Non-motoring > Is beer cheaper in France or Belgium? Miscellaneous
Thread Author: smokie Replies: 22
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New Sun 25 May 14 15:23 
 Is beer cheaper in France or Belgium? - smokie
Off to Le Mans in a few weeks for the 24h weekend, going Dover Calais and will probably drop across to Adinkerke in Belgium for some cheap fags on the way.

Does anyone know if beer is cheaper in Belgium or France? I may well buy a few Belgian ones to bring back but I need quantity rather than quality for the period at Le Mans.
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New Sun 25 May 14 15:32 
 Is beer cheaper in France or Belgium? - No FM2R
I sometimes wonder if there is a website for everything somewhere out there.

www.pintprice.com/
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New Sun 25 May 14 16:55 
 Is beer cheaper in France or Belgium? - smokie
LOL thanks, not dissimilar to ones I'd found but I'm interested in what supermarket packs of beer cost rather than going for a pint. (Belgium looks massively cheaper for that though!!)
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New Sun 25 May 14 17:02 
 Is beer cheaper in France or Belgium? - No FM2R
I appreciate the pint/supermarket distinction, but I'd think there was some correlation between the two?

Mind you, I suspect it depends on how far you are prepared to step into the "quality not important" minefield. Because there's some nasty, but cheap, stuff out there!
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New Sun 25 May 14 18:29 
 Is beer cheaper in France or Belgium? - smokie
There certainly is, I usually head for Kronenburg or Stella and sometimes Bier 33. The fags look a lot cheaper in Belgium (Tobacco Alley Adinkerke - £45.50 for 200, they'd be about £90 over here. Just was thinking 1 pit stop would be better than two...
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New Sun 25 May 14 18:34 
 Is beer cheaper in France or Belgium? - No FM2R
Kronenburg or 33 for me, never been that struck on Stella.

Its mostly US garbage here.
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New Sun 25 May 14 18:39 
 Is beer cheaper in France or Belgium? - WillDeBeest
Grimbergen. Or better still, Kwak.
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New Sun 25 May 14 19:10 
 Is beer cheaper in France or Belgium? - Dulwich Estate
Last week I bought a 24 bottle box of Top Budget 25cl bottles of Intermarche own brand lager for €5,60. That's 19.05p per bottle and it does me just fine.
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New Sun 25 May 14 19:19 
 Is beer cheaper in France or Belgium? - CGNorwich
For me beer needs to be draught and bought in a pub. A bottle will do at a pinch but I don' t really like tinned lager whatever the price.
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New Sun 25 May 14 19:21 
 Is beer cheaper in France or Belgium? - Runfer D'Hills
With you there CG.
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New Sun 25 May 14 19:18 
 Is beer cheaper in France or Belgium? - Skip

>> Its mostly US garbage here.
>>

Is it "weak" or just tastes crap ?
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New Sun 25 May 14 19:32 
 Is beer cheaper in France or Belgium? - No FM2R
To be fair the bottled varieties are reasonably good from supermarkets. Its the stuff in the bars which is Budweiser, Miller, Corona and the like.

Reasonably pleasant drinks, but not beer.
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New Sun 25 May 14 21:15 
 Is beer cheaper in France or Belgium? - NortonES2
And taste not unlike water. Remarkable how they claim it was once touched with malt, yeast and hops. Some American bottled beers are quite good though: local Waitrose has Sierra Nevada Torpedo. Strong though, at 7.2%! Like the Belgian beers: to be taken in small doses.
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New Sun 25 May 14 23:44 
 Is beer cheaper in France or Belgium? - Bromptonaut
France doubled beer tax c2012.

My choice for French beer is Pelforth Blonde or Brune. TBH it's no longer cheaper than supermarket beer in UK though differing treatment of beer over 5% ABV makes exact comparison difficult.

Still bring it back in bulk though just 'cos I like it.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Sun 25 May 14 at 23:44
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New Mon 26 May 14 05:27 
 Is beer cheaper in France or Belgium? - Pat
We do this run regularly to Adinkerke Smokie and you're right about the cigarretes and baccy being cheaper in Belgium.

