Fuel in France

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  • N1805
    N1805 Forum Participant Posts: 1,092
    1000 Comments
    edited May 2016 #182

    Just wondered if anyone is in Brittany area & if access to fuel is OK there ?  As we tend to use non paying roads & supermarkets for fuel any comments will help before we leave home. 

  • artyboo
    artyboo Forum Participant Posts: 457
    edited May 2016 #183

    Long delays at frontier control Monday 30th French passport inspection on go slow . queued for 1hour so missed boat. If we had known it was intentional go slow would have asked everyone else stranded there to sound horns,it was so stressful having 2hour
    wait for boat because of their stupidity bruno 

    Write your comments here...Sorry to be daft but what affect will blasting your horns have ?

    Write your comments here...we came back on 14 th May and that was the situation then. We arrived at the port of Calais at 06.50 for our ferry and eventually got on the 10.50! Not sure what is going on? We assumed that due to tens of police vans that there
    was an 'incident' but clearly not isolated since you have suffered it too, two weeks on!

  • artyboo
    artyboo Forum Participant Posts: 457
    edited May 2016 #184

    So Bruno, what do you suggest. We are due to sail 7.35am from Dover on Thursday. ( First timers!) We do not have a flexible ticket, do we just need to get there extra early and join the queue?? Any suggestions gratefully received!

    Write your comments here... I suggest you go and wait! You have a booked ticket, your operator will honour it! Earlier might be better; (A) you might get on an earlier ferry (B) you might get on your booked ferry (C) you might get on a later ferry. Whichever,
    you WILL get across my friend. It might be a slow process but you WILL get accross

  • Rubytubes
    Rubytubes Forum Participant Posts: 3
    edited May 2016 #185

    Thank you artyboo, a bit of positivity. I feel better now, we'll get there in time for an earlier one and see what happens. 

  • Bob55
    Bob55 Forum Participant Posts: 29
    edited May 2016 #186

    Thank you all for your updates on the fuel shortage in many area of France it has been most helpful to our planing. We put our ferry crossing back one week, now booked on the Poole Cherbourg Thursday 2 June but fingers crossed (?) just had a phone call the
    ferry will be running two hours late because of industrial action at Cherbourg (Bless them all)

  • Vaudinet
    Vaudinet Forum Participant Posts: 10
    edited May 2016 #187

    Just left provence no problem - now 50 miles south east of Lyon - no problem. Petrol and diesel easily available at local supermarkets and motorway satations. Prices are a fraction higher than normal.

  • Vaudinet
    Vaudinet Forum Participant Posts: 10
    edited May 2016 #188

    To answer postet from separate thread. A7 & A8 no problem  on Monday 30th May

  • nicbecboz
    nicbecboz Forum Participant Posts: 7
    edited May 2016 #189

    Thanks for all the updates. We are driving down to Portsmouth tomorrow ready for our ferry to Caen on Thursday. We will be filling up at Portsmouth anyway but now I've read all the helpful & positive posts I'm feeling a bit happier now. We have 5 weeks over
    there so will just see how it all goes & if the issues escalate horribly then we will have to get an earlier ferry home & get fuel as we go. There is always something to spoil things! 

  • DSB
    DSB Club Member Posts: 5,695 ✭✭✭
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    edited June 2016 #190

    Glad to hear it is getting a little easier to get fuel in France.  Thanks to all who are providing updates.

    David 

  • rdchair
    rdchair Forum Participant Posts: 21
    edited June 2016 #191

    Thanks for all the updates. We are driving down to Portsmouth tomorrow ready for our ferry to Caen on Thursday. We will be filling up at Portsmouth anyway but now I've read all the helpful & positive posts I'm feeling a bit happier now. We have 5 weeks over
    there so will just see how it all goes & if the issues escalate horribly then we will have to get an earlier ferry home & get fuel as we go. There is always somethingh to spoil things! 

