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Buying Petrol in France (Moved from 'How To')

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Mike Fishwick View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mike Fishwick Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Buying Petrol in France (Moved from 'How To')
    Posted: 15 Mar 2015 at 12:00pm
Fuel prices in rural France -  at our local supermarket in the heart of the Dordogne - are such that a litre of diesel costs 1.11 Euro, 95 octane 1.32, and 98 octane 1.35.   This currently works out at £0.78, £0.93, and £0.94 respectively.  These prices are at mid-November 2015 prices - I'll keep the current prices updated next summer as they change.

It is therefore worthwhile to fill up on arrival in France, and before departure for the UK, but as a lot of Brits will have the same idea, it is preferable to fill up a little distance from the Channel ports.

These prices are typical for supermarkets, while 'Real' petrol stations charge about 5 cents more, and of course autoroute service areas are the most expensive, at up to 1.75 Euro for a litre 98 octane.  Supermarket fuel is at least as good as most that you will ever buy in the UK, so forget any prejudices about it being sub-standard. 

In terms of calculated consumption while cruising for about 250 miles at 80 mph on a fairly evel autoroute, or in general country road-type driving, I find our local Carrefour supermarket petrol to give far better fuel consumption than Shell V-Power or BP Ultimate, in either France or the UK.  On the same basis the best fuel I have ever found in France is Total Excellium 98 octane.

Needless to say, when travelling on the autoroutes I always try to buy fuel - petrol particularly - at local supermarkets, often using their excellent restaurants for lunch and comfort stops. 

With the withdrawl of leaded 98 octane fuel many supermarkets have used their redundant  storage tanks and pumps to dispense kerosene, which is widely used for small heating appliances.  This is known in France as 'Le Petrole,' so do not think that these red pumps are a service provided for classic car owners!  Several such owners have returned from France with tales that French petrol is now rubbish, and little better than paraffin . . .


Avoid pumps selling 'Le Petrole!'

Current prices (May 2022) in the supermarkets of rural France is approximately:

98 octane                 - 1.90 per litre

95 octane (e10)       - 1.80 per litre

Diesel (standard)    - 1.60 per litre

As you will see, there is so little difference in cost between 95 and 98 octane, so you might as well use the higher-octane fuel and enjoy the benefits of better performance and improved fuel consumption.  If you really must use 95 octane fuel, remember to avoid the pumps marked 'SP95 e10.' as this denotes a content of 10% ethanol, which gives starting and running problems on older cars - in BMW terms, generally pre-1986.  In many autoroute service areas this is the only 95 octane fuel available, but as the price differential is so small, you may as well use 98 octane. 

Remember that ethanol-rich fuels will  not only damage  older plastic and rubber seals and gaskets,  will also attack zinc die-castings, and even galvalised steel fuel tanks.  Fuel tank coatings also suffer - any internal tank coating will be dissolved, soon blocking the fuel filter.

Most supermarkets have unmanned pumps which respond to a credit card being inserted. Virtually all of these will now talk to you in the language of your card, and of course you get the best current exchange rate.  Note the use of the number buttons (ie 1-2-3) to select your desired fuel (diesel, 95 octane, 98 octane) and those labelled 'A' (Annuller/No/Cancel/No receipt) and 'V' (Valider/OK/Yes) to confirm your choice of fuel, PIN code, and  the provision of a receipt.

Likewise, use your plastique on the autoroutes.  Even when the peage station is manned (usually now only around cities at peak hours) they save a lot of time and the accumulation of loose change.  It's also handy at peak times to use le plastique at the exit points for 'Cartes de Credit' rather than wait in a massive queue while tourists and locals get rid of their odd coins, which no-one iin France wants to accept.  Just observe the arrow giving correct direction, and push your autoroute ticket into the LH slot, then the credit card (with the smartchip first) into the RH slot.  The ticket will vanish for ever, and your card wil be returned in a second or two.  The barrier will then rise, and will not lower until your car has moved past the peage area

Most exit points are no longer manned, so le plastique is a useful alternative to feeding cash into the machine, and whether you use it for peage fees of fuel, it will give you the best current exchange rate, which is more than can be said for most bureaux de change - Travelex echange machines having about the worst rate of all - at least £1 per Euro.


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Edited by Mike Fishwick - 28 Apr 2022 at 4:33pm
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Roger123 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Roger123 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Mar 2015 at 2:50pm
Mike, thanks for the heads up on fuel etc.  I'm thinking of making a trip to France and Spain this year, the last time being over 36 years ago!

I believe some places in France, and maybe more so in Spain, offer 92 Octane, but I'll be sticking to 95 which is what I usually put in my 645Ci.

You mentioned peage station and exit points.  Are they the same thing?  Sorry, but I've never used these before!

