Duty Free
| 8th May 2015
No matter how often you visit airports, duty free shopping might be an interesting experience. As it is normally better to arrive at the airport a couple of hours before the departure (in case of traffic or crowds at security), you might find yourself with a lot of time on your hands. You always have to pass a few duty free (or tax free) shops to get to your gate but they are also conveniently located all over any airport within walking distance.
Usually, the products you find at airports are a little cheaper because the retailers are exempt from paying certain local or national taxes or duties provided that the travellers take the goods out of the country. However, not all items will be cheaper than outside the airport, for example, locally produced items or items that tourists usually buy when on holidays are almost always more expensive at airports so we recommend getting those while exploring your destination. It’s usually a good idea to do some research online especially if you’re looking for something in particular. Generally, the products you find in duty free, like cosmetics, alcohol, garments, electronics, sweets, etc. come from the big labels. Liquor and tobacco usually offer the best discounts.
Duty Free Addict is a website that compares brands and products at duty free shops in 14 different countries. Travel + Leisure provides ranking of the best duty free shopping. Esquire describes the cheapest finds.
