Finding Christmas gifts for dad gets harder every year, because the answer to "what do you want?" is always "nothing". A bottle he would never buy himself, or a day trip to Calais to choose it together, beats another pair of socks. Here are gift ideas for every kind of dad, with French prices and around 15% VAT back.
Why food and drink make the best Christmas gifts for dad
Most dads already own the gadgets, the tools and the jumpers. A good bottle leaves no clutter behind: he opens it, shares it at Christmas lunch, and remembers who chose it.
French bottles also stretch your budget further. A bottle of Veuve Clicquot Rosé costs nearly £20 less at Calais Vins than at Waitrose in London. Since 1 February 2026, UK duty on spirits reaches £33.99 per litre of pure alcohol, or £9.52 on a 70cl bottle at 40%. Bottles bought in France and brought home within your allowance carry none of that UK duty.
| Gift | Calais Vins, tax free | UK price |
|---|---|---|
| Veuve Clicquot Brut | €41.57, about £36 | £51 at Waitrose, London (May 2026) |
| Veuve Clicquot Rosé | €46.67, about £40 | £58 at Waitrose, London (May 2026) |
Give him the trip: a day in Calais as his Christmas present
The gift dads remember is often the day out, not the parcel. Calais sits 90 minutes from Dover by ferry, and the return crossing can cost nothing.
- Pre-order €300 or more on wine-calais.co.uk and pay a €60 deposit, only charged if you do not collect.
- Receive a P&O code for a free return day trip from Dover, for a standard car.
- Write it on a card and put it under the tree: "A day in Calais with you, bottles of your choice."
- Collect the order in store, add anything he spots on the shelves, and claim the VAT back before the boat home.
The free crossing is a same-day return from Dover. It excludes motorhomes, caravans and foot passengers, and the booking cannot be changed once confirmed. Full details are on our free day trip page.
December brings extra reasons to go:
| Date | What's on |
|---|---|
| Friday 4 December 2026 | Producer day at Calais Vins: taste with the winemakers |
| Friday 11 December 2026 | Producer day at Olivier Vins |
| 28 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 | Calais Christmas Village, ice rink and 1900s carousel |
| Sunday 20 December 2026, 6pm | Christmas fireworks on Place Crèvecœur |
See our Calais Christmas market guide to plan the day.
A bottle for every kind of dad
Start with what he already pours on a Friday night. Our two shops cover every taste, from Bordeaux to Trappist beer and single malt.
Don't know what to choose? Ask our helpful staff
.jpg)
Tell Stéphane or one of his colleagues what dad usually drinks and how much you want to spend. They speak English, know every shelf, and can suggest a bottle he has never tried, or a gift box ready to wrap.
The wine dad
Bordeaux and Burgundy are the classic gifts for a British wine lover, and Calais Vins carries several hundred of each, from Saint-Émilion to the Médoc. For a warming Christmas red, try a Châteauneuf-du-Pape. For the bottle he cannot find at home, see our rare wines.
The beer dad
Our cellar holds hundreds of beers from Belgium and Northern France, including 22 Trappists and seasonal winter and Christmas brews. For home draught, Perfect Draft 6 litre kegs cost less in France: read why Perfect Draft kegs are cheaper in Calais.
The whisky dad
With over 700 whiskies on our shelves, from Islay to Japan and France, choose by his taste. Our guide to whisky gifts for men sorts them by style.
The rum dad
Our rum shelves run to more than 500 bottles. Look for aged rums from Guatemala, Venezuela or Barbados, or a rhum agricole from Martinique for the curious palate.
The Cognac, Armagnac and Port dad
For a gift with real meaning, choose a vintage Armagnac from his birth year: our cellar stocks 59 of them, many from Jean Cavé. Port lovers will find Colheita Ports, each dated by its harvest year.
- For the dad who loves bubbles: see our best Christmas Champagnes.
- For the dad who loves a feast: build a French wine and food hamper.
- For the dad short on time: pick one of our gift boxes or hampers, ready to wrap.
Gifts for dad that fit the UK rules
Each traveller aged 17 or over can bring back from France, without UK duty:
| Drink | Allowance per adult | In bottles |
|---|---|---|
| Wine, still and sparkling | 18 litres | 24 bottles of 75cl, Champagne included |
| Beer and cider | 42 litres | about 127 cans of 33cl |
| Spirits over 22% | 4 litres, or 9 litres of fortified wine such as Port, or a proportional mix | 5 bottles of 70cl |
Bringing dad along doubles the allowance in the car, because he has his own. Our guides to the wine allowance and the beer allowance help you plan.
Since 12 April 2025, cheese, cured meats and pork pâtés can no longer be brought from the EU into Great Britain. Chocolate, sweets and biscuits are still allowed.
To claim the VAT back on purchases over €100, show your passport at the till. With Global Blue, our staff hand you a paper tax-free form; with Skiptax, your form is digital. Scan it at the PABLO kiosk at the port of Calais or the Eurotunnel terminal before you leave France.
Christmas gifts for dad worth the crossing
The best Christmas gifts for dad are the ones he enjoys and shares: a vintage Armagnac from his birth year, a case of Belgian beer, a Champagne for the toast, or the day trip itself. Pre-order €300 for a free crossing, pick a producer day in December, and let him choose. Next year, he may ask for the same gift again.