Advantages: All under one roof, bargains in alcohol and grocery lines
Disadvantages: can get busy especially in the lead up to Xmas

...OK so shopping in Calais is nothing new - its all about beer and wine ain't it? Well yes but there is more. And most is in the Cite Europe. Most cheap channel fares are based upon sailings/chunnel trips departing Dover in the early afternoon. Given the time difference, this can leave little time for shopping. So if you are in a hurry, get it all from Cite Europe. Best place for one stop wine/beer in Cite Europe is probably Tescos. There are many places where French wine can be as cheap (and many where it can be undrinkable!) but here you are guaranteed quality and good prices. But if you favour non-French wine, this is where Tesco can score. It seems to be consistently the cheapest place I have found for Aussie wines particularly. If like me you are a Nottage Hill, Jacobs Creek type of person. you should be able to get your tipple... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages:
Disadvantages:

...Cite Europe in Calais is one of the most pleasant shopping centres I have ever been to. It is only a short drive from the Eurotunnel terminal and offers a wide range of shops and eateries (and a cinema for those who wishing to improve their French). It only takes 35 minutes to travel there from the terminal in Folkestone, Kent. It is well worth going over with an empty petrol tank as fuel prices are significantly cheaper than they are in the UK. It is not difficult to work out which direction to go upon leaving the terminal as the majority of British registration cars are heading there! The main supermarket Carrefour provides a whole host of goods that are available in the UK and centrally there is a most amazing array of produce. It is well worth purchasing French produce - I bought some carrots on my last visit and they had... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Freshens breath...
Disadvantages: ...but mind you don't choke

...I have come to the conclusion that given the raft of advertisements on television for sweets and chewing gum that there is a lot of cash in this market. Whereas chewing gum was once regarded as common and vulgar, it is now even recommended by dentists in its sugar-free format, in the fight against plaque and gum disease. I get through quite a lot of chewing gum, as I tend to leave home fairly early and don’t eat anything for an hour or two thereafter. This means that by about 9 a.m., my breath would otherwise strip paint at four feet. Intrigued by the concept of the whole thing, for the last few weeks, I have been trying out the latest player on the market – Wrigley’s X-Cite. THE CONCEPT Those clever people at Wrigley’s have decided in their infinite wisdom that it might be a good idea to combine a mint... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Looks pretty cool, quite minty at first.
Disadvantages: Loses taste quickly, has laxative effect.

...I am a regular chewer of sugar-free gum, indeed it is rare to catch me without several packets in various states of decay upon my person. I normally favour Airwaves, but when I saw the attractive little boxes of Wrigley's X-cite I just couldn't resist giving them a go. Full marks to Wrigley's for the look of the packaging and the advertising. The little blue and green boxes seem to be a hit with the 13-18year olds, judging by the amount of schoolkids I see around my home town with this gum. I think the 'surf-dude' adverts helped there as well. This gum is packaged in little flattish boxes, which slide open, rather like a matchbox, to reveal a hole through which you can empty these little round balls of gum into your hand. Seems like a good idea until you put them in your pocket. Definitely not designed to go in a jeans pocket... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Really Minty
Disadvantages: Pricey

...Feeling slightly hung over wandering round my local Morrisons, you may have even noticed me thats right I was the one who ever time she breathed emanated a strong curry breath. Reached the checkout and I notice an interesting looking box about 1 1/2 inches in length by 1 inch across, thinking it was a box of mints and being in desperate need of something to freshen my breath tasting curry the day after is not good, I hurried threw it onto the conveyer belt. Boy little did I know I was in for a treat......... PACKAGING ********* Green or Blue box with X.Cite wrote across it, I chose green. To open you pull off a tear strip and push the box to reaveal a hole which the "mint" pops through. THE EXPERIENCE *************** I have chose to call it this because it was an experience and a very pleasant one. Once the package... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Very comprehensive; largely accurate; informative
Disadvantages: Not overly portable; the central tenet of “budget travel” is not adhered to in all sections; significantly more useful for Americans

...It was a close call, but in the end, my two would-be traveling companions and I chose the Let’s Go guide to Europe over Lonely Planet, its long-time competitor. This decision was reached because the former appeared to be marginally more comprehensive - it had, for instance, a whole section devoted to Liechtenstein, one of our chosen destinations (though in hindsight, quite misguidedly selected). Let’s Go is, of course, well known as an American-centric guidebook, which is why many may opt instead for Lonely Planet. “Let’s Go: Europe 2001” covers every single country in Europe, including Russia and former Soviet satellites, which of course means that buying the £15 almanac is only worth it if one plans to visit more than a mere handful of European countries, or if the target countries happen... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Fantastic Drawings, Very Detailed Information On Every Species
Disadvantages: Quite Expensive

...I have had an interest in Wildlife for as long as I can remember and in particular I have always had a passion for Birds. My Garden is full of Bird feeding devices and I have spent many enjoyable hours at my window watching the Birds feeding there. Any serious Birdwatcher will possess a Field Guide and over the years, since my early teens I have always used the Collin's Guide to the Birds of Britain and Europe. A couple of years ago I decided that it was time that I updated my reference guide for something a little bit more modern. The book I chose was the Birds of Europe by Lars Jonson. Lars Jonson is a very well known name in the world of Ornithology. Born in Sweden Lars Jonson is best known as a Bird Artist and has won many prestigious awards. He had an exhibit at the National Museum of Natural History in Stockholm when he... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Stress free travelling, comprehensive, clear instructions, cheap
Disadvantages: Some very minor glitches in confusing bends with turns

...I recently reviewed the TomTom one, which we bought with the Western Europe maps, and I have been waiting to put Jane (our name, after the voice) through her paces in rural France. As with all TomTom maps, easy to see, easy to use, easy to understand, and easy to update. Absolutely fantastic, I have no idea how we ever coped without her/it. From getting off the ferry, the map/navigation was spot on, good clear instructions, in plenty of time, and the first time I have ever got through Paris without a hitch. To give you an idea of how good, we bought a local map of where we were going on the Limousin/Perigord borders, that did not have the town we were staying in (I call it a town loosely) as it was so small, no problem for TomTom, straight there, which was welcome after 7 hours of driving. We spent two weeks in the area... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: great software, great usability, graphics, features, lots of maps
Disadvantages: price, it was not that easy to install

...in your trip, etc. You can customize it to 'speak' in many different languages including English, Dutch, Portuguese, French and many others. Furthermore, you can also set the map with different colour schemes, which is very handy when driving at night so the colours are a bit less bright. Other additional features (you need to pay for this) let you know the weather of your destination in advance, the traffic of your route, make phone calls if your device allows you and many others. The advantage of this over the main Tomtom unit is that it has maps for the whole of the Western Europe. The maps are: -UK Holland Belgium Luxembourg France Germany Italy Austria Switzerland Spain Andorra Portugal Denmark Sweden Norway Finland Poland and Czech Republic You can't use all the maps in your memory card in one go unless it... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Easy to use, excellent screen layout, no lag.
Disadvantages: Some options not included, think carefully about which version to use.

...personal favourite. My main word of warning is be careful which model you go for. I have the Europe model because I find it gives excellent coverage, and if we do go out of the country using the car to Europe, the knowledge we're covered by the Tomtom.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful