What can't I buy in France and should bring from UK?
Discussion
rdjohn said:
Macron said tonight that you might need a negative Covid test to enter France on Friday.- worth checking the detail will come tomorrow.
Hope things go OK for you.
Annoying little president! Hope things go OK for you.
Í’m arriving on Thursday thank goodness. But he’s probably buggered our plans to pick up all the furniture we’ve bought on Saturday. Why couldn’t he wait till next week, the t
t?AndrewCrown said:
- Herbs... In supermarkets, hard to find corriander, fresh chillies.. possibly more of a market thing.
Depending if you have one near you, Cora do both, frozen and fresh readily available - my local Intermarche does too, but that may have regional variations I guess. www.cora.fr
I've also managed to source various British items (including mini kegs of Spitfire) from
https://www.maxplus.fr/
(again, sorry, I scanned the thread but couldn't see where you are moving to, so not sure if there is one anywhere near you.)
Maxplus is a kind of discount / end of line place - can be a bit of a dumping ground, but worth a look.
Agree with the various comments about DIY prices, but I rent (here for a fixed time) so this has less impact to me.
I'd probably add (if you consume any of them!)
Stuffing
Gravy granules
Branston Pickle
Christmas pudding
Other than that, like someone else stated, it's good to bring some stuff if you like to acclimatise to the higher prices - but then I find the overall living costs about the same... For every one thing that is more expensive (cars
) there tends to be an offset cheaper one (houses) (YMMV). All the very best with the move!
Ah yes!
France: French authorities banned the sale, distribution and use of Roundup 360 in early 2019. In May of 2019, French Agriculture Minister Didier Guillaume announced that France would eliminate the use of glyphosate by 2021 with limited exceptions.
A farm not too far away from my mother’s house received a huge fine for using it.
France: French authorities banned the sale, distribution and use of Roundup 360 in early 2019. In May of 2019, French Agriculture Minister Didier Guillaume announced that France would eliminate the use of glyphosate by 2021 with limited exceptions.
A farm not too far away from my mother’s house received a huge fine for using it.
So it looks as though I won't be visiting "le chateau' anytime soon then.... ☹️
Re the weedkiller.... I had a visit from some Environmental Officers 2-3 yrs ago waving bits of paper about fines for using weedkiller near a small stream on the boundary. Apparently no usage within 5m to prevent contamination of the water.
Fine for the Commune gardener to spray the Japanese Knotweed on the bank of the stream at the end of our drive....
Re the weedkiller.... I had a visit from some Environmental Officers 2-3 yrs ago waving bits of paper about fines for using weedkiller near a small stream on the boundary. Apparently no usage within 5m to prevent contamination of the water.
Fine for the Commune gardener to spray the Japanese Knotweed on the bank of the stream at the end of our drive....
Bullet-Proof_Biscuit said:
My friend has discovered on 'Le bon coin' that motorbikes are mucho cheaper in France than UK, specifically old stuff, contrary to voiture prices. Given not something you might wish to take in hand luggage on a Ryanair flight.
Thanks for that info. I shall check that out. I’m planning to start a business restoring and selling old things. Initially furniture, but later cars. I hadn’t thought bikes but I can rebuild a small frame Vespa with my eyes closed. Sebastian Tombs said:
Bullet-Proof_Biscuit said:
My friend has discovered on 'Le bon coin' that motorbikes are mucho cheaper in France than UK, specifically old stuff, contrary to voiture prices. Given not something you might wish to take in hand luggage on a Ryanair flight.
