so, in UK

:)