As said, booze is cheaper here than in France now and - having done the trip many times years ago, but in the comfort of a car - it's a long way for a day trip!

The ferry port is dingy, the boat takes a bit more than an hour, and the French hypermarkets are all a bit out of town. Once you get there the staff all seem to speak pretty good english (in fact, we found that they speak to their customers in english rather than french - or maybe they can just spot the brits abroad?)

We haven't done it for 3 or 4 years but Cite Europe has/had a Tesco wine store, and along the road there is a Carrefour (formerly Mammoet) with a big off-licence and a few other shops next door. We never made it in to Eastenders or any of the english-owned beer shops so don't know what they are like.

If they just want to go to France there are nicer parts to visit, and easier ways to get there. They certainly won't offset the cost of the trip through savings on a carry-out.