Tribb’s in T1 is your only place to buy basics
At Perpignan–Rivesaltes, the so-called “Travel Essentials Store” is just a tiny shelf inside Tribb’s, the café/bar in Terminal T1, and it runs on café rules rather than supermarket logic. Hours are tight: 06:00–22:00 Mon–Fri, 06:00–20:00 Sat, 09:30–19:00 Sun. Outside those times, you can’t buy water, snacks, or a phone charger anywhere in the building.
The essentials rack sits by the counter at Tribb’s and usually means a few bottles of water, soft drinks, crisps, chocolate bars, and basic travel items like razors or toothpaste. Think last‑minute top‑ups, not a full shop. Prices track typical small-airport café levels, so a simple drink and snack can easily run higher than in town, and there’s no multi‑buy value or bulk sizes.
Regulars flying out of PGF say the smart move is to stock up at a supermarket in Perpignan or a nearby petrol station on the N9/D117 before you head to the terminal, then use Tribb’s only if you forgot something obvious. People mention buying a 1.5 L bottle in town for about the price of a 500 ml bottle at the airport, and the selection off‑site is obviously much broader.
Watch out for: if you land after 22:00 on a weekday or after 20:00 on Saturday / 19:00 on Sunday, you step into a dry, food‑free terminal. No vending machines, no backup kiosk. Bring a spare bottle in your checked bag or buy a drink airside on your inbound flight so you’re not stuck thirsty on arrival.
One practical tip: if you’re on an early flight before 09:30 Sunday, grab water and snacks the day before in town and treat Tribb’s as emergency‑only backup, not your primary plan.