bob o Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 Hi All We are going to France soon with our motorhome and would like to know if there are any restrictions on what food can be taken there. We would be grateful for any information,thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twooks Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 not at the moment - but why would you want to ?????? super / hyper markets open most hours - usually not Sundays local markets - usually excellent and as for bread can almost taste it now!! even in doubt about current restrictions best bet is to contact the ferry company [or presumably the tunnel] I've usually found them most reliable for info on this. where are you going?? B-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggyd Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 I asked this same question as we go over next week, Im taking coffee, tea , a couple of tins of tuna, corned beef, just odds and bods really OH is telling me we will stock up over there but I like a couple of things in Oh and the dog food. Hope you enjoy your trip :-D as first timers ourselves I know how your feeling but weve loaded the supermarkets on to Tom Tom so hopefully we wont starve. p.s. somebody said you cant take fresh meat! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trooper Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 We are just back from france after another month there, FOOD , that is the last thing to think about, its everywhere, including coffee at under 2 euros a large jar, but generaly we look on food as being about the same price as here ( havent worked it out). Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 If you like baked beans take some with you, there's are nothing like ours, also good old mushy peas. :D You can get tea there but it isn't cheap so I'd suggest taking enough for your trip, we bought some in Holland and it was twice the price of ours, not as nice but okay. Dog food - if you dog is picky you might like to consider taking a fair bit with you again, you don't want a doggy with an upset tummy from changing their diet ... been there, done that, not pretty! If you like British cheese (eg chedder), again take it with you as you'll pay quite a price for it there. Other than that, a lot of the food is pretty much the same price as here, in some cases it can be more expensive though, especially some meats. The fresh fruit and veg, though, is wonderful - the radishes are wonderfully 'hot'!!! We found some of the nicest bread is from the cheaper shops, Lidl, Aldi etc, they do a proper range in there, unlike our own shops which don't. As for what not to risk taking - we've never yet been questions as to what we've got in our larder, freezer etc so tend to stock the freezer up with meat and the cupboard with a few staples to keep us going for a few days just in case the need arises (eg if you're poorly and can't get to the shops). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob o Posted June 18, 2008 Author Share Posted June 18, 2008 Thank you everybody for your replies,we thought it would be ok, but the Boss insisted that I check ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Usinmyknaus Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 Bob o. I wonder if you were enquiring about meat, meat products and dairy items? There were restrictions in place last year but when we went to France recently there was no longer any publicity material such as warning notices at points of departure or arrival that we could see and we had no problems. I have just checked the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website as I am off to France again soon and I could find no warnings of such restrictions. I normally only take one or two portions of fresh meat, a little cheese and some canned "emergency rations" because as has already been said by others, most produce is better in France anyway. You probably know but just in case, the FCO is warning visitors that the new law in France requiring all vehicles to carry a warning triangle and reflective vest will be enforced from 1 July 2008 and that the police are likely to hand out 90 Euro fines for missing items from that date. Have a great trip. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hopesy Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 Bacon and proper cider :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trooper Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 just a thought, If you like fresh milk a good one is filtered lait frais, it tasts the same as normal but has a much longer life, normaly found after a hunt with normal fresh milk. cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Le Thou Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 MelB's right with that you have to take English essentials like beans or even the odd jar of curry if that's your bent.But other than that the food in France is excellent, you can but a full skinned fresh rabbit for less than 10 euro's and more cheval than you can shake a stick at!! Enjoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twooks Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 bring on the cheval -- good cholesterol rating helps cancel out the frites - n garlic mayo B-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catinou Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 We have just been to France for the weekend and wish we were back already. We travelled on the Tunnel for the first time with the MH and picked up loads of tips from here - thanks all - taking a flask of really hot water for coffee on the 30/35 minute journey was great, you can't beat lounging on the bed with a coffee by your side, reading a magazine to relax and prepare for the M25!!!! B-) Just a word of warning if you are going to the big hypermarkets - City Europe is shut on Sundays, as is Auchan. We were having a look round at the ? new? parking space for motorhomes at City Europe and met up with a couple who were at the end of their 5 week French holiday and had decided to do all their homeward bound shopping for wine etc. on the Sunday before they headed back home - they were pretty disappointed to be told the shops were shut..... :-( Apart from that you can get practically anything from any of the supermarkets - not as cheap as last year, but where is? Have a really great time and let us all know how you get on..... :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 Take enough in your cupboards/fridge for about 3 days - that should be sufficient time to root out, get the hang of, the French Supermarkets. Yes, they often do shut Sundays, and Friday evening and Saturday mornings are bad times for novice shoppers! I’m unaware of any that don’t take UK cards, except either Liddle or Aldi – forget which - but we don’t like either, so only go in extremis!If you're addicted to instant coffee it can pay to take what you know & like, but ground is generally cheaper in France - and who drinks instant from choice? I agree about tea, but I don't drink the