  • rdchair
    rdchair Forum Participant Posts: 21
    edited June 2016 #192

    Hi we are in Normandy now and have been for 3 days . We have seen absolutely no problems with fuel anywhere at all . I have just asked the lady on reception and they report absolutely no problems now . So come , relax and enjoy . 

  • Road Trip
    Road Trip Forum Participant Posts: 10
    edited June 2016 #193

    Over the last few days we have travelled from Lourmarin, through Valance and Troyes to Calais. Around Lourmarin some of the village fuel stations were closed but once we were on the motorways it got much better. We followed some advice we saw online including
    travelling early so that we didn't need to use air con as much (and therefore as much fuel) and topping up when we could even if it was only 20/30 litres. In addition, athough not fuel availability related, we did have an issue yesterday that I thought I should
    share. We filled up with fuel 50 miles from Calais and whilst paying for the fuel 4 men tried to get into our van. A motorbike rider alerted my husband to what they were doing and he chased them off. We were aware that we needed to be vigilant as we got closer
    to Calais but it wasn't on our radar being so far away. The men were waiting in the bushes for, I assume, caravans and motorhomes with GB plates. If you don't already (we do) make sure that you travel with your van doors locked. Safe travels.

  • Rocky 2 buckets
    Rocky 2 buckets Forum Participant Posts: 7,101
    1000 Comments
    edited June 2016 #194

    Congratulations on a wonderful thread of help & co-operation, to all contributors who've gone the extra mile to help out their fellow LV users travelling/going to travel in the area of France. I've been following it with interest. Both members of the CC
    & non-members & the CC staff have been helping & reading all for the common good. It's been heartwarming. I hope it continuesHappy

  • Hazel
    Hazel Forum Participant Posts: 185
    edited June 2016 #195

    Morning all

    I agree with Rocky 2 - a great thread and thank you to all who have contributed.

    I have just spoken to a member who has travelled from Saint-Tropez north towards Orléans and he reported no problems at all, all petrol stations open and no restrictions.

  • Natasha2
    Natasha2 Forum Participant Posts: 306
    100 Comments
    edited June 2016 #196

    We have been in France for 4 weeks meandering down from Caen and are currently near Marseille. No issues with fuel at all although I wish the weather would settle down. 

    Fantastic relaxed ACSI campsite lots of space, beautiful grassy pitches, swimming pool, takeaway food and the owners will even do a load of your washing for 4 euros.  We handwashed our clothes because we wanted to use the 1950's mangle.

  • JudenSteve
    JudenSteve Forum Participant Posts: 169
    edited June 2016 #197

    Over the last few days we have travelled from Lourmarin, through Valance and Troyes to Calais. Around Lourmarin some of the village fuel stations were closed but once we were on the motorways it got much better. We followed some advice we saw online including
    travelling early so that we didn't need to use air con as much (and therefore as much fuel) and topping up when we could even if it was only 20/30 litres. In addition, athough not fuel availability related, we did have an issue yesterday that I thought I should
    share. We filled up with fuel 50 miles from Calais and whilst paying for the fuel 4 men tried to get into our van. A motorbike rider alerted my husband to what they were doing and he chased them off. We were aware that we needed to be vigilant as we got closer
    to Calais but it wasn't on our radar being so far away. The men were waiting in the bushes for, I assume, caravans and motorhomes with GB plates. If you don't already (we do) make sure that you travel with your van doors locked. Safe travels.

    Write your comments here...I know it's off thread but with regards to 4 men who tried to break in we won't stop closer than 2 hours away (110 miles) for that reason and even then i give the van a quick check over inside it only takes about 30 seconds just
    to make sure.

  • hitchglitch
    hitchglitch Forum Participant Posts: 3,007
    1000 Comments
    edited June 2016 #198

    We are in Lyon after travelling down the Autoroutes from Calais. I did see a sign on the outskirts of Lyon indicating that one of the service station had a problem; I think they were out of unleaded 95 but this may have been nothing to do with the strike.
    So, all back to normal apart from the floods of course! Central and Northern France has been bad but things are improving.

