Be careful when purchasing duty-free goods. What appears to be duty-free may not always be duty free when you cross the Canadian border. If you are making trips into Canada to purchase Canadian liqueurs or Canadian beer and buy them from duty-free stores near the border, it is common to get stopped by border patrol and pay an extra charge for duty. In essence, the border patrol will tell you that duty-free stores mean you do not pay VAT taxes, but you may still be required to pay duty on items like alcohol and tobacco.

Duty free stores in airports often provide travelers with better savings. Again, you must be very careful with the limits set by your country to make sure you will not be slapped with unexpected duty charges when you return to your home soil. You should make note of what you want to buy in duty-free stores and then compare prices over the internet to make sure the item is really the bargain you think it to be. Often perfumes and chocolates are good deals, but electronics generally turn out to be much more expensive in the long run. Even then you will find that the savings vary from area to area. What may be a bargain in India is an outrageous expense in London.

Typically, shoppers will find the best deals with alcohol and tobacco products. Cigarette cartons are taxed on government levels at wicked rates, so when you purchase them tax-free, you can save upwards of 60%. The same can be true with liquors However, it still depends on where you are purchasing. A pack of Marlboro cigarettes costs $8 in Japan or $51 in Vienna. See how big the difference in price can be from area to area? Toblerone chocolate bars are $7 in Croatia but cost $27 in Tahiti. Smirnoff Vodka may be $6 per 750ml bottle in Bangladesh, but in Denmark you will pay $23. Finally, look at Barcardi Gold Rum. In Turks and Caicos, you will pay $10 for a 750ml bottle, but in Finland that same bottle costs you $40. The differences in price can be astounding.

It is also important to remember that all airlines have restrictions on the amount of liquids you can carry on board. If a product is more than three-ounces, you have to put it in Ziploc bags and store it in your luggage and not in your carry on baggage. This has caused duty free sales to plummet in recent months. There are still methods that can be used to make sure consumers are receiving their duty-free goods, either with home delivery or delivery upon arrival at the baggage claim, but for some the hassle is just not worthwhile anymore.