More people from Britain are going to France to stock up on wine and other drinks, as the savings are now greater than they have ever been.

This is due to a potent mix of rising liquor duties in the UK and a weakening euro giving better exchange rates. According to a recent report in the Daily Telegraph, it’s a combination that has ushered in the “new age of the booze cruise”.

The newspaper also points out that tax on wine is an astonishing eight times higher in Britain than in France, and the gap has widened over the past few years.

There are no limits on the quantity you bring in as long as you don’t intend to sell the wine and no import tax is due on alcohol brought in from France, providing it is for personal use, which includes large purchases for weddings, events and parties. With savings of around £4 on an average priced quality wine and £12.50 on a bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne, there’s plenty to celebrate.

Don’t forget that you can book ferry and Eurostar crossings on our travel pages – and why not make your booze cruise into a French mini-break? If you’re shopping at the Calais hypermarkets, visit the Cote d’Opale, the Boulogne aquarium and pretty inland towns like Ardres with its lovely lake.

We have a range of accommodation in the Nord-Pas de Calais and Normandy as well as in the Champagne area and all the wine regions of France. With this year’s harvest time approaching in the vineyards, the next few weeks are great for a visit. Salut!