  • Poshman
    Poshman Forum Participant Posts: 88
    edited June 2016 #199

    No problem at all from Calais down to Limoges. Filled up 3 times. no queues.

  • Pliers
    Pliers Forum Participant Posts: 1,864
    1000 Comments
    edited June 2016 #200

    Good to hear the situation is improving, we've a ferry booked to Oustreham, Sunday morning. Just received an email from Carole Evans at the C.C. with lots of really useful links to relevant websites, including one to this thread. Many thanks. 

  • Johnc 26
    Johnc 26 Forum Participant Posts: 49
    edited June 2016 #201

    Came over Portsmaouth/ Caen and on to Chatellrault, we were told by a Dutch couple at Le Petit Trianon that there was a problem with fuel. We went into the town to fill up no and there was not a issue. We are now at Collioure and have had no problem getting
    fuel at the local Intermarche,although we have noticed that the prices have increased by about 10 cents per litre.

    John C 

  • alfie67
    alfie67 Forum Participant Posts: 14
    edited June 2016 #202

    Came over on eurotunnel this morning and travelled via Reims to  Chalon sur Saone.  Stopped 3 times for a break and filled up with petrol no queue's no problems At all.

     Very wet though rained all the way from Calais!

  • InaD
    InaD Club Member Posts: 1,701 ✭✭
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    edited June 2016 #203

    We've only fuelled u once so far, but that was no problem at all, no queues and no restrictions.  Passing other fuel stations we haven't seen any notices, apart from 1 sing for the A13 near Rouen, where they had no SP98.

  • peedee
    peedee Club Member Posts: 9,392 ✭✭✭
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    edited June 2016 #204

    Floods seem to be the problem at the moment, I also understand where there are fuel shortages, there is less of a problem getting diesel than petrol.

    peedee

  • husbil
    husbil Forum Participant Posts: 1
    edited June 2016 #205

    Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to pass on information for those of us who are about to travel. We will be on the Portsmouth - Caen ferry next Thursday with a full tank of fuel, heading for Sarlat far less worried than we would have been. 

  • hitchglitch
    hitchglitch Forum Participant Posts: 3,007
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    edited June 2016 #206

    I think this sticky is dead - until the next strike!

  • peedee
    peedee Club Member Posts: 9,392 ✭✭✭
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    edited June 2016 #207

    I think you're right HG, the French have more to worry about right now than strikes. I cannot see a striking union being very popular in a flood situation.

    peedee

  • JudenSteve
    JudenSteve Forum Participant Posts: 169
    edited June 2016 #208

    I'm more worried about the strikes as we are set to head over on 14th June which is the day they are planning on doing some kind of national action, we are heading to Italy so plenty of options if and when we do leave Calais. Maybe the next sticky can be
    titled "Strike watch".

  • IanH
    IanH Forum Participant Posts: 4,708
    1000 Comments
    edited June 2016 #209

    This story has now dropped out of the news in the UK, so all the more important for folks to keep posting on the current situation as they find it.......

  • IanH
    IanH Forum Participant Posts: 4,708
    1000 Comments
    edited June 2016 #210

    What's the situation on fuel like in Calais itself? We usually fill up at either Auchan or Carreffour when we get there and fill up again for the return to the UK.

    Is that an option, at the moment?

  • Bob55
    Bob55 Forum Participant Posts: 29
    edited June 2016 #211

     Hello all, we cross Poole cherbourg on Thursday apart from a two hour delay we were on the road by 4pm topped up with fuel on A84 at Mont St Michel service station no queus all fuel avaiable, travel Foigeres, Laval, Angers, over night stop then on the 3
    June topped up at Loudon (d347) no queus al fuel avaiable. on to Poitiers,then LIMOGES down the A20 topped up at service station just before exit 55 again no problem with fuel.. Here on the bank of the river at Vitrac weather a nice 27 c  river running well
    but ok hope this helps

    Bye from Bob