Access to fuel for long outfits French Motorways
We have toured through France for several years and had some very difficult encounters with narrow chicanes around fuel stations. We usually stop near the entrance and walk through before committing to a pathway. We keep intending to keep a note of long-outfit-friendly stations. Anyone else done this ?
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We used to do keep a record of all suitable fuel stations - on N roads as well as on the autoroute. Even off autoroute there are plenty which are difficult. We used to put a marker on the top of the page of our Michelin Atlas for fuel stations, and a green or red (removeable) sticker on the map itself to indicate whether they were easy or difficult to get in and out of. We also used to keep a note of great places to stop for a meal, or villages with a public WC which was accessible! Sadly the information wasn't transferred into our newest Michelin Atlas.
We have been known to just fill up a fuel container, in desperation, and put that in the tank, then head off elsewhere to find fuel at somewhere easier to pull into. In later years we got much more organised and filled up on first arrival in France. That lasted us until our overnight stop and we filled up again with the caravan unhitched and pitched up on a campsite. That way we could use supermarket fuel which is much cheaper than that on the autoroutes. We're fortunate in that we tow with a Ford Mondeo, which returns a good MPG - so filling up isn't as frequent for us as it is for some.
Nowadays we store our caravan in France, but we still do much the same if we're heading off a long way from our storage sites.
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Hi, It does of course depend on what you call long however I have never noticed an issue on filling stations en route but plenty in supermarkets.
One thing that may help is looking at the location on Google maps but, that is only any use if you have an idea where you will be stopping, but even then you can be caught out and experience tells me to pay more and fill up in easy access filling stations and avoid potential issues in attempting to save a few Euros. We know our route so get the filling stations so 'drive' it using Google maps and then have a closer look at likely filling points.
That said we usually arrive in France with a fullish tank and know that will, if we need it to, take us all the way to our first overnight. We also know that there is a supermarket we can access with the van less than a mile away which we will use.
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The heading says fuel on French motorways so that counts me out, but at supermarkets you can often get a clearer run through at the automated 24/24 pumps even when the chicane to pay the lady in the booth is totally impossible with a caravan.
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My total length is just under12m. From experience of living in France and travelling there regularly all my adult life I can endorse some of the comments already made. On motorways no problem although we never fill up on French motorways; there are normally plenty of places to fill up fairly close to the autoroutes (eg Cleremont Ferrand leave A75 at J2 head towards CF and there are a number). Off motorways it can be a problem. Some supermarket fuel points are impossible for caravans with chicanes and some even have a height restriction on the approach - or worst on the departure road! Usually, if you use the automatic pay pumps you will have no problems except that you need to check that you do not have to tow through the car parks to get to them. Tip is to not leave it too late to fill up just in case you have access problems.
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I would agree off of motorways there can be some ridiculously convoluted ones, even when solo. When we used to have a petrol Mondeo, which severely restricted our range, we did fill up on Motorways and had no significant problems. Now a days I can easily get more than 300 miles from a tank, and I have no intention of driving further than that in a day ever again.😃 So we always fill up at the supermarkets solo. The saving can be 30 cents a litre, 17 euros on an average fill.👍 Or put another way, enough to fund a night on many ACSI sites.
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Even on motorways you have to think about which pumps to use as the ones in the middle often require a tight turn in front of the shop. If you use the ones at either side it usually gives you a better exit. In supermarkets I would only use the 24/7 automatic pumps but even some of these can be difficult for both caravans and larger motorhomes. When we towed I tended not to do journeys that required a fill up en route. When we got to our night stop I would usually nip out in the car solo to fill up at the nearest supermarket.
David
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halfacre, just looked at the French Govt site-link below- for fuel prices and see that they have an option to plan your itinerary and that shows all filling stations along your route and if you click on them it give the fuel price.
Looking at my route for later this month there is a difference of around 15 cents a litre between the most expensive and the cheapest.
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Allan, easy fuel for you next time you go in to Roscoff.
If you turn left at the 4th roundabout after leaving that ferry port. E.Leclerc have built a new, wide spaced, modern fuel station on the opposite side of the road from their store. Definitely caravan accessible and about as cheap as any in the area.
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Thanks for that et. Is that the store on Rue de Brest in St Pol?
Will be staying at Trologot on way home so could use either on way out, way back or both! We usually fill up at the Super U in St Pol on the way home if we need fuel, is a staffed site or auto only?
Of topic but have you used the restaurant-Au Quai des Isles opposite the aire in St Pol? Looking for a decent Fruits de Mer as our final treat as the place we always used before, near to Ar Kleguer, were not doing it last year.
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Allan, The fuel station is staffed in the daytime and automatic at all times.
The reviews are good for that restaurant but we haven't eaten there, though we have have good meals at a small place in St Pol called Dans La Grand Rue - there's a clue of how to find it. - and in Roscoff at Le Surcouf. Bon appetit.
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In 30 years of caravanning in France I don't ever recall having a problem on the Autoroutes or in supermarkets. Maybe I have instinctively avoided using ones with tight access or made sure to use the outer pumps but not to the extent that it has ever registered as a problem. As stated above, some autoroute services have limited space between the forecourt and services building but this can usually be overcome by selecting a pump in the most convenient access position.
On the other hand, if I was towing and used the Shell station in my home village I could have a real problem if I chose the inside pumps, so this is not really a French problem, more a caravan manoeuvring and awareness problem.
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Hi et, checked and it is not the there in Google maps it is now showing up in street view and looks pretty ideal being separate from the main store.
Will probably be staying at Trologot for a couple of nights on way home so may get chance to follow up on your culinary tips!
Thanks again.
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