I'm taking it that the peage station is the toll booth you pay at as you are about to exit a motorway.  I'm assuming there's no ticket you collect when entering a toll motorway.  Is that correct?  I guess as I'm in a righthand drive car I'd need to jump out in order to put in my credit card and tap in the pin number.

Any help appreciated....   Thanks.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BrianW Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Mar 2015 at 4:29pm
When you approach the tollbooth at the Peage you will have to take a ticket.
When you exit the motorway/toll road you then have to insert the ticket in the machine or hand it to the 
attendant, and pay the toll due.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Norrie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Mar 2015 at 9:36pm
Thanks Mike, very useful. I have not driven in France for about 10 years so very good. I guess cheaper then to fill full before leaving UK, which is around 500 miles worth for me.
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Mike Fishwick View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mike Fishwick Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Mar 2015 at 9:40am
Yes, the exit from a paying-type autoroute is a peage station - sorry I did not make that clear.  Not all autoroutes require payment - it depends on how the construction was originally funded.  For example, the A75 between Clermont-Ferrand and Montpelier is free, as is the A20 from Vierzon to Brive-la-Gaillard.  Travelling from Calais to home - exit 55 of the A20 for Souillac (using the  N154 from Rouen to Chartres, picking up the A10 north of Orleans) costs 23 Euros, and has been stable for years.  Most of it it is usually deserted, and one cannot moan about the cost . ..  although a lot of Brits do so on principle!

Although the Brits cannot often buy anything but 95 octane (and have little  chance of finding decent quality 97) remember that BMW engines give their best on 98 - which is readily available in France - and throughout Europe - for little more than the cost of 95 octane. 

For example, according to BMW an E36 M3 S50 engine which is rated at 321 bhp on 98 octane will drop to 280 bhp if fed on 95 octane.  Although there are plenty of reasons to doubt if people's cars produce such power, you see the difference which fuel can make.

Our 98 costs about 3% more than 95, yet gives around 10% better fuel economy - or better performance - so why bother with anything else?

Apart from in the old DDR, I have yet to see any European pumps offering 92 octane, except in New Zealand, where it is the sole choice, but at least it only costs about 90 pence a litre.


Edited by Mike Fishwick - 16 Mar 2015 at 10:49am
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Roger123 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Mar 2015 at 5:00pm
Thanks guys.

I may well give the 98 octane fuel a try at some point.  Whilst I wouldn't turn my nose up at it, I am not particularly interested in any greater performance.  However, if fuel economy is significantly better, then it might prove to be worthwhile.

This might sound daft (and probably is!) but I assume the peage exit barrier will give us 'right hookers' a chance to jump back into our cars and drive off before it comes crashing down on the roof or boot etc!?

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Mike Fishwick View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mike Fishwick Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Mar 2015 at 8:04am
No problems - the barrier will not come down again until the car has passed under it, and they do not cut fibreglass cars in half either!  A friend with a Daimler SP250 still has a whole car . . .

At the start of the A16 peage zone outside Boulogne payment machines are obligingly provided on both sides of the RH lane, specially for puzzled Brits!  It is assumed that by the time you leave the autoroute you will have come to terms with the system.

If travelling without a passenger, don't feel guilty about holding up traffic while you walk around the car to collect a ticket or make payment - the French will appreciate your situation, and are quite  considerate - but a smile and a wave goes a long way.

Just avoid the lanes marked only as 'Telepeage,' which are denoted by an orange 'T' as these are for drivers with a transponder - we can just drive in and leave payment to the electronic gremlins, who use a direct debit on our bank account.  Brits can also open a Telepeage account, but it is probably not worth the trouble unless you visit France frequently.

Most autoroute lanes, except those marked only with an orange 'T' (usually on the extreme left) are marked with an orange 'T' and a green arrow, and can be used by Telepeage or cash users.  Those marked with an orange 'T' and symbols denoring credit cards can be used by Telepeage customers, and those paying by any credit card or French Carte Bleu debit cards.

(I will copy this information into a new post so that it can be easily found by those who have not read this entire thread)


Edited by Mike Fishwick - 01 Apr 2015 at 2:24pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Roger123 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Mar 2015 at 11:55am
Thank you Mike, most helpful...

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Mike Fishwick View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mike Fishwick Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Mar 2015 at 9:06am
I have just amended the prices of French fuel in the top article to reflect current prices - note that the price differential between 95 and 98 octane is only 2 pence a litre - it makes one wonder why there is so much difference in the UK . . .
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Roger123 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Mar 2015 at 1:27pm
Yes, it's strange how prices vary between countries.  I cannot think of any good reason why the U.K. needs any special facilities for distribution of fuel that are not required in other parts of Europe.

Not that I use it, but diesel users must be pretty annoyed that the price differential against petrol is reversed in France, i.e. more expensive here.  I can remember a time in the U.K. when diesel was somewhat CHEAPER than petrol...
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