Albufeira Portugal

[PH45]

I've just booked a break to Albufeira. Any recommendations or experience of buying cigars in Portugal ?

[Shaun]

I heard you can only buy boxes in portugal, but [MENTION=13434145]TheMonk[/MENTION] may be able to assist more.

[PeeJay]

I heard you can only buy boxes in portugal, but @TheMonk may be able to assist more.

That is correct except for tubos which can be bought singly

[TheMonk]

That is correct except for tubos which can be bought singly

Yep, exactly as PJ said. Prices are also considerably higher then Spain.

[PH45]

Thanks all.

[Simon Bolivar]

Any known reason for only being able to buy boxes in Portugal? Would have thought Habanos & others would have fought that. How does anyone get interested if they can't try a few singles first? Is it an anti-smoking move to put people off starting? has it always been that way or a recent rule?

[Horsebox]

Any known reason for only being able to buy boxes in Portugal? Would have thought Habanos & others would have fought that. How does anyone get interested if they can't try a few singles first? Is it an anti-smoking move to put people off starting? has it always been that way or a recent rule?

Interested to know this too.

We were considering a trip to Portugal this year - there or Spain....the single cigar issue may just sway my decision!

[Simon Bolivar]

Well I don't mind buying boxes & I have friends in Porto but I can see it influencing many cigar smokers; the family are debating Spain or Portugal, are the family that fused as long as they have sun , sand & sea?

[Horsebox]

[MENTION=941]Simon Bolivar[/MENTION] My wife lived in Portugal for some time and is eager to return, plus the other family we're potentially travellng with are one half brazilian so keen to go...forces are conspiring against me. I may have to make a round trip across the border to stock up

[Simon Bolivar]

Sounds fair to me, good luck Horesbox!

[tippexx]

Went to Maderia just before Xmas. Picked up boxes at Funchal airport, but on the island there are no Cuban singles available other than in Tubos from offies and small marts. They didn't sell mini, club or purito either. I asked a guy who looked like an owner and he said it was to do with the tax being too expensive.

[PH45]

High taxes more expensive than Spain, hmmm, sounds like my duty free might not be a great bargain.

[Simon Bolivar]

Went to Maderia just before Xmas. Picked up boxes at Funchal airport, but on the island there are no Cuban singles available other than in Tubos from offies and small marts. They didn't sell mini, club or purito either. I asked a guy who looked like an owner and he said it was to do with the tax being too expensive.

Hi Arf,
High taxes doesn't really explain why they don't sell singles. The higher the cost the more likely customers would want to try singles before committing to box or even just to have a few different cigars in their humi. Unless the tax rate was higher for singles than boxes?

[TheMonk]

Hi Arf,
High taxes doesn't really explain why they don't sell singles. The higher the cost the more likely customers would want to try singles before committing to box or even just to have a few different cigars in their humi. Unless the tax rate was higher for singles than boxes?

I believe the reason has more to do with the sale of single cigarettes rather then cigars, they just broadened the spectrum to all tobacco products. In the old days, children would sometimes buy single cigarettes, just to try them, as they didn't have money for packs. The explanation I was given was that it stem from that, but it's absolutely ridiculous that it applies to cigars.

Another ridiculous thing they came up with this year was forbidding the online sale of cigars - now you can't even see the prices online, you have to go to a shop.

[Simon Bolivar]

Single cigs, OK that makes more sense but to include cigars is really using the sledgehammer to crack a nut. To quote the late, unlamented Mr Saville, when accused of setting a bad example to children by constantly smoking cigars on Jim'll fix it, he replied, 'really? How many 12yo's do you know that can afford ?20 cigars?' If only that was he worst crime to children!