However you need to buy beer and wine in France and the most convenient and cheapest are here www.pidou.com/.

If you choose the Calais branch you'll see it's only just off the corridor if you're heading back to Le Shuttle and even closer to Calais Car Ferry.

All brand names are stocked and can be pre-ordered if you want to from the website.

Beer and wine will be on offer at Tobacco Alley and it looks cheap if you go there first, but don't be tempted!

Pat
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New Mon 26 May 14 07:43 
 Is beer cheaper in France or Belgium? - WillDeBeest
Agree with Bromp on Pelforth. It was the the default bière in the village bar nearest where we stayed in 2000, with wisteria-draped terrace and formidably peroxided fiftyish proprietress, and the Blonde (beer that is) went down very nicely at the end of a scorching July afternoon.

The Brune is a different beast, but I bring some home every year because it's the best thing I've found for a beef stew - far better than Guinness, for example, which makes the gravy taste metallic. (Leffe Brune is almost as good, and easier to get in the UK.)
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New Mon 26 May 14 08:57 
 Is beer cheaper in France or Belgium? - smokie
Thanks all. I do agree re beer in a pub but when camping and thirsty at a racetrack that is not an option. Especially at the times it is consumed at (cidre at breakfast seems to be a favourite. Not that Stella cidre though, proper farmhouse cidre is you can get it.).

Pat - don't you need a trade card for Pidou? (I've looked at their site and can't see it though).

Re American beers, I like Sam Adams and Yeungling on draught is quite acceptable.
Last edited by: smokie on Mon 26 May 14 at 08:59
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New Mon 26 May 14 10:50 
 Is beer cheaper in France or Belgium? - Gromit
May be as well to check the carrefour, leclerc and intermarche hypermarket websites and see what's on special offer the week you're travelling.

You'll encounter them all along the motorway on the edge of large towns, and you can fill up on diesel and eat cheaper in their canteens than at motorway service areas while you're at it.

A Google for "cidre artisanale normandie" might turn up something interesting worth hunting down too?
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New Mon 26 May 14 11:33 
 Is beer cheaper in France or Belgium? - Roger.
Try, if you can find it, Damm Estrella - a Spanish beer from Barcelona with a decently high alcohol content and a malty finish.
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New Mon 26 May 14 12:59 
 Is beer cheaper in France or Belgium? - smokie
Yeah time is limited so I am not planning to trawl the supermarkets seeking out the best price. As above, I am already considering a detour via Adinkerke to pick up the fags, that will add about 90 minutes tops but I can bulk buy and make significant savings (probably enough to pay for the trip!!)

I just found my campingaz cylinder is empty too, it's a 907 and as far as I can see they are 2/3rds the price of over here and readily available in the major supermarkets. Carrefour or Auchan it is then!!

I do know my way round Le Mans quite well but race week is always busy and once the tent is set up there is a disinclination to take the car out again as there is too much to see and do (and pals to catch up with) in the 3 days I'll be there. (Cidre for breakfast isn't compatible with driving anyway). So I'll stop en route and stock up with all the supplies I need.
Last edited by: smokie on Mon 26 May 14 at 13:01
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New Mon 26 May 14 13:53 
 Is beer cheaper in France or Belgium? - Gromit
You won't need to detour more than 5 minutes off the autoroute to get into any of the hypermarket chains - they're invariably located by off-ramps on the outskirts of the major towns you'll pass by.

A quick check of their website will let you find locations closest to the towns you'll pass between the ferry/tunnel and Le Mans anyway.
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New Mon 26 May 14 18:27 
 Is beer cheaper in France or Belgium? - PhilW
There's an Auchan at Grande Synthe (Dunkerke) about 2mins off A16 between Adinkirke and Calais.
www.auchan.fr/magasins/dunkerque---grande-synthe/11/informations-pratiques/
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New Mon 26 May 14 17:08 
 Is beer cheaper in France or Belgium? - Pat
No you don't need anything Smokie, there are coachloads there all day and night and the card they speak of are a type of loyalty card to collect points.

Pat
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