It has been forever since I have had to take a no-non-stop fight and unfortunately can't get a non-stop ewr-txl on ff miles and have to stop in Amsterdam.

My question is can I hit duty free twice? I think I remember doing so years ago, but not sure. My goal is to hit duty free at Newark on the way out, hit it again in Amsterdam and then to the same on the way back--duty-free Berlin, then again in Amsterdam.

I have my reasons--not as weird as it sounds.

Thanks in advance.

Just remember that you won't be able to take any liquids through security and you will go through security in AMS after arriving from EWR and also on your return from Berlin. If it's anything else then by all means visit as many duty free shops as you want in EWR and AMS and you can also purchase duty free on the plane (usually few $ cheaper than land based duty free shops.

The airplane duty free catalog is limited so if you are looking for something specific you may want to purchase it at the land based duty free shops.

I am buying cigarettes in bulk, specifically Gauloises which are not legally sold/imported in the US anymore due to the paper used(except at dutyfree)--hence hitting dutyfree twice.

I don't buy liquor at dutyfree--it doesn't tend to be a good value.

No need for anyone to reply in any judgment fashion about the purchase, am fully aware of cigarette hatred and that smoking kills--the box reiterates that every time I look at it. Also aware of how many are *technically* allowed to bring in to the country(ies). I buy in bulk normally when I hit dutyfree.

Sorry, I forgot--thanks AA for the reply, it is what I thought, but could not remember and wanted to double check.

That is funny. My British friend living here in Sarasota also smokes the same cigs. He has a good friend in me as I travel internationally very often but when and if he runs out he buys the cigs on line. He swears by the company but only orders 2 cartons at a time to avoid any possible duty charges. 1 carton for him and 1 carton for his wife.

http://www.cigarettesforless.com/gauloises.html

Are you allowed to buy stuff at an EU duty-free if your boarding pass is for a flight to another EU country?

Cigarettes in EWR for that first leg to AMS.
No cigarettes in AMS for that last leg to TXL.
No cigarettes in TXL for that first leg to AMS on return flight.
Cigarettes in AMS for the final leg to EWR.

Your allowance will be 200 cigarettes, usually one carton, which you will probably buy in EWR (or on the plane).
Even if you were able to buy duty free cigarettes in AMS on your way to Berlin, it would not increase your allowance, thus you would be smuggeling one carton.

If you want cheaper cigarettes while in Berlin, consider a day trip to Poland -- it's only 50 miles ;-)

Other goods (like spirits, perfume, etc.) can be bought at reduced prices also for intra-EU flights. (no matter for which leg, though aforementioned restrictions re. liquids)

Beware: Berlin-Tegel has only tiny, tiny duty free/Travel Value shops at the gates. I would rather go shopping in AMS anyway.

Oops.. delete paragraph on smuggling.. did not see that you already got that covered. ;-)

Please don't take this as unwanted nannying, but if you plan to smuggle a carton or two, please don't do it on a flight from Amsterdam LOL

Just a note that bringing in more cigs or booze or whatever than the "allowance" is not smuggling (unless you fail to declare it).

Contrary to popular belief you can bring into the US (or most countries) as much of each as you wish. The catch is that you are liable for duty on the excess over your allowance.

We routinely bring in a case of Curacao when visiting the eponymous country and are happy to pay the $8 or so duty (although half the time they waive it because the amount is so low).

You are right. But for cigarettes it makes no sense.
Duty free price for one carton in EWR, plus German cigarette tax plus VAT makes each carton from a Duty Free Shop (in excess of the one you may bring) which you lawfully declare much more expensive as if you bought the same carton in Germany.
Gauloise can be bought anywhere in Germany, so from that perspective there is no need to stock up.

Depends on how much they are--19.99euro/carton at duty free is usually cheaper than in the stores. I'm not sure how much they are a pack in Germany or what their taxes are. I do declare them--they don't ask how many on the form (same with wine/liquor) and dutyfree lets you buy as many as you want--it's up to you to declare. I would just have to pay my state tax on them if they decided to be picky about many I have at customs on the US side.

