Thousands of British holidaymakers will be swapping flying for driving across the continent this year, and those heading across France have been boosted with a map showing where the cheapest petrol and diesel is available close to where they are.
Here motoring journalist and expert Pete Barden explains how to use the map to find cheap petrol and diesel, along with news on the discount the French government previously gave on the price of a litre of fuel.
Use a new online map to find the cheapest fuel in France for your road trip this summer. (Credit: Pxhere)
How does the French fuel map work?
Drivers can simply enter the town or postcode where they are, select the type of fuel they are looking to fill up with, and how far they can travel to get it.
The map will then bring up a list of fuel stations within the search area, with the price per litre of the fuel that was selected.
The map will also – at the top – display an average price for the area, which will be helpful when planning your trip to help decide the areas where you can save most money as you make your way across the country to your final destination.
Are the fuel prices on the map accurate?
The prices displayed on the map should be accurate, because all petrol station managers are required to submit prices to the French government following a decree from December 2006.
These prices are used for the map, with the cost-per-litre updated three times a day. Additionally, if new prices for individual petrol stations are not submitted for more than 48 hours, the service station will be removed from the map.
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Is the map is in French?
You can use your settings on a mobile phone app to translate to English, if required. However, it is quite intuitive to use in French and even non-French speakers should be able to locate the cheapest fuel for their vehicle.
And don't forget, you can right-click on a PC to translate a website. Or do the following on a mobile phone with this from Google:
- On your iPhone or iPad, open Chrome
- Go to a webpage written in another language
- At the top, select the language you want to translate to
- Chrome will translate the webpage this one time
Who produces it?
Drivers need not worry that the map is produced by fuel companies simply as a marketing tool. The interactive tool has been created and updated by UFC-Que Choisir – a consumer rights organisation that pushes for public policies to reinforce the rights of consumers.
What type of fuel can I search for?
The map will let you find and compare prices for the following types of fuel:
- Gazole/Diesel
- SP98
- SP95-E10
- SP95
- GPLcE85
Where can I find the price map?
Simply get online and enter your location in the French fuel price map.
Will it be cheaper to use this map when driving on French ‘motorways?
Yes. Just like in the UK, drivers are charged a premium when purchasing fuel at motorway service stations, so diving off to a nearby petrol station could deliver big savings in fuel.
You may have to pay a toll at the peage when leaving some roads, but this should not add to the overall cost of using the road to get back on and continue your journey.
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Author: Pete Barden:
Twitter: @pete_barden
Pete Barden is a qualified journalist who has written and produced for publications including The Sun (thesun.co.uk), New Statesman Media Group, Whatcar? (Whatcar.com) Stuff Magazine (Stuff.tv), Fastcar Magazine (Fastcar.co.uk), Maxim Magazine and UK broadcast stations within the Heart network (Formerly GCAP). Pete specialises in motoring and travel content, along with news and production roles. You can find out more about Pete Barden on LinkedIn.
Read all articles by Pete Barden