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Getting fuel - UK cards - Night driving!


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Can anyone tell me if UK chip n pin cards work yet, i'm thinking not.

After forgetting our pin number on our french card and the bank failing to send out a new number we are driving through France again in the hope we don't have to spend the night in a petrol station.

This time we will be a little earlier so hopefully I might find a manned station at about 8pm and fill up again.

May need fuel around Rennes or Niort if anyone knows manned stations.

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I don't think I'd go quite that far but certainly I've never had any problems with my Nationwide debit card which, if you are going to be using a card in France, is the one to have.

I can't imagine why anybody would have to spend a night at a main road service station as there will always be someone along who will take cash in exchange for using their card for you, unless you had no cash that is, but then to travel without some emergency money is asking for trouble and I can't imagine anyone being so shortsighted or remis.

Wherever possible we use satnav to plan a detour off the peage to fill up at a supermarket, and well before we are down to fumes too.

Bonne voyage.

PS: You could always resort to the time honoured practice of carrying a couple of gallons in the boot [;-)]

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[quote user="Théière"]I had problems with a UK card and haven't tried it since, Do UK cards work now?[/quote]

UK cards work in Leclerc automated stations, so I'm told. We've always been able to get fuel on the autoroutes at night with UK cards.

Regards

Pickles

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Well, we got there.

Did a quick fill up at a Super U just off the main road down and the card worked (MBNA ex Alliance Leicester credit card).

Probably would have made it anyway as turned out, still had over a 1/4 left.

Now back to the bank to ask if they will send me a new PIN again which I have found out today that they have been taking out 10e a month for something I havn't asked for, then im off to open another account somehere else.

Nice and warm today in a nice part of the world made up for it

AnOther - Hate to think of your backup emergency plans for when taking a flight or ferry.

For some bizaar reason I thought having a debit card would have got me money!

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[quote user="ChezShells"]For some bizaar reason I thought having a debit card would have got me money!
[/quote]

It does in the case of AnOthers' suggestion the nationwide card works in cash points and the rate is good without transaction charges.

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[quote user="Théière"]

[quote user="ChezShells"]For some bizaar reason I thought having a debit card would have got me money!
[/quote]

It does in the case of AnOthers' suggestion the nationwide card works in cash points and the rate is good without transaction charges.

[/quote]Relying on cards is all well and good but presupposes that when an emergency blind sides you you are in a position to use it. Obviously at airports and ferry terminals etc. your chances of getting hold of cash in a flash are pretty good (but only up to your daily limit of course). If travelling any distance by car I always make sure I have a minimum of a couple of hundred € cash in my wallet.

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For fuel, you will find a Leclerc or Intermarche close to most ports of arrival and they all have 24-hour pumps that accept UK cards. If you use a TomTom or similar, they are pre-programmed to find those fuel stations for you.

Whenever I arrive at Dieppe, my first stop is always at the local Leclerc to top my tank up before I go onto the autoroutes...
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[quote user="Théière"]

[quote user="ChezShells"]For some bizaar reason I thought having a debit card would have got me money!

[/quote]

It does in the case of AnOthers' suggestion the nationwide card works in cash points and the rate is good without transaction charges.

[/quote]

Plus, I fill up prior to boarding not waiting until I get off the boat.

Anyway, last August my UK card wouldnt work, this time it did.

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[quote user="Mel"]For fuel, you will find a Leclerc or Intermarche close to most ports of arrival and they all have 24-hour pumps that accept UK cards. If you use a TomTom or similar, they are pre-programmed to find those fuel stations for you. Whenever I arrive at Dieppe, my first stop is always at the local Leclerc to top my tank up before I go onto the autoroutes...[/quote]

Just a note on the Dieppe Leclerc, there is a height restriction barrier so transit sized vans will not make it under the barrier [:@]

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UK cards do not always work, In LeClerc or Intermarche. Without a French Carte Bleu there is absolutely no guarantee that you will be able to buy fuel anywhere at night. Essential to fill up during the day. I speak from painful experience!
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We took out Credit Agricole cards with Britline for precisely this purpose: still miffed at the cost (about Euros 50 a year for 2 cards) but it beats being stuck.  Last year I came across a Dutch couple at my local Intermarche in Carpentras who had international cards galore (which the pumps wouldn't take) but no cash........
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[quote user="tonyinfrance"]We took out Credit Agricole cards with Britline for precisely this purpose: still miffed at the cost (about Euros 50 a year for 2 cards) but it beats being stuck.  Last year I came across a Dutch couple at my local Intermarche in Carpentras who had international cards galore (which the pumps wouldn't take) but no cash........[/quote]

I can only speak from my own experience,  for me Nationwide cards have worked all over France and Italy in all sorts of garages in the last 18 months, no problems at all.

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Ditto, no problems since 2006 when I got rid of my French debit card.

I usually buy my fuel out of hours and since that date all the pumps at every service station have prompted me to choose the language.

I dont think the foreign cards not working out of hours exists any more but of course there are often problems with the card systeml in general as anyone that takes advantage of the lunch (2) hour lull to do their shopping can constate.

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