is it worth going north to buy santa

popa smurf

Have 4 for santa this year 2 hover boards on list 239 eueo each in smiths, anyone any experience of going up and buying toys.

They are on smyths Uk for £199 which works out about €229. It would only be cost effective if you do out a list of all the toys you need (change smyths website to pound sterling) and compare against euro equivalent. You could also use the trip to buy drink, biscuits, cupboard staples to make it more worthwhile.

How much would it cost you to travel there?

Bunnyslippers

Look on uk websites for the same products, often with the exchange rate the prices work out cheaper even with postage from the uk! I buy most stuff on uk sites even from companies that have branches here as even with clothes and stuff you can save a tenner just by buying it in uk!

catrionanic

It's usually cheaper, yeah. I'm from Belfast originally. If you're buying a lot of stuff, i would say it would be worth the trip. Especially with the hammering brexit is doing to sterling.

What's really really worth doing though, is a booze run. Huge difference in the price of wine etc north vs south.

pwurple

We got bikes a few years ago up in Derry for Santa, half the price. We were up there anyway to visit family though, didn't do the trip just for that.

Depends on the distance, fuel / toll /time cost etc. We're in Cork, so the expense and time lost for me, is fairly different to someone in a county on the border.

unreg999

Looking at the price differences between Argos Irl and UK (eg) then I would say definitely yes!!
Obviously taking conversion into account..

Hitman3000

Well worth the trip, for presents, drink and some food stuffs.

Hitman3000

Deedsie wrote:

There is rarely a huge difference in price and if you had to exchange anything it would make it a headache. Support Irish shops and jobs

There is quite a large difference depending on the items and suggest there isn't is disingenuous. As far as I'm aware we are part of a single market and people are free to shop where they wish.

bloodless_coup

Revolut Card, Parcel Motel + Amazon.co.uk

Alternatively Amazon.de

Deedsie

Deedsie wrote: »

There is rarely a huge difference in price and if you had to exchange anything it would make it a headache. Support Irish shops and jobs

I live in a border county. Few years back there was a big push on for people to SHOP LOCAL so one town in Donegal got signs made up. On the bottom right of the A0 sign it showed the printers details.

Co Fermanagh address

catrionanic

Deedsie wrote: »

I was never a fan of the cross border shopping. People when they can should support Irish shops and Irish businesses. People around the border fair enough, its their natural hinterland. But for people to travel up from +50km South of the border. Each to their own I guess but I wouldnt do it.

Sounds good in theory, but how many of us are shopping in Irish shops? Buying your toys in Argos and your booze in Lidl and your Christmas dinner in Tesco isn't supporting Irish. The vast majority of shops on Irish high streets aren't Irish-owned these days.

It also works both ways. A few years ago, pre-Brexit, when sterling was strong, the Belfast-Dublin bus route was packed with shopping bags heading northwards after shopping sprees on Henry street.

popa smurf

Its the hover boards that seem to be all the same price here, they are on Amazon for 129 sterling but wont ship to ROI

Nutser

popa smurf wrote:

Its the hover boards that seem to be all the same price here, they are on Amazon for 129 sterling but wont ship to ROI

Can you order via parcel motel / parcel direct / addresspal?
That's quite a saving.