Cheaper tyres in France?

[Deffheads]

Thanks to all for the info on tyre life. Now as my motorhome is fitted with Michelin tyres, are there places in France that sell at discount like Black Circles in the UK? Has anyone bought tyres in Europe and are they cheaper? I can get 2 x michelin camper 215/75/R16 for about £200 on the well known auction site, but then have to get fitted and dispose of old ones.

[Derek Uzzell]

I’m doubtful that new Michelin tyres (merely because they are manufactured in France) can GENERALLY be bought cheaper in that country than in the UK and, if you bought on-line through a French website and had the tyres fitted in France, I’d expect the fitting and disposal costs/procedure to be similar to the UK’s.

 

You might also want to consider what you’d do if there were a fault with the tyres you bought abroad or with the fitting process (say a tyre subsequently needed to be re-balanced). If either happened and you’d obtained the tyres in the UK and had them fitted locally, you should be able to get some redress.

 

You know that you can source on-line Michelin “Agilis Camping” 215/75 R16CP tyres for around £200 a pair (It would be wise confirm when those tyres were manufactured if you can, as ‘old’ camping-car tyres can languish in warehouses for years sometimes) and the on-line asking-price can form a start-point when negotiating with a tyre-fitting business local to you. As (presumably) you’d need four tyres for your motorhome’s two rear axles, you might find that a quantity discount, or free fitting/balancing, could be offered.

[starvin marvin]

If you could buy them cheaper in the “old” Western Europe then Spain/Portugal should be the cheapest me’thinks.

 

Just paid €207 for 1 Continental Vanco Camper, 225/75 R 16, fitted and disposal, including balancing, and high pressure valve, but not nitrogen inflation, manufactured week 13, 2018, in Portugal.

 

My target price was €150 which I could not get anywhere near, Spain was slightly more expensive.

[aandncaravan]

Camskill have the Pirelli Carrier 215/75/16 at £107 which has a higher load rating than the Vanco which it also betters it on Fuel, wet grip and noise.

It is allegedly rated at 68db as oppossed to the usual 73db for the Vanco, Goodyear, etc.

 

See -

https://www.camskill.co.uk/m153b0s8086p0/All_Season_-_Four_Season_-_All_Weather_-_Van_Motorhome_Tyres_-_16_inch_R16_inch_-_215_75_16_215_75R16

 

Those are supply only prices. The website is very good for comparing different manufacturers tyre specs and prices.

[Archiesgrandad]

I live here, and I think it's unlikely that anything is cheaper in France than the UK. If I want cheap I go to Spain.

 

AGD

[Deneb]

My own experience of replacing a tyre and an exhaust whilst in France was that both were substantially more expensive, like for like, than over here. But both instances were several years ago, so things could have changed. But with current exchange rates, I doubt it.

[weldted]

I have just had two 225/70/r15 Michelin Agils M+S green X tyres supplied and fitted at the Foed garage in Ourador-sur-Vares. They are not a stock item but only took 2days to arrive. English spoken very helpful garage? Got the price of the Internet they matched it.

[Derek Uzzell]

Is Michelin’s “Agilis” pattern now M+S-marked?

 

I’m aware that Michelin’s “Agilis Camping” pattern is M+S-marked (and - being aimed at motorhomes - is also CP-marked) but I thought the normal Agilis van tyre did not carry the M+S marking.

 

My experience of the pricing of French automotive items matches Deneb's - that I could expect to get the same things cheaper in the UK. But if one were in a position to be able to shop around, rather than actually needing the item in a hurry, I’m sure one could negotiate a good deal.

 

The thinking behind the original enquiry was that, as Michelin tyres are made in France, it might be possible to buy those tyres cheaper in their country of manufacture, but I don’t think that will be the case for France. Continental van tyres MIGHT be cheaper in the Czech Republic than in the UK but, if that were indeed the case, I’m doubtful that this would just be because those tyres are manufactured there.

[Tony Jones]

We had two Michelin Agilis Camping 215/70 fitted to our Citroën last year, with valves, balancing, disposal and VAT. Went to a local privately-run garage, who've been very helpful ever since we arrived.

Total bill was €342.86, which I was reasonably content with.

Of course, the exchange rate these days is rubbish (since some sort of foolishness back in 2016), but still not a bad price.