Autoroute fuel prices / locations

[Steve Last]

I read somewhere recently that alhough in general the autoroute fuel prices are a lot higher than off-route / hypermarket ones, that is not the case wiith the LeClerc stations. Can anyone confirm that this is true?  If so, anyone know if there is a Leclerc one on the route Tunnel > A26 Calais - Troyes > A5 Langres > A31 Lyon > Provence?  How much is diesel generally in France at the moment? I just acquired a Citroen c4 with electronic gearbox which is claimed to be mega-efficient. So I want to experiment to see how much I can cut my costs compared with other cars I've had on this trip south, which have always been petrol, so I've not really looked at diesel prices before.  

Steve 

[suein56]

This site is really good for finding the cheapest fuel in an area - or even where there is fuel available in a new-to-you area.

http://www.prix-carburants.gouv.fr/

Sue

[Cassis]

I confess I did not know that Leclerc had service stations on motorways.

Try this link from the Leclerc website:

Leclerc petrol on your route

It tells you all the Leclerc stations along your route.

I like that site, Sue.  Do you know how often the prices are updated?  They all seem to be under a month old for Alençon, from 3 March to 22 March.

[Clair]

The site was startd in January and the prices should be updated daily.

See this thread: http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/843242/ShowPost.aspx

More details here: http://www.service-public.fr/actualites/00433.html

[Steve Last]

Thanks very much both! Looks like it's not far from 1€ a litre everywhere, which compares to about 95p plus in England - so will definitely make a difference.  Very useful site suggestions.  

[Steve Last]

Taking a quick look it appears that it is average about €1 a litre in France and €1.37 in England so definitely a big saving!    Now I just need to find put if the car will do the 75 mpg claimed for autoroute driving....  If so, it looks lije a fuel cost of £60 per round trip rather than £200 as in my previous car. It also gets into the lowest bracket for emissions so only £35 a year road tax and no Congetsion Charge in London. Fingers crossed they don't change that.

Steve

[Cassis]

Sorry, Steve, but I doubt if you'll get 75 mpg on the autoroutes.

You may manage 3.77 litres per 100km, though. [:D]

[Steve Last]

Touche!  The book says 3.8, so we shall see!

Steve

[Ron Avery]

[quote user="Cassis"]I confess I did not know that Leclerc had service stations on motorways.


[/quote]

There is a Leclerc service station on (or just off) the A68 ( Albi - Toulouse) on the Gaillac/ Cordes exit.  Its not on the Autoroute itself but as close as some of the so called service areas on the A20 and A 75 that you have to exit the Autoroute to find.

Quite honestly if you want to save a few centimes on the Autoroutes it is quite easy, fill up at a Supermarket before going on, leave at an exit for a town and find another supermarket,  if you need to fill up,  or just don't drive so fast[:P]

[Baz]

[quote user="Slast"]

I read somewhere recently that alhough in general the autoroute fuel prices are a lot higher than off-route / hypermarket ones, that is not the case wiith the LeClerc stations. Can anyone confirm that this is true?  If so, anyone know if there is a Leclerc one on the route Tunnel > A26 Calais - Troyes > A5 Langres > A31 Lyon > Provence?  

[/quote]

Steve, I have noticed that LeClerc station prices are slightly better on the Autoroutes. If my memory serves me right, there is a LeClerc station on the A5 just after Troyes going south well before Langres. I always have an overnight stop at Langres were there are supermarket stations selling fuel at very good prices.

Baz

[powerdesal]

The cheapest diesel I have ever found was at LeClerc in Boulogne. We fill up there in both directions, really brimming the tank before going back to UK on SF.

Last year it was E1.03 at Boulogne and E1.08 at Villedieu.  Dont know the current prices.

[Steve Last]

Many thanks all for the suggestions. 

I'm trying to figure out the optimum speed / consumption / cost as a reference point really, not really needing just to save a few centimes. Our trip is 13 hours, door to door from Marlow Bucks to the northern edge Vaucluse. That's depending on exact timing of the shuttle, traffic conditions etc. It's 730 miles / 1175 km,  all bar 30 miles autoroute or motorway. This is "do-able" in one blast without being too tiring IF we can avoid heavy traffic, so we tend to leave about 0330, Monday to Thursday, get a offpeak shuttle just before 0600, and cruise at the autoroute speed limit. My wife goes back to sleep for the first few hours, I take a break, and she drives most of the boring bit across Champagne towards Lyon and I do the rest. That way it takes 13 hours door to door, plus or minus an hour. We arrive at about 6.30 pm local, which is OK for unloading, getting a meal and settling in without being too knackered. That includes decent breaks every couple of hours. Over such a long distance slowing down much does add significantly to the trip time and turns it something needing an overnight, so the cost goes way up even though the fuel burn is a bit less.

Steve.