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My wife's brother lives in Agurain, just south of Bilbao, any good shops or spots for the leaf out there? Couldn't find much in a search of old threads. Also, what's Bilbao airport like for selection and prices?
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Howdy Alex,
Not specific to Bilbao (as I've not been there), but I did live in Madrid for a while and found that "El Corte Ingles" was fairly reliable. Forgive me if you already know this, but it's a nationwide department store and some of the larger branches have well-stocked walk-in humidors in them, although they're not normally obviously signposted. The other option would be a typical estanco, although even in Madrid many of those only sold a very limited selection of cigars, some of which were in fairly poor condition.
Re the airport, again I've not been but just a word on taxes (assuming you're from the UK?) If you want to buy cigars to bring back to the UK I'd avoid buying them in duty free at the airport. This is because if you buy them duty-paid and tax-paid at any location in the EU, you are allowed to walk through customs in the UK without paying tobacco excise duty etc. due to EU laws on free movement of goods. However, if you buy cigars duty free anywhere in the EU then try to come through customs, they are entitled to charge you full UK tobacco excise duty, which is currently at the eye-watering level of c.?210 per kilo of tobacco, and/or seize the goods.... Back in 2006/7 when I lived in Madrid, the difference between duty-paid and duty-free was only a few Euros per box at most. More info re duty and taxes on HMRC's website: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/customs/arriving/arrivingeu.htm
Re further info on prices, as far as I'm aware, the Spaniards legislate fixed prices for cigars sold through their estancos network - see this link for a (non-official) searchable list of prices: http://www.preciotabaco.com/precios-de-puros-y-cigarros
Hope this helps!
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