Tax free is NOT profit free. The only "deals" are cigarettes and liquor. I've been known to buy things at the Louvre boutique because I've been in a pinch.!! Please remember, you are required to be leaving the EU.

St.Germain, The prices are very "relative", if my wife wants the items, they are very cheap, ishe already bought them they are very expensive! (I would not be surprised that you are in the same "relative" situation!).

BP Chuck

The problem is here: I am not leaving EU in a number of years. I mean usually departmentstore taxfree is only meant for tourists, and if I leave EU for holiday etc they will not give me the refund at the custom. This is for sure.
I will have to check out when I am there.

I would tend to agree with St. G on airport prices, certainly on recognizable items. Booze( at one time was a real give away) no question is cheaper. I would say the same thing about most all branded items. Some promotions are occasionally hard to resist.

Chuck - I do not think all the prices are higher at the airport. At least that has not been my wife's experience, who does all the shopping.

genied, At the airpoer tax free shop you will not have to pay the "Value added tax" but you will pay much higher purchase prices than in shops in Paris (due to the fact this is the last chance to buy certain products in France, and they have yo comming and going). Remember that at many dept stores you also can get the paperwork for geting the value added tax reimbursed, if you have the customs stamp the paperwork when you leave. Remember all purchases are expensive at the airports. Naturally the "customs duty" depends what country you are going to, and how much "merchandise" you are bringing in.

BP Chuck

Well, I will go check out the airport taxfree then, thank you Karen. I am not American:P not EU citizen either:P, just my residence is in EU. So I might take the advantage.

Question: Are you traveling on a EU passport or an American one? I live in the EU but always buy cosmetics the airport. Please remember that there are stores in Paris with much better selections ... tax free does not mean duty free. Liquor and cigarettes are the last remaining good buy. Do NOT buy wine at the airport.

Oh what a pity.
In Finland, airport's official taxfree shop sells taxfree items to EU outbound travelers only. But in Germany, they sell taxfree items to everyone.

Genied, I would say that you are lucky, as if other tax free shops do not sell to EU residents tax free the airport shop I think will not sell you neither. Consider your slelf lucky that you do not have to pay their inflated high prices! Did you try the large Dept. stores, such as le Printemps or the Galeries Lafayette?


BP Chuck

Dear friends,

I will probably need to buy some cosmetics at the airport before I leave Paris, but I wonder if the airport taxfree shop (The airport's taxfree shop, which sells cosmetics perfumes etc) is taxfree to all travelers, or only those going to outside EU? Because we live in EU, we cannot get taxfree items from normal shops, the airport taxfree is our last hope.