Thanks for that info. I shall check that out. I’m planning to start a business restoring and selling old things. Initially furniture, but later cars. I hadn’t thought bikes but I can rebuild a small frame Vespa with my eyes closed. Reading through this thread has made me smile. I'll start with an example of a friend who has lived here for more than 25 years and asked me last year to bring back some horseradish. He hadn't had the wit to look it up in the dictionary and find that here it is crême de raifort, and damned good it is too, being rather hot. Brillo pads I was told don't exist, but they do; they just aren't called Brillo. Bisto I can get at Super U or Carrefour, and finding the right spices to make my own Jalfrezi sauce is simple but some supermarkets stock the Patak's jars too. Just ask friends where there is an Asian shop, Most towns have one and I buy my whole grain rice there too. Steak for a S & K pie is macreuse, and so on. Yes, as said, cheddar is a problem but I place an order with Bacon in the Box twice a year and get bangers, bacon, and cheese for me and French friends who have been to England and acquired the taste. But cheddar is also available at the market. For cooking, buy a packet of grated Compté - it's fine. Here in the north there is an English butcher called Elliots (you'll find them on the net) and they also stock loads of things like pickled onions if that takes your fancy. They are only 60 miles away and make about the best pork pie I have ever tasted and you can get national delivery. Has bedding been mentioned? You can get king size mattresses, but dear, so buy in the UK if you are bringing a bed. And bedding too. Pity Dunelm don't deliver to France, but John Lewis do.
Some things here are very dear, paint for example, and it is the system that is to blame I'm told. The paint is sold to a wholesaler who sells it to Leroy Merlin who sell it to you.
Medicines; If I am running low on Doliprane I ask my doctor to add some to my Ventoline prescription. It's free that way. The system is why you find any French bathroom cabinet stuffed full, not just containing plasters and aspirin.
I've been here over 20 years and really lack for nothing. I could and do live without English food most of the time, but just now and then have a yearning for a bacon sarney, and Bacon in the Box fill that gap very nicely, but for cooking lardons fumé have the same taste anyway. And finally - washing up liquid? I've never noticed the difference really.
Some things here are very dear, paint for example, and it is the system that is to blame I'm told. The paint is sold to a wholesaler who sells it to Leroy Merlin who sell it to you.
Medicines; If I am running low on Doliprane I ask my doctor to add some to my Ventoline prescription. It's free that way. The system is why you find any French bathroom cabinet stuffed full, not just containing plasters and aspirin.
I've been here over 20 years and really lack for nothing. I could and do live without English food most of the time, but just now and then have a yearning for a bacon sarney, and Bacon in the Box fill that gap very nicely, but for cooking lardons fumé have the same taste anyway. And finally - washing up liquid? I've never noticed the difference really.
Edited by lowdrag on Saturday 14th November 13:33
On topic of salted pork, get some Gésier, literal translation gizzards, it is the most best super bacon you will have ever tried, trust me.
You just have to tell people what it is AFTER you feed it to them.
Honestly it's really good bacon type stuff.
Typically served like this, basically a BLT but without bread (works with bread tho):
https://cookpad.com/uk/recipes/337202-salade-de-ge...
You just have to tell people what it is AFTER you feed it to them.
Honestly it's really good bacon type stuff.
Typically served like this, basically a BLT but without bread (works with bread tho):
https://cookpad.com/uk/recipes/337202-salade-de-ge...
Bullet-Proof_Biscuit said:
On topic of salted pork, get some Gésier, literal translation gizzards, it is the most best super bacon you will have ever tried, trust me.
You just have to tell people what it is AFTER you feed it to them.
Honestly it's really good bacon type stuff.
Typically served like this, basically a BLT but without bread (works with bread tho):
https://cookpad.com/uk/recipes/337202-salade-de-ge...
Tried it, just not my thing You just have to tell people what it is AFTER you feed it to them.
Honestly it's really good bacon type stuff.
Typically served like this, basically a BLT but without bread (works with bread tho):
https://cookpad.com/uk/recipes/337202-salade-de-ge...
lowdrag said:
I could and do live with English food most of the time.
lowdrag also said:
...Bisto...S & K pie...cheddar...bangers...bacon...pork pie...just now and then have a yearning for a bacon sarney...
I am amused that our local supermakret, in their English foods section, sells Heinz Worcestershire sauce. I have never seen that for sale in England.
Edited by Doofus on Saturday 14th November 17:40
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