Food Prices

[kelly58]

There has been a lot of discussion regarding the cost of food in France and us like many others try to take as much with us to avoid buying whilst abroad.

We have just returned from a few days on the IOM visiting our daughter and nearly passed out when I bought a dozen standard eggs £4.20 per dozen " we only pay our local farmer £1.60 per doz for free range " then if that was not enough we paid £3.90 for 2 cups of not very good coffee at the summit of Snae Fell in what could only be discribed as a " Greasy Spoon " . Looking forward to getting a new motorhome so as we can return to touring France again.

[mirage]

Red Meat i.e. lamb/beef has always been expensive in France other than that we hav`nt noticed anything particularily expensive, some items especially fruit/salad items can much cheaper. We found Croatia specifically Rovinj more expensive for food shopping than the eurozone.

[Guest pelmetman]

I think its down to where you shop, not only in france but here aswell.

For example half a dozen free range eggs from the farmer opposite 50p,

 

Piece of top side from the butcher in the next village excellant quality melt in your mouth tender enough for 8 meals £8.60 works out at less than £1.10 per portion.

 

Thats the difference when you source local food and avoid the big boys B-)

 

As for veg it costs me more to grow my own (lol)

[Porky]

We were amazed at the extra cost (approx a third extra) when we crossed from Spain to France (Biarritz) earlier this year. It was not a tourist town but it was very noticeable across all items. Looks like the pound is improving against the €, forward purchase value is up too.

[Brian Kirby]

Are you sure about that, Roy?  I only ask because comparing purchases in Spain - a whole country - with apparently one set of purchases in France, at Biarritz, seems a bit liable to mislead, and because 30% is a huge difference.

Our general experience, over a number of years, is that the cost of a trolley of food, bought in a supermarket in most European countries, is not that much different in price from country to country.  However, we do vary our diet to suit what is locally available and popular.  Trying to eat "English" outside England is a punitively expensive exercise.

Certain individual items vary widely in cost, agreed, but on a swings-and-roundabouts basis, the overall cost of food seems not to vary that greatly.  What is at least as significant as the price differences between countries, are the price differences between regions, and even towns, and those between various supermarket chains.  I would also add that quality affects price, particularly with meat.

By the way, Biarritz may not have struck you as touristy, but that is mainly because it takes great care to keep the "tourists" out in favour of the wealthy.  It is, if you will, the Cannes of the French Atlantic coast, and trades on its exclusivity - or at least it aways has.  That may explain why you found it pricey, because we have noticed that wealthier areas tend to be more expensive than less well off areas.  We like Alsace, but it is not a cheap part of France for food or restaurant meals (or local wines, for that matter - almost invariably cheaper elsewhere!), so one has to be a bit selective where one shops.

[Madmaggott]

When we were in France we did the same as we do at home; don't make any firm decision about what to buy until we have seen what is 'on special' or 'best buy'. 

We didn't spend more on food than we would normally do at home, we don't take loads of food with us only a few standbys 'just in case' as I can't see the point of carting loads of food across continents when it is just as easy to obtain where we are going. 

 

[Guest Tracker]

For those who hate carrying a full tank of water due to the alleged adverse effect on fuel economy - could you carry 100kg of food instead?

 

If we couldn't afford to buy the local food we wouldn't go so far and save money on fuel too - but using Aires gives us the chance to repay the towns and villages for their hospitality.

 

So we try and buy local and who cares how much it costs - within reason of course - as for us shopping local is as much a part of being away as the scenery?

 

But that's just our point of view and there are other points of view available!

[Guest pelmetman]

My old man lives in Spain and moans all the time about the cost of food, but he will only buy English food for the most part *-)

 

When we go out we buy the local food at the markets, and there is not much difference.

 

Don't know why he moved out there he does not even like the sun (lol)

Moans all the time about having no money left, I point out he should'nt of wasted all his money at BH (lol)

[lennyhb]

I usually find a bit France cheaper & better quality food than the UK, haven't been since June will find out at the end of the month when we will be there for 3 weeks. Always find Germany a lot cheaper. Don't know what eggs cost get ours from the chicken coop in the garden.

 

Working in Lithuania at the moment in the capital Vilnius if you eat in local as opposed to tourist restaurants 3 course meal & 2 pints of beer about £10, beer in hotel bar same price as any bar that's a surprise.

A bit warm here they have had the heatwave that effected Russia a bit cooler today but has been over 35 deg.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[lennyhb]

I usually find a bit France cheaper & better quality food than the UK, haven't been since June will find out at the end of the month when we will be there for 3 weeks. Always find Germany a lot cheaper. Don't know what eggs cost get ours from the chicken coop in the garden.

 

Working in Lithuania at the moment in the capital Vilnius if you eat in local as opposed to tourist restaurants 3 course meal & 2 pints of beer about £10, beer in hotel bar same price as any bar that's a surprise.

A bit warm here they have had the heatwave that effected Russia a bit cooler today but has been over 35 deg.