Brittany Ferries puts the festive fizz into champagne shopping

Party planners looking to put some extra festive fizz into the Christmas holidays should set sail for France – Brittany Ferries is promoting big savings for those intent on a spot of Champagne shopping.

By avoiding Chancellor Gordon Brown's excise duty, Channel-hoppers can make massive savings on bubbly buys.

A typical example is a bottle of Lanson Black Label, which costs £18.99 in Sainsbury's, £19.99 in Oddbins, and £20.99 at Waitrose or Majestic Wines.*  At Wine & Beer World in Cherbourg, the same bottle costs £11.99 – a minimum saving of £7 a bottle.

But you don’t even have to leave the ship to find some real bargains. Brittany Ferries has its own on-board "cave" selling a wide range of Champagnes as well as fine wines, all offering great savings. For example a bottle of Moet & Chandon will cost only £16.90 (plus a gift) whereas at Sainsbury’s it will set you back £20.42.

A car and two adults, taking advantage of the 24-hour excursion fare, can travel for as little as £59.85 return. Buy just one case of Champagne, and the crossing has more than paid for itself!

"Brittany Ferries' low 24-hour fares make cross-Channel Christmas shopping a real bargain," says Richard Price, Marketing Manager "With the festive season fast-approaching, we’re looking forward to welcoming a big influx of cork-popping passengers."

Brittany Ferries sails from Portsmouth to Caen and St Malo , from Poole to Cherbourg and from Plymouth to Roscoff. In the run up to Christmas they are also offering a new weekend minicruise from Plymouth to Santander with prices from £89 per person including cabin.

For further information and a full list of the booking terms and conditions, call 08705 360360.

*Prices taken from stores' own websites, 29/09/04.

Released 6 October 2004