stuff! Otherwise, the best way to get value from French supermarkets, is to shift your diet towards what the French eat. Don't expect too much from supermarket beef or veal, it is seldom prime cut stuff and isn't ideal for "quick sizzle" cooking. However, poultry and pork are generally excellent. Fruit and veg are generally cheap and plentiful. However, be aware that you may need to weigh what you select on scales in the veg section and get a stick-on printed price ticket. Normal etiquette is to tie the bag first, just to show you haven't cheated! Just watch what the locals do and do likewise. Nearly all French cheese is soft, unlike our hard cheeses. If you like cheese on toast take hard as suggested, otherwise dive in an experiment. The variety is huge. Remember vache is cow, chevre is goat and brebis is sheep. If they look yellow and wrinkly they are generally good! Lots of wine on the shelves, but do tread with caution as many supermarkets do not grade the prices, and it is not uncommon to find €40 bottles alongside €4 ones. If you look on the label for “mise en bouteillle a la propriete”, or similar, at somewhere around €5/6, you shouldn’t be disappointed: if you go for the cheapest you may find all the enamel comes of your teeth, but equally, you may be agreeably surprised.Oh, and you’ll need a €1 or €0.5 (50 cent) (sometimes €2) coin to get a supermarket trolley! They all have coin-op locks you release by pressing the appropriate coin into a slot, so it is worth getting, and hanging onto, one coin of each denomination for your shopping trips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twooks Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 Well said Brian, the shopping trolleys will - generally - accept the trolley tokens that are in use here - so by extension may also take £ coins [which are rapidly heading for 1 : 1 !! parity we tend to live off: bread [in all its forms], cheese, pate, salad, tomatoes, and fruit - especially small strawberries and chantilly :D :D B-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickt Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 Just come back from a trip to Croatia, crossed over at Dover/Calais nobody asked if we had any food on board. The only looked in the van in Calais and when asked why was told they were looking for ilegals Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hopesy Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 Take your "Bags For Life" shopping bags as french supermarkets charge for all plastic bags and those cardboard flatpack wine carriers seem to come in handy for some reason :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 Don't try to put £1 coins in the trolley slots! Our local Aldi has some trollies that, even though they are supposed to take £1 coins, they jam and you then look like a complete idiot trying to get it out. We now use a 1 euro coin in them here as well as abroad. As for the soft cheese - don't over do it if you're not used to it ... it can have rather unfortunate consequences! 8-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob o Posted July 7, 2008 Author Share Posted July 7, 2008 Hi All We have recently returned from our first trip to France with the motorhome and have had a wonderful time. There wasn't any problem with getting supplies,of course, and next time we will only take a few basic things to start us off.If anyone is thinking about going for the first time then the replies received to our first post were very helpful and accurate. Bob :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly58 Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 We have recently returned from our 2nd trip to France this year and never had any trouble with taking food with us we had frozen home cooked lasagne / curry / cottage pie , and frozen chicken fillets /sausages / burgers ( uncooked ) fresh milk eggs and bacon we were only asked to stop at immigration to check the gas was turned off food was not mentioned and of course as the frozen food was used it allowed space in the freezer for some ice cream to have with the fresh strawberries we purchase en route, one of the only restrictions was not to bring eggs into the UK because of bird flu there are ample supermarkets to get provisions and as a bonus the diesel is a lot cheaper at the supermarkets as well .enjoy..http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/images/emoticons/icon_lol.gifhttp://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/images/emoticons/icon_razz.gifhttp://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/images/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 Re the supermarkets in France - these are usually open on Sundays (8.30 - 12.00) in tourist areas and many towns also have street markets on Sundays too (most finist at 12.00). Be careful to watch the use-by date as they are not good at checking the shelves. I have been caught out several times and if you are on a journey it is too late by the time you find out. Although French bread goes stale within hours it keeps fresh for days in the freezer. Either let it defrost naturally (baguettes defrost very quickly) or pop in the oven to crisp up again. Contrary to most others I actually buy my tea in France and bring it back to England. Although Lipton is an English make they do not sell Yellow Label in GB.Consumer laws are different in France too - forget our 12 month's guarantee even if goods are faulty so it is very difficult to get a shop (particularly a supermarket to exchange goods i.e. wrong size or refund i.e. change of mind. Many electrical goods have 2-year guarantees though.I tend to bring home wine in boxes rather than bottles now - less weight and once opened it lasts well for eight weeks (I live alone!). A good dry white is Muscadet Sevre et Maine sur Lie (the last two words are important for a good bottle). Mix with creme de cassis to make a Kir as an aperitif or, if you have strong legs, mix red wine with creme de mure, quite potent! There is a wide range of aperitifs in supermarkets, not too expensive, so you could experiment. I enjoy Bagnols or Porto as some are too sweet for me now (diabetic) but used to like Muscat de Baume et Venise and a good white desert wine over strawberries is wonderful. Cuts of meat are very different but the small family butchers will prepare the meat carefully i.e. remove fat etc.If you are on a diet beware the cake shops (especially in Normandy) - need I say more!If you fancy eating out in the evening it is a very good idea to walk round the restuarants at lunchtime and see which ones are full of French locals. Meals are much cheaper at lunchtime too. Restaurants in France always serve bread with the meal and a pichet of water (bottled water if you prefer but it is expensive). Pichets of house wine vary in quality but are usually good value. You may be offered a complimentary aperitif with a speciality of the house or a coffee if you eat away from the touristy areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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