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MAP: Where to find the cheapest fuel when you're driving in France

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MAP: Where to find the cheapest fuel when you're driving in France
Photo: AFP

The cost of filling up your car in France with petrol or diesel fluctuates regularly and prices can vary enormously depending on where you are and on what kind of road you are driving on. This map and advice will help you find the cheapest fuel prices in France.

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Fuel prices in France have several times topped €2 a litre this year, but you don't necessarily have to pay the highest prices if you are prepared to do a little research and perhaps drive a little further or take a detour.

Here's what you need to know about filling the tank up in France for as cheap as possible.

Avoid city centres

If you live in one of France's big cities, like the capital Paris, then try to fill up when you are outside the centre where prices can be significantly cheaper. 

If you find a cheap fuel station then it's worth topping up the tank even if it's not empty to avoid getting caught and having to fill up in the centre of a city.

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Avoid the Autoroutes

If you can, try to fill up before taking to the Autoroute in France because as soon as you join the motorway the prices of fuel shoot up.

Don't be surprised if you see the cheapest price for a litre of SP 95 - E 10 fuel cost well over €2 in fuel stations on France's autoroutes. Shell stations seem to be the most expensive with Total slightly cheaper.

The big companies who run the fuel stations along France's Autoroute network pay steep rent prices but they also know that motorists will likely have to fill up at some point. And there is little competition at least for the next 50km or so.

Be aware that leaving a motorway to find a cheaper petrol station might sound like a good idea, but only if there is one close by. If not you will be probably end up using all the that valuable fuel just to find it.

So fill up before you hit the autoroute and try to get to your destination without filling up again. If you want to take a detour to avoid the autoroutes filling stations then make sure you research on your smartphone where the nearest one is.

Head for supermarkets

The large French hypermarchés such as Intermarché, Leclerc or Casino and even Super U are where you'll find the cheapest pump prices, as they try to be as competitive as possible in order to draw customers into their shops.

So keep an eye out for signs for supermarkets as you drive through rural France, they will normally advertise whether there is a filling station. Prices can even vary among supermarkets so keep a close watch and take note of prices.

Choose automated petrol stations

Whenever possible, select petrol stations which are automated and where you can pay directly with your card at the pump. Since these stations don't have to pay someone to manage the pump or man the till, they can afford to shave a little more off their pump prices. However not all non-French credit or debit cards will work at these machines.

Now for some forward planning.

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MAP the best route 

If you know where you're going and can plan your route in advance, there are a number of websites which will help you find out where to find the cheapest places to fill up your tank along the way.

The government has a very detailed website which lists all the petrol pumps in France and the current fuel prices at each one.

Photo: Screengrab/Government website

The site allows you to select your place of departure and of arrival and the type of fuel you use, and it will produce a list of all the petrol stations you'll encounter on your drive. You can then select the cheapest, and you'll get an interactive map of all the pumps you've chosen on your itinerary. 

The website is updated twice a month or so, so it does not have the exact prices to the day, but it will help give you an idea of the kind of prices you can expect.

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Other websites such as Carbu.com, mon-essence.fr and Zagaz.com are updated by users, and so prices might be slightly more up to date that the government website. Again, they are easy to use. You just need to type in where you're going, and you'll get a list of the petrol stations nearby and their prices. 

The site pelin-moins-cher.fr also has an interactive site that can reveal up to date fuel prices at filling stations in your part of France. And consumer protection site UFC-Que choisir also created an interactive map to help people find the cheapest fuel. Not all filling stations are shown on these maps however but they can be useful.

Screenshot from plein-moins-cher.fr

Use an app

A number of useful apps will also come in handy if you have a smartphone and haven't been able to plan ahead. The apps Gasoil Now and Essence & Co for example will tell you where to find the most competitive prices within a 50km distance. 

If you want to get a rough idea of how much your drive in France will cost you, here is how much on average you'll currently pay for the different types of fuel, according to Franceinfo.

Christmas/New Year holidays

The French government currently applies a fuel subsidy of 10 cents per litre, but this ends on January 31st 2023. If you're driving over the New Year holiday, therefore, take the opportunity to fill up before the end of 2022.

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