goldi Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 Good afternoon , Thanks for the updates on this, as my wife and I travel tomorrow, It really does help with the plans. We will fill up at Ashford before the tunnel. norm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caddies104 Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 Hi Arrived in St Valery sur Somme today after filling up in Dover. £1:10 for diesel. Saw no queues at all, maybe some were empty but definitely some station had drivers filling up with know one behind them. Around €1:25 for gasoline ... Hope this helps?,! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archiesgrandad Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 Filled the car with petrol today, restricted to €120, so no problems in the Lot today. AGD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Another1 Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 We are currently on the municipal in Obernai at the top end of the Alsace wine Route having driven from Equisheim this morning. There don't appear to be an issue with fuel, no queues with diesel advertised at 1.11 a litre. We still have a half tank or so and if the blockade continues we will move into Germany. I'd be more concerned with the weather. Not settled at all even though today was very nice. Tomorrow and Friday forecast good, but thereafter back to rain again. Ah well we are used to it...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starvin marvin Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 StuartO - 2016-05-25 11:51 AMstarvin marvin - 2016-05-24 9:28 PMStuartO - 2016-05-24 6:05 PMAvoiding France altogether just because there are fuel shortages, especially locally, is probably unnecessary if you were planing to come here. There does seem to be fuel on the autoroutes and on our non-autoroute journey from the Normandy coast (Fecamp) to Chateaudun (South of Chartres on the N10) we did see several supermarkets along the route selling fuel, even though there were queues. The Dieppe area was dry the day before apart from a delivery to Auchan, which we joined and were allowed to fill up. We refueled again on the N10 a few miles N of Dreux, where we got to the pump after a short queue but were allowed only 40€, which as it happened was more than enough to fill up again. As long as you think ahead and refuel every chance you get when dropping towards a half full tank, you should be able to make continuing progress and without too much delay. And you are in a MH so if the worst comes to the worst you just pull over to wait for fuel and get the wine out! The local Le Clerc and Intermarche supermarkets in this locality appear to be selling fuel continuously and without long queues during the past 24 hours, so we could have refilled again on arrival if necessary. Don't panic Mr Mainwaring! (But do take a gallon can of standby fuel and keep it full!)I understand the difficulty, but this action simply exacerbates the problem. Most vehicle tanks are on average probably less than half full. Keeping tanks filled up with panic buying simply moves the fuel from the filling station tanks into the vehicle tanks and bingo there a shortage, and carrying a separate can full of fuel makes it even worst! Simples. Perhaps you are missing the point of my suggestion. I'm referring to a motorhome which is touring or in transit in France and therefore needs to plan to keep moving, rather than an ordinary, local vehicle. There will be a hoarding tendency among some locals when a fuel shortage arises and, preach how you like, quite a few locals, perhaps the majority in a shortage area, will take an early opportunity to get topped up and will try to stay topped up, that's human nature. By all means advocate the less selfish approach to them if you wish but I fear it will fall mostly as water off a duck's back. But if you are in a motorhome in France and you want to be able to keep moving day by day rather than tucking yourself away on a campsite until the shortage ends, using most of a full tank each day of running if you are in transit, fuel supplies are unpredictable at the momment and waiting until you are nearly out of fuel before looking for replenishment is a bit risky. You need to keep at least half full, in order to be able to go for another 100-200 miles to be confident of getting fuel somewhere, so you need some fuel up your sleeve. For those who feel the need to practise the best way of keeping fuel available to everyone in a shortage area, by all means take the risk of running dry before you take the selfish step of looking for replenishment fuel supplies. You are of course relatively well equiped in a motorhome for pulling over when you run out and camping by the side of the road until some friendly and generous local offers you some fuel from his personal reserves. "Monsieur," you would say, "j'ai besoin de gazole, puis-je prendre un peu de votre reservoir?" to which I fear he might reply "Non, vous etes un imbecile!"Indeed he may, but of course however you paint it, panic buying makes the situation worst. The French government, just like us Brits have strategic supplies that will be released when fuel runs low. All of the developed countries rely on road