Athens duty free…meh

[cybermadhatter]

I was traveling to Tel Aviv on Friday, and got diverted to Athens, Greece. Delta sent us home 24 hours later. I stopped by the Duty Free, which is like 40 times smaller than Tel Aviv's airport. All cigar boxes there were 2025,  and prices (obviously) were in Euros. (See pics)  

The price spike in June 2022 were in full effect. Monte 1 was €751. (Not too long ago they were what? $225 usd). I purchased some Santiago 12, though.   

USA customs was so lax, I should have snagged those two master cases on the floor, lol.  

[BrightonCorgi]

Decent selection all considered.

[Ford2112]

At least there're actually cigars there. I will be in Greece in September. Prices are going to suck wherever you go. I will likely will just buy singles at some of the B&Ms in Athens.

[Christophe]

That's definitely not the worst I've seen by a mile in terms of cigars. At this point, I'm glad they have they have a decent selection and the price is about what I'd pay retail in Belgium/Luxembourg/Germany. Plenty of airports there (Munich, Brussels) don't even have cigars anymore fyi. I've saved a few bucks on certain Davidoffs in the international terminals of Frankfurt and Zürich, if you're ever there (like -10% vs retail in Germany).

I keep forgetting you guys can't buy Cuban rum, because honestly I've never seen a deal worthwhile on liquor in a duty free, ever. If anything, it's more expensive 99 times out of 100 and much more easily sourced (I'm in Europe) than Cuban cigars so I usually don't bother. 

[cybermadhatter]

Yeah no Cuban rum in the States. I usually pick up Santiago for like $13 at duty free, but they had the 12 year only, so I snagged it. Regarding selection, I think I had the Tel Aviv duty-free shop pictured in my head, which is huge, and this one in Athens was small. I was able to buy Upmann Petit Coronas, from 2016, the last time I was there. And I purchased some boxes from 2002, when I  was there in 2015. (Conversely), Unfortunately, the Athens duty free had nothing aged.  

[BrightonCorgi]

4 hours ago, cybermadhatter said:

Yeah no Cuban rum in the States. I usually pick up Santiago for like $13 at duty free, but they had the 12 year only, so I snagged it. Regarding selection, I think I had the Tel Aviv duty-free shop pictured in my head, which is huge, and this one in Athens was small. I was able to buy Upmann Petit Coronas, from 2016, the last time I was there. And I purchased some boxes from 2002, when I  was there in 2015. (Conversely), Unfortunately, the Athens duty free had nothing aged.

I am impressed with the Tel Aviv duty free selection and a smoking room off the back is a welcome addition. Your Upmann PC picture is at Tel Aviv.

[cybermadhatter]

Yes. Tel Aviv. Two boxes of Upmann PCs. In 2015, I purchased 4 boxes of Vegueros Especiales No. 2’s from 2002.  

[cybermadhatter]

Tel Aviv 2022 —-which is why I called Athens “meh.”

[cybermadhatter]

Bigger than the LCDH in Marina Hemingway in Miramar, Cuba. (Pic from 2016). It's a shame Israel closed their airspace Saturday, and I got diverted to Greece. I was really looking forward to that duty free shop.