Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SHOPPING TIPS
1. TAX AND ALLOWANCES
If you live within the EU you can take home as much wine, spirits, tobacco and per-
fume as you wish, although if you are travelling by air you are unlikely to be able to
find room in your weight allowance for more than two bottles of wine or spirits. If you
live outside the EU you are limited to two bottles. Non-EU residents can claim back
the value added tax (TVA) included in the sales price on purchases worth more than
€180 in one shop, to be exported within three months.
2. WINE
For wine to take home, the world-class appellations of the Côtes du Rhône, and es-
pecially those of Châteauneuf-du-Pape , are the best investment. You can buy them
young to drink straight away, or let them age for up to seven years for a long-lasting
souvenir.
3. HERBS
Bunches of oregano and thyme can be bought in markets or in packaged form in su-
permarkets - they will add the scents and flavours of the south to your kitchen long
after you reach home. They make attractive gifts too, as do bags of dried lavender
packed in local fabrics, but check your home country's rules on importing foodstuffs.
4. TRUFFLES
Truffles must be the ultimate high-value, low-weight souvenir or gift to take home.
Taking up next to no space in your luggage, the “black diamonds” from the Vaucluse
cost as much as €180 per kilogram, so there's no risk of buying too many. Best places
to buy include Puyméras, Richerenches and Valréas, all in the Vaucluse region.
5. OLIVES, OLIVE OIL AND OLIVEWOOD
Nothing, perhaps, is more typical of Provence than the olive tree and its fruit. For
happy memories of meals in the sun, take home virgin olive oil - the best is said to
come from around Nyons, in the Vaucluse, or from the Vallée des Baux olive groves of
the Alpilles region. Or you could buy a jar of green olives with Provençal herbs, bars of
savon de Marseille olive oil soap, or attractive, practical salad bowls, forks and salad
spoons carved from close-grained olivewood.
 
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