I would advise against buying online from places like cigsforless.com. It is illegal in the US and while they operate DBA under numerous names that constantly change and use offshore addresses and accts, *if* they were busted and gave up your name you are in for a giant surprise bill if not worse. I used to buy from such vendors until they cracked down on it in my state. I also received a hefty bill of $2500 a few years ago for purchasing from a US online vendor when it was still legal to do so. When they went out of business, they gave up all their customers names in exchange for reprieve in their bankruptcy proceedings. My bill covered 3 years of online *legal* purchases for the state and city tax.

If the price is comparable in Berlin, I will obvs. buy the bulk of them there so I don't have to search for them at the airport(some duty frees don't carry all brands.)

Duty for cigarettes is €30 per carton (200 cigs). Add €20 for what you paid at the duty free shop. Total: € 50 per carton

Retail price in Germany is €4 per pack of 18 cigs.
Thus 200 cigs will cost you appr. € 45.

Prices are fixed and there is no discount on bulk, so you don't have to look for cheaper, or buy a carton. You can't get them from vending machines anymore, since you need to insert a German ID card or EU drivers license for age verification purposes.

If the cigs are illegal to sell in the U.S. then is it legal to buy them and to bring them into the U.S.? I wouldn't put the brand name on the form.

I have read that (at least for American brands) the tobacco used in cigs at duty free stores is inferior to the kind used in the U.S. market.

I don't think the cigs are illegal to sell in US. After the company was part of the widespread tobacco law suits they decided to pull out of the US market. The company said that they were done with the US market and they will never comeback. It was their choice. Nothing illegal about selling the cigarettes here and some places still do but they have to import the product on their own without any corporate support.

The only reason I know this is because of my friend. I'm a non-smoker myself.

AA you may be right on the cigs abroad, the law may vary by state. In NY state they did make it illegal and were able to get UPS and Fedex to stop shipment of cigarettes when the whole controversy came down that people were skirting the super high cig tax by purchasing from the internet. They were unsuccessful in the attempt to have USPS refuse to deliver packages that state that the contents were cigarettes. The shipments from abroad are shipped 1 carton at a time (200 cigarettes) and marked for customs that they contain cigarettes which under NY state law at least is illegal to have delivered. You can bring them back on your person for use, but buying abroad not considered the same--it is participating in the trafficking in illegal merch.

4euro a pack is what saved me a google search--thanks Cowboy! Not worried about coming in, I will leave with more than I come in with--I am just buying for use there--29.99/carton at US dutyfree is still cheaper than 4 euro. 19.99 at Amsterdam is cheaper yet.

Not sure it is inferior product, maybe on American brands--they do taste different than the ones bought here--kinda like the difference in coca-cola, but no difference in the ones I buy that I can discern. I don't put the brand down, but it wouldn't make a difference as they are sold at US dutyfrees

I'm flying to europe and back and plan on taking tobacco packets for personal use there. When and where will I be asked to "declare". Does every family member "declare" individually (and privately)? My family doesn't know I "use".

from the US you do not have to declare what you are brining in to EU countries, when you come back to the states you declare on the form.

"from the US you do not have to declare what you are brining in to EU countries,"

Under some circumstances this MIGHT be true. But it's misleading advice.

If you're an adult, you may enter the EU from outside with up to 250 g of tobacco (or 200 cigarettes) and go through the green channel, meaning you don't declare anything.

With more than that, you need to go through the red channel, declare what you've got to the customs official and pay all the various duties and taxes. There are no declaration forms. The duty-free allowances are per person (or in the case of booze and cigarettes, per adult)

If you want to maximise how much you bring in duty-free, each adult may carry 250 grammes. If you want to keep your possessions secret from your travel companions, stay within the duty-free allowance. However, you're always liable to be stopped and checked going through the green channel (though it happens extraordinarily rarely) and the customs official will normally expect the whole family to be checked together, in view and earshot of each other.

If you're really concerned about keeping your cigarette stash secret from your family, don't cross a customs point with cigarettes.

what is the red channel? I've only ever just walked through and had my passport checked/stamped. I'm also not ever bringing on large quantities of anything other than my own stuff, so I have no clue.