transportation and simply won't allow action like this to stop movement. However I understand that holding your nerve whilst everyone around you is losing theirs will be hard for some people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W3526602 Posted May 26, 2016 Share Posted May 26, 2016 Hi, Hoarding is regarded as bad. But if everybody hoarded BEFORE a crisis, even a weeks supply of petrol, milk, wine, etc, garages, cars, and larders, would be full, thereby obviating the need for panic buying. Governments should encourage it. Personally, I always brim my fuel tank as soon as the needle drops to half. It's a waste of time and fuel having to drive ten miles ... just to buy fuel. 602 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted May 26, 2016 Share Posted May 26, 2016 This forum thread relates to the 2010 French refinery blockading http://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Question-of-fuel-supplies-in-France/21260/ that affected us while we were in France. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted May 26, 2016 Share Posted May 26, 2016 W3526602 - 2016-05-26 6:22 AM Hi, Hoarding is regarded as bad. But if everybody hoarded BEFORE a crisis, even a weeks supply of petrol, milk, wine, etc, garages, cars, and larders, would be full, thereby obviating the need for panic buying. Governments should encourage it. 602 Can't see that working. Many /most people have no idea when a crisis is coming - so the government would have to announce it - which would trigger panic buying. You can do nothing about human nature. ( Unfortunately ) ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted May 26, 2016 Share Posted May 26, 2016 Hoarding fuel by filling up lots of fuel cans or even oil drums and storing them at home is clearly dangerous and in UK (and probably France) is illegal as well - but that's rare and we're not talking about that sort of thing here. All I'm suggesting is to fill up when you can and certainly before you tank gets too low, in case you drive into a shortage area - like Dieppe a few days ago when I was there and all the garages and supermarkets had run dry. Auchan got a delivery and long queues formed. Why are some people calling this panic buying? Because they imagine that's what is going on? The people I. The queue are more likely to simply be needing fuel in order to carry on with their lives. The pumps would only allow you to draw 40€ At Auchan in Dieppe anyway. I have seen no evidence of hoarding or panic buying at all, just folk queuing where fuel is available because in other places it isn't or might not be. And apart from a few local areas, fuel is still widely available. France is reported to hold four months of reserve fuel stock and so far has released only three days. The President is already showing signs of back ground down and the football starts in two weeks. I doubt this dispute will last all that long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted May 26, 2016 Share Posted May 26, 2016 This link provides a map showing where fuel is currenty available: http://penurie.mon-essence.fr/w/opened/ I have no idea how accurate or up to date it is but, for example, I've just been to the local Le Clerc here in Chateaudun which is serving normally (except that filling jerrycans is forbidden) and this does not show as available on the website map. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted May 26, 2016 Share Posted May 26, 2016 StuartO - 2016-05-26 2:12 PM This link provides a map showing where fuel is currenty available The other map, being shown on TV news, showing " dry " fuel stations, in orange, looks much worse ! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archiesgrandad Posted May 26, 2016 Share Posted May 26, 2016 Filled the motorhome up at local Intermarche diesel is €113, and there was no restriction. It seems that there is still quite a lot in the Lot. AGD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyg3nwl Posted May 26, 2016 Share Posted May 26, 2016 1.169 a litre this morning at Agde, no significant queuing, no restriction on quantity. crisis? What crisis ??? Tonyg3nwl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith T Posted May 26, 2016 Share Posted May 26, 2016 We are on the ferry next Monday night, and will go with the tank full so that should give 400/450 miles, but I shall aim to fill up every say 100 miles so that if there is a problem I can keep moving to our destination down south! Any updates on this forum will be welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted May 27, 2016 Share Posted May 27, 2016 The BBC TV coverage is suggesting that the shortages are confined mostly to the NW of France, so maybe there will still be some difficulty getting fuel within half a tank of the ferry ports but if you cross with a full tank you should be able to drive well out of that area. And the strike has finished until the middle of next week, so thngs will presumbly be getting back to normal over the next few days. Here in Chateaudun the fuel supply is entirely normal with no sign of shortage or queues. The prce of diesel seems to have gone up by 6 cents per litre but it is still cheaper than in UK - but I woud still cross to France with a full