Dumb Duty-Free question
 

So if my dad, whom I am visiting in Sweden, asks me to buy Absolute Vodka at the duty free shop (Swedish liquor tax is 25%!!)am I buying it at Newark Airport or in the Stockholm airport? Which airport might be cheaper?

You can't buy it when you land in Stockholm (unless something has changed in the past year).

I've watched basic alcohol prices for years and I have rarely seen prices at duty free shops in US airports cheaper than I can buy at my local drug store on sale.

I buy a bottle of Canadian whiskey to take with me to Europe. It's what I prefer and much cheaper here than over there.

Connemara Irish Whiskey was much cheaper at the duty free even with the poor dollar, than I can find in the states and it's hard to find here. I paid E22 for it and it is usually over $40 in the states. It's a fine peated single malt by the way.

Bill

JVS - I don't think anyone really ansered your question. You definitely cannot buy it at Duty Free when you arrive in Sweden, but I think you can buy a bottle when you leave the U.S. (I'm not sure). If you connect through London or Amsterdam, you Absolute-ly (pun intended) can buy it there and take it into Sweden. You can also buy it on the plane and bring it in. You still might be better off buying it locally in the States first.

I would say buy it locally from a dicount liquor shop.

Are you Swedish? The name is "Absolut" sheesh

It will probably be cheaper to buy it in a shop before you leave, but I think if you are connecting thru Amsterdam or London you can't buy at duty free prices as Sweden is part of the European Union

S/he could very will be Swedish. They are visting their father in SWEDEN. Sheesh.

SaraL
True, but since the journey ORIGINATED outside of EU (US in this case), JVS can buy duty-frees at intermediate stops at London, Amsterdam or Paris etc. They will ask to see your boarding pass, which indicates where you are travelling from.

We will have to agree to disagree on this point!

Alec, you are wrong. You can't buy duty free when you already are in the EU, so one can not buy duty free at a transit airport in the EU if your final destination is another EU country.

Check prices at your local stores. I have found premium vodka prices better in US shops than at airport duty-free shops. You would have to purchase it in the US before flying to Sweden.

Hi JVS,

Your question wasn't so dumb after all.

If you buy your vodka before you get to the departure airport, you might have to have it in your checked luggage. Some airport securty rules prevent you from bringing alcoholic beverages on board.

You can be sure that if you buy it at the duty free shop when you leave that you will be able to bring it to Sweden with you.

I would buy it at the Newark airport just to limit the amount of time I had to carry it around!