tank as a precaution until further notice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George.. Posted May 27, 2016 Share Posted May 27, 2016 Hi, just arrived at Montreuil(70k west of Calais) no problem at Eurotunnel,plenty of fuel, even at Calais. Seen no closed garages or queues.Keep fingers crossed. Weather hot and dry. George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted May 27, 2016 Share Posted May 27, 2016 The reason that difficulties in France are so hard to predict is that some problems are caused on " general strike " days, when ports / trains / power supplies / and the refining of fuel are all hit - and the blockading of refineries which seems to happen on a random basis preventing fuel tankers distributing to garages. .... and there seems to be no end in sight - although it is rumoured that the government ' might ' be thinking of modifying the law that has upset everyone. It's currently being reported that most of the blockades at refineries have been demolished - so hopefully a lot of fuel stations will get topped up. Seems you just have to be lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. Good luck to all who are currently touring in France !. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted May 28, 2016 Share Posted May 28, 2016 The website StuartO mentioned earlier includes a map identifying by colour those areas of France that are said to be most/least affected by fuel shortages. http://penurie.mon-essence.fr/w/ The information is ‘real time’ and based on feedback from 10,000 or so participants. The data will not be 100% accurate, but should give a useful idea of where to anticipate refuelling difficulties. Paris and Loire-Atlantique are shown as major problem areas, but that doesn’t mean that refuelling there will prove impossible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted May 29, 2016 Share Posted May 29, 2016 Thank you Stuart and Derek, looks a very useful website. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 I'm not convinced that it is a really useful website actually, mainly because I have found inaccuracies and I doubt that it will be very practical to keep a webiste like this bang up to date. I suspect it will be more useful for indicating the broad areas where fuel shortages prevail rather than the detail of which station does or does not have fuel. The shortages map seems to have been replaced by a display of the proportion of garages without fuel - now suggesting that only central Paris and the St nazaire areas have serious shortages. And I don't think we can rely on broadcast media for a balanced picture either - even the good ld BBC were clearly sensationalising things and exaggerating the shortages affecting most of France last week. I do hope no one has been discouraged from coming to France by all this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hagrid Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 StuartO - 2016-05-30 8:53 AM. I do hope no one has been discouraged from coming to France by all this.We are due to travel out on the 15th, we will make a final decision next week but, at the moment we are for canceling and spending this holiday in the UK. We go to France to relax and enjoy ourselves not to spend our holiday looking for fuel and worrying about the return journey. We intend to enjoy our holiday not endure it, that is why we sold our yacht and bought a motorhome. (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 Have already decided to cancel our plans to tour in France - mainly Vendee area - as I too don't want to spend time thinking about fuel supplies - or cancelled ferries. Next general strike in France is, I understand, due on June 14 th. .(... also bear in mind that a lot of Brits who can't control their drinking are about to invade France for some football event ! ) Trouble is now I may have to cope with campsite owners in the U.K. who will react with astonishment - ( and maybe even hostility ? ) - when I turn up without booking. Have never booked a campsite in any country in the last 50 years - and don't really want to start now . :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George.. Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 Hi all, now at Argenton-sue-Creuse waiting to be towed off waterlogged pitch. Fuel was about 50/50 coming down, passed Rouen some garages had no petrol but gazelle. No can filling anywhere. We filled up near Marcilly. George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MagHal Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 We are still planning to go on the 18th July. A little late for us but we have a niece's wedding to attend beforehand. I'm actually hoping the French will all go on holiday and abandon their latest bout of anarchy at least for the summer months. If not, I've got a tin roof, a bed, food and toilet and I'm prepared to sit it out til September. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickydicky Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 Hi, filled up at auchan Dunkirk this morning, no problem whatsoever. There were no queues and no restrictions. e1.13.9 ltr. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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